Forest-savannah Transition Zone Research Articles

Climate Change Adaptation in Akropong, Ghana: Experiences of Female Smallholder Farmers

This article examines smallholder women farmers’ awareness of climatic factors and the adaptation strategies to climate change events and how they influence their farming methods. A household survey was conducted on 50 smallholder women farmers at Akropong in the Nkoranza South Municipality in the forest-savannah transition zone of Ghana. The survey was complemented with in-depth and semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that women farmers use multiple adaptation strategies such as creating fire belts to prevent fire outbreak in the dry season, creating channels on their farmland to prevent erosion, planting crops that can withstand excessive rain and drought and mixed cropping to overcome livelihood challenges resulting from climatic factors. The article therefore argues for an in-depth research and intensive education as a targeted intervention in understanding climate change and training women smallholder farmers on adaptation strategies to overcome climatic elements affecting farming and food production which serve as their main livelihood.

Deforestation in forest-savannah transition zone of Ghana: Boabeng-Fiema monkey sanctuary

Forests provide many resources, ecosystem services and absorb carbon dioxide, which helps in climate regulation. In spite of the enormous benefits of forests, the issue of deforestation is still ongoing. There has been a continuous decline in forests globally and the forest area of Boabeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (BFMS) in Ghana is facing a similar threat. The aim of the study is to determine the different forest cover types and changes in the forest of BFMS. Satellite images for the years 1992, 1998, 2004, 2010, 2016 and 2018 were downloaded. Unsupervised and supervised classification were performed to determine the different forest cover types and remote sensing software was used to detect the changes in the forest cover. The forest cover was classified into six classes; closed forest, open forest, savannah woodland, savannah, farmlands and built-up area. Available data suggests that between 1992 and 2018, closed forest decreased by 242.19ha, open forest increased by 122.85 ha, savannah woodland increased by 7.47ha, savannah increased by 6.48 ha, farmland increased by 39.39ha and built-up area increased by 65.7ha. The changes in closed forest, open forest, farmland and built-up were all significant. Decreasing forest cover of BFMS is a threat to sustainable ecotourism since the forest serves as a habitat and food source to the monkeys. This research serves as guide to other researches aiming at determining forest cover changes in forest-savannah transition zones. In addition, the results have produced an inventory of the forest, which will help forest resource managers sustainably manage the forest.

Perceived Climate Resilience and Adoption of Cocoa Agroforestry in the Forest-Savannah Transition Zone of Ghana

Aims: Agroforestry is globally acknowledged as an essential component of climate-smart agriculture. Nevertheless, agroforestry adoption is low, and research is lacking on how farmers perceive the climate-related benefits of agroforestry and the implications of such perceptions on adoption. This paper assessed farmer perspectives on the effectiveness of agroforestry in enhancing the climate resilience of cocoa, and the extent to which such perceptions (in conjunction with socioeconomic factors) influence farmers’ decision to adopt cocoa agroforestry or otherwise.
 Study Design: A cross-sectional survey design involving households practicing different cocoa landuse systems (agroforestry vs. full-sun monoculture) was used.
 Methodology: Data were collected using structured questionnaire administered to 240 randomly selected cocoa-farming household heads.
 Place and Duration of Study: The study took place in 12 rural communities in the Forest-Savannah Transition Zone of Ghana from March to September 2017.
 Results: Findings indicated that while farmers unanimously acknowledged the effectiveness of cocoa agroforestry in enhancing resilience to excessive dry season temperatures, their perceptions in terms of resilience to drought differed, and were largely shaped by the kind of shade trees integrated. Overall, the majority of household heads perceived agroforestry to be the most beneficial strategy for enhancing the climate resilience of farmers. This perception significantly influenced households’ decision to adopt cocoa agroforestry, in conjunction with socioeconomic factors such as social network, sex of the household head, sex distribution of the household, and off-farm income.
 Conclusion: Social network and farmers’ perception of the effectiveness of agroforestry in enhancing climate resilience are the key determinants of cocoa agroforestry adoption in the FSTZ of Ghana. Farmers who perceive agroforestry to be the most beneficial climate-resilient strategy in agriculture are more likely to adopt cocoa agroforestry. Social network can be used to enhance cocoa agroforestry adoption by serving as an effective communication channel for spreading information about the climate-related benefits of shade trees among farmers.

