/Type /Page The most effective, environmentally friendly, and cost efficient way of controlling the parasitic weed, S. gesnerioides, is by cultivating resistant cowpea varieties [28, 32]. It has been reported that S. gesnerioides emerged in a pot experiment at 29 days after planting [29]. However, farmers expressed the desire to cultivate S. gesnerioides resistant cowpea varieties to control the parasitic weed. << Most of them had a Higher National Diploma (HND) (47.6%) and a bachelor degree (33.3%) and with 1-35 years of working experience (Figures 5–7). /WPS-ARTICLEDOI (10.1111/j.1470-6431.2010.00980.x) /Parent 9 0 R /CreationDate (D:20110124163804+08'00') �[2{��o �O}�����m�glۣ�M�% 8�X�����^h?\mm ��&*���Dj��o]fGJy}�֥����W.�� 48 0 R 49 0 R 50 0 R 51 0 R 52 0 R 53 0 R 54 0 R 55 0 R 56 0 R] They also agreed that local susceptible cowpea varieties, such as Apagbaala, Bengpla, and “Alan Cash”, which are so cherished by the local farmers could be improved to become resistant to the parasitic weed. A liquid fertiliser capable of doubling or tripling the yields of cowpea per hectare has been introduced to farmers in the Northern Ghana. /Dt (D:20110124163805) The AEOs who knew the host crop of the parasitic weed were mostly from the Kassena-Nankana Municipal. endobj 23 0 obj >> Read More . One such project is the Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage Project that provides instruction to farmers on how to store cowpea without chemicals. The majority (61.9%) of the AEOs observed that the degree of effect of S. gesnerioides on the host plants was severe; 23.8% viewed the effect as moderate, 0.52% viewed the effect as minimal whilst the other 4.75% viewed it as variable, depending on the number of the parasitic weeds per plant per field (Figure 11). A. James, P. Ruth, and F. Kusi, “Marker assisted selection for resistance to Striga gesnerioides in Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp),”, V. D. Aggarwal and T. J. Ouedraogo, “Estimation of cowpea yield loss from Stiga Infestation,”, S. O. Alonge, S. T. O. Lagoke, and C. O. Ajakaiye, “Cowpea reactions to Striga gesnerioides I. /CropBox [0 0 595.276 782.362] Even though the majority of the farmers knew that application of manure to the soil and intercropping with cereals could help manage the parasitic weed, they said those methods were ineffective. “Cowpea seeds may be initially distributed free to farmers if funded and subsequently certified seeds will be produced by seed companies for farmers to buy from agro-shops and Ghana’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture.” /Creator (XyEnterprise XPP 8.0C.1 Patch #3) stream /Rotate 0 Ghana is the highest cowpea growing country with over 180,000 hectares, more than any legume in the country. Different management strategies employed by the farmers to contain the spread of the parasite include weeding (90%), application of manure (5.5%), and crop rotation and fallowing (4.0%). About 41.9% of the farmers had knowledge that the parasite affects only cowpea and 44.7% said it affects cowpea, maize, millet, and sorghum (Figure 8). •Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp) is an important food crop with good soil fertility enhancement ability. Being indigenous to Africa, a number of plant types that are cultivated in the major growing… Green Choice Farm is a vegetables, Cereal and Tubers farm. Likewise parts of Brong Ahafo, Eastern, Volta and A key feature of Ghanaian agriculture is the Ashanti regions savannah areas are considered cowpea dominance of smallholder farms, which constitute an growing areas [4]. A few of the AEOs (13%) recalled that S. gesnerioides was used as mosquito repellant in time past (Figure 15). The choice of starting a framing business in Ghana is a very commendable one. West Africa, are Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Mali and Burkina Faso. << /ExtGState << The Upper East Region (UER) of Ghana lies between longitude 1015′W and 005′E and stretches from latitude 10030°N to 1108°N. << >> >> endstream /Resources 86 0 R There were also some demonstration fields of S. gesnerioides resistant cowpea varieties in the Builsa South district. >> /Length 3530 /T1_1 62 0 R The farmers also added that they will be very grateful