A farmer field day has been organized at Gagberi community in Tempane district of the Upper East Region for 115 farmers aimed to demonstrate and introduce new technologies of farming maize, and soya beans at maturity.
The demonstration was to introduce farmers to effects of different cropping patterns, planting times and crop growth, yield, pest and disease incidence, for maize and soybean and treatments for sole maize, sole soybean, soybean-maize intercrop in a relay and strip soybean-maize intercrop.
The technologies included dates of planting intervals of 10 days of sole maize, sole soybean, maize soybean intercropping and maize soybean relay cropping.
The field day which was organized by CSIR-SARI in collaboration with MOFA was under a three year project; Cultivating, Productivity and Resilience to mitigate food insecurity in West Africa, to promote information exchange and technology transfer from research to farmers and from farmer to farmer on the different cropping technologies.
The participants, made up of 65 females and 50 males were educated on importance of planting times, yield and productivity due to climate change and modified cropping calendar of planting dates for sole maize, soybeans, maize soybean intercropping and maize soybean relay cropping.
The farmers alluded that, although they practiced intercropping with other crops, they were impressed with performance of intercropping maize with soybean.
The researchers explained to the farmers that, the varieties used were drought tolerant and early maturing therefore applying good agronomic practices guaranteed high yields.
The suggested that the technology be demonstrated in other communities to raise yields since maize and soybean has become food and income security avenues for the area.
The activities formed part of a collaborative work with North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Alcorn State University, Fort Valley State University, South Carolina State University, and Tuskegee University; and CSIR-SARI, Ghana, coordinated by Professor Osei Agyemang Yeboah of the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
Dr Issah Sugri , CSIR-SARI and specialist in postharvest management said the focus of the Project is to develop and implement a series of integrated interventions consisting of on-farm and off-farm participatory research and extension efforts through multi-national and multidisciplinary project.
That will also seek to address food security and poverty through the application of ecological and climate smart technologies; competitive trade policies and infrastructural policies; agri-business opportunities to increase participation and access of youth and women to environmentally-friendly production technologies that lead to value-addition, and promote linkages to output markets.
The objectives he added is to develop a robust integrated crop and livestock production system to increase yields in Ghana, employ multiple tools including survey administration to identify and measure the four food insecurity indicators in Ghana and engage in research and outreach efforts that will enhance the use of biological pest control methods including bio-pesticides and implement integrated pest management technologies in Ghana.
GNA