Farmers\u2019 Perceptions as a Driver of Agricultural Practices: Understanding Soil Fertility Management Practices in Cocoa Agroforestry Systems in Cameroon

In Africa, cocoa yields are low, partly due to soil fertility constraints and poor management. While peoples’ knowledge, aspirations, and abilities are key factors explaining their behaviour, little is known about the rationales that underpin soil fertility management practices (SFMPs) of cocoa farmers. To address this gap, we conducted an exploratory survey in two contrasting regions in Cameroon where cocoa is an important crop: the humid forest and the forest-savannah transition zone. Some 30% of farmers in the transition zone as opposed to 13% in the humid forest expressed concerns about soil fertility. The most relevant soil fertility indicators for farmers were high cocoa yield, dark soil colour, ease of tillage, and floral composition. To enhance and maintain soil fertility, farmers used residues from weeding (100%), planting of trees (42%), mineral fertilisers (33%), compost (16%), and manure (13%). More farmers in the transition zone than the humid forest implemented SFMPs. Our findings suggest that soil fertility perceptions, access to inputs, local practices, and experience influence farmers’ use of SFMPs. The limited use of mineral fertilisers was explained by poor access whereas the use of organic fertilisers and tree planting were mostly constrained by lack of labour and knowledge. Farmers prioritised practices to increase yield and viewed SFMPs to be the least important management practices, although they believe high cocoa yield is an important indicator of soil fertility. To foster sustainable cocoa intensification, it is necessary to enhance farmers’ knowledge on SFMPs, increase access to inputs, and ensure returns on investment while considering farmers’ priorities and practices.

Effect of drought length on the performance of cabbage (Brassica oleracea var capitata) in the forest-savannah transition zone, Ghana

The drought tolerance of Cabbage, Brassica oleracea var capitata (Oxylus) was investigated by subjecting the initial, development and mid growth stages to varying drought lengths of 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15 days in a 7 × 3 factorial experiment to determine the effect of each drought period at each growth stage on growth and yield. Data on number of opened leaves/plant, leaf area index (LAI), leaf chlorophyll content, head size and yield/ha were recorded due to drought effect at each growth stage. Analysis of variance at 5% probability level indicated that drought periods of 5–15 days at the initial stage significantly reduced number of leaves, LAI and head size. Significant reduction in chlorophyll content and yield were due to drought beyond 11 and 5 days respectively at the initial stage. Number of opened leaves increased significantly with increasing drought length at the development stage; critical at 11 days drought. Significant reductions in LAI at the development and mid stages were critical at 11 and 9 days respectively whilst chlorophyll content was significantly reduced at both the development and mid stages by all drought periods. Significant reduction in head size at the development and mid stages was critical at 7 days. Generally, the drought tolerance of cabbage increased from the initial to the mid-stage. To maintain economic yields of cabbage in the forest-savannah transition zone, the initial and development stages could tolerate drought stress up to 5 days whilst the mid stage could tolerate up to 7 days.

Effect of cattle manure on the performances of maize (Zea mays L) grown in forest-savannah transition zone Southwest Nigeria

The contribution of inorganic fertilizer to enhance crop growth and yield cannot be ignored, but on the other hand their indiscriminate use is causing deterioration of the soil structure and soil acidity. A field experiment was conduct at the Teaching and Research Farm, Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo state, Nigeria to study the effect of variable rate of cattle manure on the growth and yield of maize (Zea Mays L). Five rates of cattle manure: control, 5, 10, 15, and 20 t/ha-1 replicates three times laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was evaluated. Data were collected on vegetative traits and yield component and statistically analyzed. The growth and yield attributes increased significantly accordingly to the rates of cattle manure due to continuous supply of nutrient. The control plot gives significantly lower means and maize that received 20 t ha-1 recorded the highest mean in all growth and yield parameter evaluated in the study. Applications of 20 t ha-1 cattle manure significantly improve vegetative growth and yield attributes of maize plant and therefore recommended for adoption by resource-poor farmer can adopt the use of cattle manure at 20 t ha-1 as substitute for inorganic fertilizer, thus reduce environmental pollution posed by the disposal of the cattle waste and ultimately improve yield in the study area.

Effect of cattle manure on soil nutrients dynamics and performances of maize (Zea mays L) grown on sandy loam soil in forest-savannah transition zone southwest Nigeria

Effect of cattle manure on soil nutrients dynamics and performances of maize (Zea mays L) grown on sandy loam soil in forest-savannah transition zone southwest Nigeria

Demonstrating the efficacy of existing yam technologies in the Forest-Savannah transition zone of Ghana

