Abstract
BackgroundClimate variations have a considerable impact on crop production. For pineapple, variable temperatures and rainfall patterns are implicated, yet there is limited knowledge of the conditions and consequences of such variations. Pineapple production plays a major role in Ghana, primarily via socioeconomic impacts and the export economy. The aims of this study were to assess the impact of current climatic trends and variations in four pineapple growing districts in Ghana to provide stakeholders, particularly farmers, with improved knowledge for guidance in adapting to changing climate.ResultsTrend analysis, standardized anomaly, correlation analysis as well as focus group discussions were employed to describe climate and yields as well as assess the relationship between climate and pineapple production from 1995 to 2014. The results revealed that, relative to Ga district, temperature (minimum and maximum) in the study areas was increasing over this period at a rate of up to 0.05 °C. Rainfall trends increased in all but Nsawam Adoagyiri district. Rainfall and temperature had different impacts on production, and pineapple was particularly sensitive to minimum temperature as accounting for up to 82% of yield variability. Despite consistent report of rainfall impact on growth stages later affecting quantity and quality of fruits, minimal statistical significance was found between rainfall and yield.ConclusionsWith continuously increasing stresses imposed by a changing climate, the sustainability of pineapple production in Ghana is challenged. This subsequently has detrimental impacts on national employment and exports capacity resulting in increased poverty. Further research to explore short- and long-term adaption options in response to challenging conditions in the pineapple industry in Ghana is suggested.
Highlights
Climate variations have a considerable impact on crop production
The study further indicated that while there has been a recovery of rains in West Africa, some parts of the region southern Ghana where Nsawam Adoagyiri district is located among other areas are relatively dry and vary considerably agreeing with the trend observed in Nsawam
Mean annual temperature trends were found to be increasing in three of the study districts except Ga West where minimum temperature is relatively stable. These concur with warming trends in West Africa as mean annual temperature over the period 1963–2012 has increased by 1 °C with the exception of some localized cooling in some parts of Ghana, Burkina Faso and Cote D’Ivoire [21]
Summary
Climate variations have a considerable impact on crop production. For pineapple, variable temperatures and rainfall patterns are implicated, yet there is limited knowledge of the conditions and consequences of such variations. Pineapple production plays a major role in Ghana, primarily via socioeconomic impacts and the export economy. The aims of this study were to assess the impact of current climatic trends and variations in four pineapple growing districts in Ghana to provide stakeholders, farmers, with improved knowledge for guidance in adapting to changing climate. Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is an important traded crop and is a popular and nutritious fruit grown in many tropical and subtropical countries [16]. It is a rich source of vitamins (C, A and E) and minerals in the human diet (e.g. 10–25 mg vit C) [16]. The crop remains important for local consumption both in the fresh market and as a raw material for local processing industries
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