IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v10y2018i4p1034-d138924.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exploring Farmers’ Indigenous Knowledge of Soil Quality and Fertility Management Practices in Selected Farming Communities of the Guinea Savannah Agro-Ecological Zone of Ghana

Author

Listed:
  • Richard Ansong Omari

    (United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan)

  • Sonoko Dorothea Bellingrath-Kimura

    (Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research, 15374 Müencheberg, Germany
    Institute of Agriculture and Horticulture, Faculty of Life Science, Humboldt-University of Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany)

  • Elsie Sarkodee Addo

    (Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan)

  • Yosei Oikawa

    (Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan)

  • Yoshiharu Fujii

    (Institute of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo 183-8509, Japan)

Abstract

Efforts to improve soil productive capacity aimed at boosting crop production in the Northern Ghana has primarily focused on field-based experiments with little documentation on farmer practice and local indigenous knowledge of soil management. A sample group of 114 farmers from five farming communities in the Guinea Savannah was interviewed to evaluate their indigenous knowledge of crop production practices in the context of soil health, fertilization management, and crop yield. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and responses for each category were calculated using simple proportions. Farmers’ fertilization practice was primarily influenced by fertilization resource availability and crop yield response. The results showed that inorganic fertilization was the commonest fertilization type among farmers. Farmer local indicators of soil health were predominantly limited to visually observable signs such as presence or absence of indicator plants, growth vigor of plants, soil color, and tilth, texture, and compaction. Non-tactile and visible indicators, notably soil chemical composition and presence of soil microorganisms, was rarely used. The listed indicators were congruent with scientific reports, although some knowledge gaps, particularly on the use of indicator plants, were identified. The use of indicator plants as determinants of healthy or non-healthy soils appeared to be influenced by the ease of control of weeds, its utilitarian benefits, benefits to the soil, and threats on cultivated crops. Famers were well informed about the decreasing crop yield. Fertilization practices and limitations in soil management practices with proposed capacity building approaches aimed at enhancing productive capacities of cultivated farmlands are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Richard Ansong Omari & Sonoko Dorothea Bellingrath-Kimura & Elsie Sarkodee Addo & Yosei Oikawa & Yoshiharu Fujii, 2018. "Exploring Farmers’ Indigenous Knowledge of Soil Quality and Fertility Management Practices in Selected Farming Communities of the Guinea Savannah Agro-Ecological Zone of Ghana," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-16, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:4:p:1034-:d:138924
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/4/1034/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/4/1034/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nkegbe, Paul K. & Shankar, Bhavani & Ceddia, M. Graziano, 2011. "Smallholder Adoption of Soil and Water Conservation Practices in Northern Ghana," 2011 International Congress, August 30-September 2, 2011, Zurich, Switzerland 114608, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    2. González-Estrada, Ernesto & Rodriguez, Luis C. & Walen, Valerie K. & Naab, Jesse B. & Koo, Jawoo & Jones, James W. & Herrero, Mario & Thornton, Philip K., 2008. "Carbon sequestration and farm income in West Africa: Identifying best management practices for smallholder agricultural systems in northern Ghana," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(3), pages 492-502, October.
    3. Atera, Evans Atuti & Ishii, Takashige & Onyango, John C. & Itoh, Kazuyuki & Azuma, Tetsushi, 2013. "Striga Infestation in Kenya: Status, Distribution and Management Options," Sustainable Agriculture Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 2(2).
    4. Benin, Samuel & Johnson, Michael E. & Abokyi, Emmanuel & Ahorbo, Gerald & Jimah, Kipo & Nasser, Gamel & Owusu, Victor & Taabazuing, Joe & Tenga, Albert, 2013. "Revisiting agricultural input and farm support subsidies in Africa: The case of Ghana’s mechanization, fertilizer, block farms, and marketing programs:," IFPRI discussion papers 1300, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    5. B. Fosu-Mensah & P. Vlek & D. MacCarthy, 2012. "Farmers’ perception and adaptation to climate change: a case study of Sekyedumase district in Ghana," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 495-505, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wondwosen Abera & Mohammed Assen & Poshendra Satyal, 2021. "Synergy between farmers’ knowledge of soil quality change and scientifically measured soil quality indicators in Wanka watershed, northwestern highlands of Ethiopia," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 1316-1334, February.
    2. Luján Soto, Raquel & Cuéllar Padilla, Mamen & de Vente, Joris, 2020. "Participatory selection of soil quality indicators for monitoring the impacts of regenerative agriculture on ecosystem services," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 45(C).
    3. Kafula Chisanga & Ernest Mbega & Patrick Alois Ndakidemi, 2019. "Socio-Economic Factors for Anthill Soil Utilization by Smallholder Farmers in Zambia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(18), pages 1-17, September.