Improved technologies (row planting, ridging, seed treatment, weed management, fertilizer application) with a proven record of sustained productivity for yam production are imperative for food security. This study promotes the efficacy of these existing improved agronomic practices using a farmer-based participatory approach in some selected major yam-growing areas in the forest–savannah transition zone of Ghana. The improved agronomic practice treatment included use of ridging as seedbed, seed treatment before planting, fertilizer application at a rate of 30:30:36 N:P2O5: K2O kg/ha plus 15 kg/ha Mg and 20 kg/ha S as MgSO4 and the use of minimum stakes (trellis; 30-50% fewer stakes used by farmers). This was compared with farmers’ practice, which consisted of mounding, no fertilizer application, and no seed treatment. A significantly (p ≤ 0.01) higher yam yields (more than 60%) were observed for the improved agronomic practice over the farmers’ practice at Ejura, Atebubu, and Kintampo which are major yam-growing communities of Ghana. Sensory evaluation showed that the culinary quality of fertilized yam was as good as unfertilized yam. The contribution of existing improved yam production practices in the selected yam communities of Ghana was quantified in terms of their productivity and economic benefit to smallholder farmers.

Influence of Different Rates of Fertilizer and Biochar on Growth and Yield of Carrot (Daucus carota) in the Forest-Savannah Transitional Zone of Ghana

Two field studies to evaluate the effect of biochar and fertilizer application rates on soil and on the growth and yield of carrot (Daucus carota) were carried out in 2016 and 2017 at Mampong-Ashanti in the forest-savannah transitional zone of Ghana. Three rates of biochar - 0, 5 and 10 tons ha-1 and five rates of inorganic fertilizers - NPK 15:15:15 at 200 kg ha-1; P&K 50:50 at 50 kg ha-1; P&K 50:100 at 50 kg ha-1; Liquid Fertilizer at 1 L: 200 L water ha-1; and the control - were applied using 3×5 factorial arranged in a randomized complete block design with 3 replicates. The analysis showed significant (P<0.01) interaction of fertilizer × biochar on bulk density, soil porosity, soil pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen and organic matter producing both positive and negative correlations between the soil variables and on total yield, partitioning coefficient and net assimilation rate. The significant two-way interactions and correlation results underscored the need to define expected production outcomes to inform which soil management system is needed to promote sustainable agriculture as different fertilizer and biochar rates affect growth and yield parameters differently.

Response of Cocoa to Drought Lengths in the Forest-Savannah Transition Zone, Ghana

Journal of Anthropology and Archaeology is a peer-reviewed international journal, which publishes original papers promoting theoretical, methodological and empirical developments in the discipline of socio-cultural anthropology.

Effects of Boiled Water Pre-Sowing Treatment on the Germination and Early Growth Performance of Faidherbia albida in Three Ecological Zones of Ghana

Aims: To identify an appropriate boiled water pre-sowing treatment regime for improved germination, survival and early growth performance of Faidherbia albida (Delile) A. Chev., in three ecological zones of Ghana.
 Study Design: The design was a Completely Randomized Block Design (CRBD) in three replicates, where the three different ecological zones were considered as blocks.
 Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in Bolgatanga (Guinea Savannah Zone), Abofuor (Forest-Savannah Transitional Zone), and Kumasi-Mesewam (Moist Semi-deciduous Forest Zone) between April 2017 and April 2018.
 Methodology: Matured seeds of F. albida were harvested, dried and cleaned. For each treatment replicate, one hundred F. albida seeds were immersed in boiled water (100ºC) for 0, 30, 60, 120, 180 and 300 seconds and then, soaked in water at room temperature for 24 hours. Seeds were then sown in drills on well prepared seed beds, and then observed for germination. Watering was done to keep the soil moist until the onset of germination.
 Results: There were significant interactive effects between ecological zones and pre-sowing treatments with respect to Final germination percentage (P<0.001), Germination rates (P<0.001) and Survival percentage (P=0.007). Root length (P=0.040), total plant length (P=0.040) and Number of leaves (P<0.001) also exhibited significant interactive effects due to ecological zones and pre-sowing treatments. Roots were significantly longer in the GSZ than in the more humid ecological zones whereas stems were significantly longer in the MSFZ than in the drier GSZ.
 Conclusion: Different durations of F. albida seeds in boiled water had different effects on germination and growth in the different ecological zones.

