Sustainable Intensification of Cereal-Legume Farming Systems in the

Sudano-Sahelian Savanna Zone of Ghana

A.Y Kamara

Systems Agronomist

IITA-Kano

Sustainable Intensification of Cereal-based Farming Systems in the Sudano-Sahelian Zone of West Africa: Project Design Workshop, Tamale, Ghana, 9-12 January 2012

Introduction

• The northern Regions of Ghana are characterized by small land holdings of low input-output farming systems

• This adversely impact food security in terms of availability, access and quality

• The crops in the Ghana savannas are often produced in production systems in which soil natural resources are

steadily depleted

Effects of continous monocropping

• decreasing soil organic matter contents • increasing populations of chronic parasitic weeds (eg.

Striga spp.) • reduced soil biological diversity • enhanced risk of erosion, and annual nutrient losses

• Average on-farm maize yields (1-2t/ha) are well below

on-station yields (6-8t/ha)

Highlights of biophysical constraints

Striga effect on sorghum

Striga effect on maizeStriga effect on cowpea

Striga effect on rice

Highlights of biophysical constraints

Alectra effect on cowpea

Striga effect on cowpea Drought effect on maize

Drought effect on soybean

Highlights of biophysical constraints

Highlights of biophysical constraints

Poor soil fertility

Effects of continous monocropping

• The poverty profile also depicts the three northern regions as the most poverty stricken and hunger spots in Ghana

• Gender inequalities are also apparent in these regions where women have less access to resources and capacity to generate income

• Infrastructure development in marketing and transport, access to social services, such as education and health are poor in the three northern regions

Drivers of Food insecurity in northern Ghana

• Erratic rainfall distribution and recurrent drought, • Floods and crop failures leading to poor yields, • High post-harvest losses, • Lack of improved storage structures and market for farm

produce, • Limited access to productive resources such as land,

irrigable land, labour, • Poor access to improved livestock breeds and crop

varieties, • Inadequate water for dry season irrigated agriculture • Inadequate human resource for development and

transfer of agricultural technologies.

General Objective of the Project

• Increase productivity of maize-legume and crop/tree/livestock systems in the Sudan savanna zone of Ghana

Specific Objectives

• Promote and strengthen partnerships for implementing sustainable initiatives in the maize-legume systems of northern Ghana

• Improve land, water, and natural resource management for increased systems productivity

• Develop and improve the adoption of productive and resilient agronomic practices and local innovation systems for system intensification

• Improve rural incomes through improved market linkages for rural farmers

• Improve nutritional status of populations improved through increased nutritional awareness interventions and promotion of dietary diversity

Geographical Focus

• Northern Region- Karaga, Cheroponi, and Tolon-Kumbungu

• Upper West Region-Kassena-Nankana and Bawku West

• Upper East Region-Wa East and Nadowli

Project outputs

• Functional innovation platform (IPs) operating with capacity of partners strengthened at different levels to resolve community problems

• Land, water, and natural resource management technologies identified and promoted

• Improved cropping systems for sustainable agricultural productivity identified and promoted among smallholder farmers

• Improved rural incomes through improved input-output marketing for smallholder farmers

• Nutritional status of populations improved through increased nutritional awareness interventions and promotion of dietary diversity

Functional innovation platform (IPs) operating with capacity of partners strengthened at different levels to resolve community problems

• Identification of districts and communities to participate in project activities

• Identification of potential IP partners• Workshops to agree modalities, procedures,

responsibilities, tasks and interaction among IP members

• Undertake community and livelihood analysis to identify and priortize constraints and opportunities

• Monitor IP activities and review protocols• Identify training needs of project stakeholders and

conduct training as needed• Provide graduate training for members of research

institutions participating in the project

Land, water, and natural resource management technologies identified and promoted

• Evaluate impacts of soil and water conservation strategies on system productivity compared to traditional cultural practices

• Assess the performance of tree crops with fertilizer rations, fodder and fruit tree species

• Generate information on soil health and the key tree crops for food security and CDM projects

• Develop knowledge and options for growth resources sharing between annual and perennial components in agroforestry systems

• Assess the potential of surface and groundwater pump irrigation for dry season farming and supplemental irrigation

• Identify the actual and potential spatial spread of pump irrigation practices along major rivers in the three Northern Regions

Land, water, and natural resource management technologies identified and promoted

• Evaluate options of land use changes and land management practices which would prevent land degradation,

• Identify approaches and technologies needed to improve rainwater harvesting and use

• Identify and evaluate models for conducting water balance estimates at watershed scales in study sites

• Determine the potential increases in crop yields attainable through improved rainwater harvesting and supplemental irrigation

• Select best varieties of soybean for high N2-fixation capacity and adaptation to abiotic and biotic stresses (pests and diseases).

