Bill Gates funded project said to increase yields of leguminous crops in Ghana
N2 Africa Project is poised to increase the yields of three leguminous crops from about 6,000 kilogrammes per hectare to about 10,000Kg per hectare.
Their biological nitrogen fixation is also set to increase from 35Kg per hectare to 93 Kg per hectare under the project.
The project, which is being implemented in six districts, two each from the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions, will benefit about 1,000.
It is being financed by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and implemented by the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA).
Mr. Edwin Korbla Akley, N2 Africa Farm Liaison Officer in Ghana, who told reporters at a farmers’ field day at Goriyiri in the Nadowli District of the Upper West Region, said the resultant improvement of crop yield would lead to significant betterment of human nutrition and farm income for smallholder farmers in Ghana.
“This could be achieved through improved adoption and utilization of legume-based technologies tailored to specific niches and also through greater use of high quality inoculants for legume seeds,” he said.
Mr. Akley said the project seeks to introduce the farmers to new improved Soya bean, cowpea and groundnut seeds, rhizobium inoculants and chemical fertilizer such as Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) and Muriate of Potash to promote legume production.
Rhizobium inoculant enhances atmospheric nitrogen fixation by the legume to the soil and also provides the legume with fixed nitrogen needed for its growth.
Seven other African countries including Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda and Zimbabwe are benefiting from the programme.
Mr. Mahama Salifu, Nadowli District-MOFA-N2 Africa Project Supervisor, said the purpose of organizing the field day was to expose the farmers to the activities of lead farmers and how to put nitrogen fixation to work for small holder farmers.
He said the project was being implemented in five operational areas in the Nadowli District, including Serekpere, Goriyiri, Daffiama, Zambogu and Kojokperi.
Source: GNA