Nutritional Quality Response of Carrot (Daucus carota) to Different Rates of Inorganic Fertilizer and Biochar

Nutritional quality of most high valued crops including carrot can be influenced by soil management practices. A field study to evaluate soil management improvement effect on nutritional quality of carrot was carried out in two contrasting cropping seasons of two rainfall regimes ranging from 600 mm to 800 mm in 2016 and 2017 at Mampong in the Forest-Savannah transition zone of Ghana. Three rates of soil amendments using biochar rates of 0, 5 and 10 tons/ha and five rates of inorganic fertilizers (NPK 15:15:15 at 200 kg/ha; P&K 50:50 at 50 kg/ha; P&K 50:100 at 50 kg/ha; Liquid Fertilizer at 1 L: 200 L Water/ha; and the control were applied using 3x5 factorial in RCBD. The combined analysis for the different treatments showed that NPK at 200 kg/ha+10 ton/ha biochar gave the highest protein content while Liquid fertilizer+5 ton/ha biochar gave the highest beta-carotene and total carotenoid contents in carrot root during the minor cropping season of 2016. However, during the major copping season of 2017, a combination of liquid fertilizer +10 ton/ha biochar gave the highest protein content whilst NPK at 200 kg/ha +5 ton/ha biochar gave the highest carotenoid content for the carrot. Nutritional contents such as carbohydrate, beta-carotene and total carotenoids were boosted by soil amendments. This indicates that both biochar and inorganic fertilizers have varying effects on the nutritional qualities of carrot.

Technology adoption typology and rice yield differentials in Ghana: Principal component analysis approach

This study used primary data obtained from rice farmers in Guinea Savannah Zone (GSZ), Forest Savannah Transition Zone (FSTZ) and Coastal Savannah Zone (CSZ). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to classify farmers into technology adopters. The study used Welch’s t-test to test the statistical significant differences in yield between technology adopters. Through the use of PCA, farmers were objectively classified as non-adopters (users of indigenous farming practices, IFPs), adopters of farmer innovation systems (FISs), adopters of improved agricultural technologies (IATs), and adopters of both FISs and IATs. Comparatively, a larger proportion of farmers in CSZ adopted IATs. The lowest percentage of farmers adopted IATs in GSZ. FISs’ package is highly adopted by farmers in FSTZ. With the help of Welch t-test, the study demonstrated that adopters of FISs obtained appreciable rice productivity even though it is second to IATs. The study showed that IATs are the superior technologies when considering rice productivity and hence should be highly promoted among farmers in the whole country. Concerted and co-ordinated efforts should be made for researchers in national agricultural research and academic agricultural research institutions or centres to research into rice production and farmer innovation systems, improve upon them and make them available to farmers for adoption.

Evaluating the Environmental-Technology Gaps of Rice Farms in Distinct Agro-Ecological Zones of Ghana

Rice (Oryza sativa) is an important food staple and a cash crop, which is cultivated in all the ten regions of Ghana under varying agro-ecological conditions. These conditions also reflect the production technologies used and the total farm output. In an attempt to determine the potential sources of production shortfalls on rice farms in Ghana, this paper estimates the production efficiency and the environmental-technology gaps of rice-producing households in the forest-savannah transition and guinea savannah agro-ecological zones of Ghana. The paper adopts the stochastic metafrontier framework, which permits technology-related inefficiency effects to be extricated from managerial inefficiency effects for appropriate policy formulation. In contrast to past studies, the empirical findings reveal that farms in the two agro-ecological zones adopt heterogeneous production technologies due to differences in their production environments. This is indicated by the estimated mean environmental-technology gap ratios of 0.95 and 0.50, and mean metafrontier technical efficiencies of 0.56 and 0.42 for farms in the forest-savannah transition and guinea savannah zones, respectively. These findings call for agricultural policy formulation in Ghana to be targeted at the prevailing environmental conditions of the various agro-ecological zones rather than being all-inclusive in addressing the extant inefficiencies in the rice production systems of Ghana.

Quantitative Characterization of Some Upland Rice (Oryza Sativa L) in the Forest-Savannah Transition Zone of Edo State, Nigeria

Quantitative characterization of some upland rice (Oryza stiva, L) accessions were carried out in the Teaching and Research Farm, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma located in the Forest-Savannah transition zone of Edo State, Nigeria. A total of fifteen quantitative characters were described. The experimental design was Randomized Complete Block with three replicates. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance. Duncan's Multiple Range Test was used to separate the means. The Flag Leaf Length (FLL) which had great impact in panicle development and grain yield recorded significant differences among the rice accessions. Culm height varied according to environments, management practices and varieties; and the length of the growing season determined how many nodes culm developed (usually 13-16). Tillers/plant closely related with panicle number and thus yield, flowering cycle, panicles/plant which determined number of grain yields and maturity cycles varied significantly among the rice accessions. Weight of panicles determined by size and thickness of grains. Grain length, width and thickness important factors relating to not only grain yield but also grain quality in rice. 1000grains weight per rice accession which depends on several properties, such as the number of panicles per plant, number of grains per panicle, weight of grain and the link of this property with other components of yield indirectly contributes to high variability differed significantly between rice accessions.