• Identify best-fit agronomic practices for maximizing potential benefits of legume and inoculant technologies on increasing and stabilizing productivity.

• Evaluate contributions of improved legume varieties to best-fit agronomic practices, system productivity and farm livelihood with specific attention to trade-off analysis between competing agricultural enterprises

Improved cropping systems for sustainable agricultural productivity identified and promoted among smallholder farmers

• Sourcing of improved crop varieties to mitigate farmer identified production constraints

• Conduct on-station and on-farm trials across agro-ecologies to identify high-yielding, drought, pest and disease tolerant maize and legume varieties

• Collect varietal performance data to facilitate variety registration and release

• Establish functional community based seed production schemes and link to seed companies

• Develop and promote improved crop management practices that optimize yield

• Evaluate phosphorous application rate and starter N application to soybeans, groundnuts and cowpeas

Improved cropping systems for sustainable agricultural productivity identified and promoted among smallholder farmers

• Facilitate crop diversification to arrest environmental degradation including declining soil fertility and increased Striga incidence

• Evaluate IPM technologies for pest management in legumes

• Develop and quantify the contribution of legumes to improve the productivity and profitability of farming systems across different agro-ecologies

• Validation of simulation models for growth and yield of maize, cowpea, and soybean cultivars under simulated changing climate scenarios

• Produce more feed through identification of food-feed varieties of major crops,

Improved cropping systems for sustainable agricultural productivity identified and promoted among smallholder farmers

• Assess tillage and biomass management options; develop smart combination of cereal and legumes residues for improved animal productivity

• Develop options for moving feed temporarily and spatially through promotion of fodder trade, improved storage to reduce dry season scarcity

Co-develop with farmers livestock management options that optimize nutrient cycling and draught animal power input to cropping and transport

Identify and promote the most productive and nutritious vegetable varieties to boost their production and optimize their unique nutritive properties

Evaluate and promote options for the resilient production of vegetable crops • Co-adapt with farmers available crop, soil and pest management

technologies to boost current vegetable productivity

Improved rural incomes through improved input-output marketing for smallholder farmers

• Conduct maize and grain legume sub-sector surveys to Identify market and investment opportunities to promote production, processing and marketing of maize and grain legumes in northern Ghana

• Formulate strategy to develop maize and grain legume value chain in northern Ghana

• Carry out participatory value chain analysis to identify constraints, needs, and solutions to vegetable market chain inefficiencies

• Assess existing vegetable postharvest technologies and potential for small scale processing

Nutritional status of populations improved through increased nutritional awareness interventions and promotion of dietary diversity

• Document traditional foods and explore ways of modifying food preparation practices to optimize retention of nutrients and improve bioavailability

• Document local food systems and investigate traditional food technologies and improve food preservation and distribution by local entrepreneurs

• Develop evidence-based dietary strategies with locally-adapted options and analyze their acceptability and effectiveness

Proposed partners

• Research: IITA, IWMI, ILRI, AVRDC,, SARI, KNUST• NGOs in Ghana, • Seed companies, • soybean processors, • AGRA funded projects in northern Ghana • YARA fertilizer company, • TechnoServe, Tamale Implement Factory Ltd, “• 3K&A oil mill, ADVANCE (USAID project), • Ghana Nuts oil mill and their out growers project GOAL, • Savanna Farmers Marketing Company Ltd

Options for scaling out

• The technology dissemination approach of this project is based upon a series of proven developmental models including group training in technology extension, Participatory Research and Development, community-based outreach through farmer collective action, and the support for agricultural value chains.

• Innovation Platforms that include broad partnership involving researchers, extension system, marketers, policy makers

• Use of GIS tools, modelling to scale-out workable technologies to broader areas

• Support to community seed production and linkage with seed companies to enhance adoption