if their local susceptible cowpea varieties could be improved to be resistant to the parasite. Farmers requested for introgression of the, http://www.n2africa.org/sites/n2africa.org/files/images/BTL16-20122712_0.pdf, http://www.ifpri.org/themes/gssp/gssp.htm, I. Singh, S. N. Badaga, and S. B. S. Tikka, “Combining ability for yield over environments in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp),”, S. A. Tarawali, B. Therefore, this study was undertaken to assess farmers’ and AEOs’ perception of S. gesnerioides infestations on cowpea production in the Upper East Region of Ghana. /Pages 9 0 R /LJ 0 /T1_2 63 0 R /Resources 84 0 R Farmers also called for assistance to improve upon the cultivation of cowpea as it is the major source of protein to most people in the region. /RBGroups [] << /ModDate (D:20110127043014-05'00') /V 1.1 Key words: Technical efficiency Cowpea production Ghana INTRODUCTION Region is also a major commercial cowpea growing area. /OCProperties << 18 0 obj Most of the farmers (87.7%) however did not know that there exist S. gesnerioides resistant cowpea varieties for cultivation. The introduction of S. gesnerioides resistant genes into local susceptible cowpea varieties and/or the introduction of newly improved S. gesnerioides resistant cowpea varieties to farmers will go a long way to put farmers back in business, as the devastating effect of S. gesnerioides has pushed most cowpea farmers out of business in the region. Sign up here as a reviewer to help fast-track new submissions. Green Choice Farm. /Resources 80 0 R 22 0 obj /ML 4 /MS 25 0 R >> Most of the farmers knew that S. gesnerioides grows close to the host plant but has no knowledge of how it affects the host. A. Abunyewa and F. K. Padi, “Changes in soil fertility and Striga hermonthica prevalence associated with Legume and cereal cultivation in the Sudan savannah zone of Ghana,”, S. Issah, F. Kusi, A. L. K. Roger, K. N. Stephen, and Z. Mukhtar, “Sustaining Frafra Potato (Solenostemon rotundifolius Poir.) /Subtype /Image Nigeria is the world’s leading cowpea producing country, followed by Brazil. �^#�O1X��|�b[}[��� ����u�+oc[˹�v����)��V^v�����h��sFJyk��t��K� �-�� ��)&mG��[��Z� JP Vatke, which attaches to the roots of the host plants and diverts assimilates and photosynthate from roots and hence causes reduction of the total biomass and yield [9, 10]. Poor knowledge in these areas could affect the management and control of the parasite as it could be easily considered as an ordinary weed. /ExportState /ON >> And Prof. Danso is certain that this next stage for the PBR Cowpea in Ghana is necessary at this time, “because it is the only way farmers in this country can adopt the technology…” << However, cowpea production in some parts of this region is constrained by Striga gesnerioides (Willd.) endobj All the four (4) AEOs from the Kassena-Nankana Municipal knew that the parasitic weed S. gesnerioides attaches to the roots of its host plant, cowpea, and draws saps from the plant, which none of the AEOs from the other districts knew. Richard Ampadu-Ameyaw, Ghana coordinator for OFAB, thinks it is best to train leaders like Nashiru whose community ties and farming background lend him credibility in the eyes of local community members. Both farmers and AEOs desire to cultivate and to encourage others to use S. gesnerioides resistant cowpea varieties. /XObject << /CropBox [0 0 595.276 782.362] endobj /Parent 9 0 R >> 15, 2013. /MediaBox [0 0 595.276 782.362] INTRODUCTION On the basis of area cultivated, cowpea is the most important food legume in Ghana. Cowpea without chemicals helps reduce post-harvest losses and maintain cowpea ’ s and! Upper East region is constrained by Striga gesnerioides ( Willd. know how the weed. Soil fertility enhancement ability in Table 2 as “ the poor man ’ s farming systems vary with agro-ecological.... The parasite as it could be easily used by farmers who have no or very little of... M. Emechebe, B to Striga spp some parts of this, cowpeas are grown in rotation or mixed many. A.C. D'Andrea, S. gesnerioides grows close to the host plants this parasitic.! Districts, communities, and H. Ajeigbe, K. F. Cardwell and J districts Binduri! 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