Determinants of marketing channel choice among smallholder beef cattle farmers in Ghana's forest-savannah transitional zone

This study sought to understand the determinants of market channel choice among smallholder beef cattle farmers in Ghana's forest-savannah transitional zone. Data was collected from 200 farmers through the administration of a structured questionnaire and analysed using a multinomial logit regression model. The results revealed that the producers' level of education, herd size, mode of payment and price for cattle sold positively influence the producers' choice of marketing channel, whereas the quantity beef cattle sold, the reason for production, farmer access to extension services, years of farming experience, membership of a producers association and marketing cost negatively influenced the choice of marketing channel. The role of farmer-based associations, standardisation of the beef cattle trade, provision of market information to the producers, and profiling of the producers based on the basis of their production capacity are critical for the improvement of the businesses of the beef cattle farmers.

Spatial Organisation Influences Citrus <i>Pseudocercospora</i> Leaf and Fruit Spot Disease Severity in Cocoa-Based Agroforestry Systems

An investigation to assess the spatial structure and severity of Pseudocercospora leaf and fruit spot disease (PLFSD) on citrus trees in cocoa-based agroforests was carried out in three contrasting ecological zones in southern Cameroon, viz: 1) the humid forest zone, 2) the degraded forest zone, and 3) the forest-savannah transition zone. Two main parameters were investigated viz: 1) the spatial structure of cocoa based agroforests, and 2) the disease severity. In total, the spatial structure of 19 cocoa-based agroforests was analysed using the Ripley K(r) function, meanwhile the collection of epidemiological data that consisted of noting the presence of PLFSD spots on leaves and fruits on 438 citrus trees was used to characterise the severity of the disease. Results showed that, the spatial structure of citrus trees in these agroforests investigated were regular in seven plots, random in nine, and aggregated in three. Aggregated plots presented a significantly higher mean of disease severity on leaves and fruits (28.55 and 30.37 respectively), as compared to randomised (20.91 and 16.32 respectively) and regular plots (16.28 and 14.97 respectively), at P-value

Farming systems and productivity gaps: Opportunities for improving smallholder performance in the Forest-Savannah transition zone of Ghana

This paper examines the productivity of diversified farming systems in the Forest-Savannah Transition zone of Ghana. Cross sectional data from 568 smallholder farmers and a metafrontier framework are used to investigate the opportunities for improving the performance of three types of farming systems: crop; livestock; and integrated crop-livestock. The results show that increasing farmers’ access to labour and capital improves the productivity of each of the three farming systems, whereas access to land increases the productivity of the livestock and integrated crop-livestock farming systems. The latter system is more productive because of its greater diversification. There are opportunities for improving productivity through enhancing farmers’ access to market information and promoting output diversification. Furthermore, policies designed to encourage the adoption of integrated crop-livestock farming systems as a way to enhance productivity, to spread production and market risk, and to promote more stable farm incomes are warranted.

Weed Control Efficacy of Lumax 537.5 SE in Maize in the Forest–Savannah Transition Zone of Ghana

Weed Control Efficacy of Lumax 537.5 SE in Maize in the Forest–Savannah Transition Zone of Ghana

Apparent resilience of a declining Afro‐Palaearctic migrant to forest loss on the wintering grounds

Populations of long‐distance migrant birds are declining but it is unknown what role land cover change in non‐breeding areas may be playing in this process. Using compositional analysis, we assessed habitat selection by one such migrant, the Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix, at a wintering site in the forest–savannah transition zone in Eastern Region, Ghana. There was a preference for forest, a habitat that is in marked decline at this site. Annual habitat mapping revealed that the area of forest declined by 26% between 2011/12 and 2013/14, mainly through clearance for conversion to arable land. Numbers of birds changed throughout the season, but despite the reduction in the preferred forest habitat, there was no change in the total number of birds recorded at the site over the study period. The number of birds recorded at a point was positively related to the proportion of cleared land, plantation and, to a lesser extent, dense forest within 100 m. Investigation of the fine‐scale habitat preferences of radiotagged Wood Warblers suggested that there was an optimum number of trees, around 66–143 per hectare, at which estimated probability of occupancy was 0.5, falling to a probability of 0.2 at 25 trees per hectare. We suggest that Wood Warblers may be buffered against the loss of forest habitat by their ability to utilize degraded habitats, such as well‐wooded farmland, that still retain a substantial number of trees. However, the continued loss of trees, from both forest and farmland is ultimately likely to have a negative impact on wintering Wood Warblers in the long‐term.