    4. Hongbin Liu & Jie Lyu, 2021. "Drive Mechanisms of Soil Quality Changes in Peri-Urban Areas," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-21, February.
    5. Patience Afi Seglah & Yajing Wang & Hongyan Wang & Yuyun Bi, 2019. "Estimation and Efficient Utilization of Straw Resources in Ghana," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(15), pages 1-25, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Blazquez-Soriano, Amparo & Ramos-Sandoval, Rosmery, 2022. "Information transfer as a tool to improve the resilience of farmers against the effects of climate change: The case of the Peruvian National Agrarian Innovation System," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    2. Portia Adade Williams & Olivier Crespo & Mumuni Abu, 2020. "Assessing vulnerability of horticultural smallholders’ to climate variability in Ghana: applying the livelihood vulnerability approach," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 2321-2342, March.
    3. Dao Duy Minh & Nguyen Dang Hao & Philippe Lebailly, 2020. "Adapting to Climate Extreme Events Based on Livelihood Strategies: Evidence from Rural Areas in Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-17, December.
    4. Cook, Aaron M. & Ricker-Gilbert, Jacob E. & Sesmero, Juan P., 2013. "How do African households adapt to climate change? Evidence from Malawi," 2013 Annual Meeting, August 4-6, 2013, Washington, D.C. 150507, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    5. Sylvester Amoako Agyemang & Tomáš Ratinger & Miroslava Bavorová, 2022. "The Impact of Agricultural Input Subsidy on Productivity: The Case of Ghana," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(3), pages 1460-1485, June.
    6. Nyadzi, Emmanuel, 2016. "Climate Variability Since 1970 and Farmers’ Observations in Northern Ghana," Sustainable Agriculture Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 5(2).
    7. Theodoros Skevas & Ray Massey & Jasper Grashuis, 2022. "Farmer adoption and intensity of use of extreme weather adaptation and mitigation strategies: evidence from a sample of Missouri farmers," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 174(1), pages 1-23, September.
    8. Alistair Munro, 2020. "Using experimental manipulation of questionnaire design and a Kenyan panel to test for the reliability of reported perceptions of climate change and adaptation," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 162(3), pages 1081-1105, October.
    9. Tang, Kai & Hailu, Atakelty & Kragt, Marit E. & Ma, Chunbo, 2018. "The response of broadacre mixed crop-livestock farmers to agricultural greenhouse gas abatement incentives," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 11-20.
    10. Mr. Daouda Sembene, 2015. "Poverty, Growth, and Inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa: Did the Walk Match the Talk under the PRSP Approach?," IMF Working Papers 2015/122, International Monetary Fund.
    11. Salamatu J. Tannor & Christian Borgemeister & Shalom D. Addo–Danso & Klaus Greve & Bernhard Tischbein, 2023. "Climate variability and mining sustainability: exploring operations’ perspectives on local effects and the willingness to adapt in Ghana," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 3(8), pages 1-26, August.
    12. Anderson, Blake & M'Gonigle, Michael, 2012. "Does ecological economics have a future?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 37-48.
    13. repec:bla:afrdev:v:29:y:2017:i:s2:p:163-178 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Minghui Zhang & Gabriel Abrahao & Sally Thompson, 2021. "Sensitivity of soybean planting date to wet season onset in Mato Grosso, Brazil, and implications under climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 168(3), pages 1-28, October.
    15. Frédéric Kosmowski & Antoine Leblois & Benjamin Sultan, 2016. "Perceptions of recent rainfall changes in Niger: a comparison between climate-sensitive and non-climate sensitive households," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 135(2), pages 227-241, March.
    16. Martey, Edward & Etwire, Prince M. & Mockshell, Jonathan & Armah, Ralph & Akorsikumah, Eli, 2023. "Ecological shocks and children’s school attendance and farm work in Ghana," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 31(C).
    17. Chikutuma, Mutsvandiani, 2019. "Analysing the social network of technology and information transfer for maize sheller service providers in Zimbabwe," Thesis Commons 2bmzr, Center for Open Science.
    18. Tang, Kai & He, Chuantian & Ma, Chunbo & Wang, Dong, 2019. "Does carbon farming provide a cost-effective option to mitigate GHG emissions? Evidence from China," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 63(3), July.
    19. TRAORE Lamine & Coulibaly Mamadou & Cisse Fatimata & Sissoko Dioukou, 2022. "Strengthening the Resilience of Maize Producers in the Koulikoro Region against the Adverse effects of Climate Change," International Journal of Sciences, Office ijSciences, vol. 11(03), pages 4-19, March.
    20. Dian Spear & Angela Chappel, 2018. "Livelihoods on the Edge without a Safety Net: The Case of Smallholder Crop Farming in North-Central Namibia," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-11, June.
    21. Md. Jahangir Kabir & Mohammad Alauddin & Steven Crimp, 2016. "Farm-level Adaptation to Climate Change in Western Bangladesh: An Analysis of Adaptation Dynamics, Profitability and Risks," Discussion Papers Series 576, School of Economics, University of Queensland, Australia.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:4:p:1034-:d:138924. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.