Kwadwo Gyasi Santo - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Kwadwo Gyasi Santo
Cogent food & agriculture, Apr 11, 2024
Open journal of applied sciences, 2024
Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L) consists of various beneficial components like stalks, seeds, leave... more Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L) consists of various beneficial components like stalks, seeds, leaves, fibers, oils, proteins, allelopathic chemicals, and fiber strands, among other things. Despite the numerous uses of the crop, there is little or no information on optimum agronomic practices such as planting date and N fertilization of the crop in the Upper East Region (UER) of Ghana where the crop is widely cultivated by smallholder farmers. Field experiments were therefore carried out in 2020 and repeated during the 2021 cropping season in the study area. The objective of the study was to determine appropriate planting date and N fertilization for increased kenaf productivity. In each year, the treatments consisted of 3 × 5 factorial combinations of three planting dates (1 st July, 7 th July and 14 th July) and five levels of N (0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 kg/ha) replicated three times. The design of the experiment was a split-plot with the N fertilizer as the main plot and the planting date assigned to sub plot. The results showed that, planting kenaf in early (1 st) July or N fertilization at the rate of 60 kg/ha increased plant density, stem height, stem diameter, dry bast and core yields in both cropping seasons.
Agricutural science digest/Agricultural science digest, May 21, 2024
Background: Adequate and balanced use of plant nutrients could increase crop performance and redu... more Background: Adequate and balanced use of plant nutrients could increase crop performance and reduce adverse environmental effects. Farmers in Berekum have little information on the specific rate of nutrient, especially nitrogen application for hybrid and open pollinated maize varieties. Methods: A field experiment was carried out in Berekum Municipality of Ghana to determine the effects of different doses of N fertilizer (0, 90, 120 and 150 kg N ha-1) on growth and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of Pannar 12 (hybrid) and Omankwa (openpollinated) maize varieties. The experiment was conducted in a factorial randomized block design and replicated thrice. Result: Experimental results revealed that incremental doses of nitrogen significantly impacted vegetative growth and NUE of maize. The studies indicated that the growth response in terms of plant height, number of leaves per plant and stem diameter of Omankwa was better than that of Pannar 12. It was found that in the main cropping period of 2019, the maximum NUE of 14.58 kg/kg was gained when Pannar 12 was grown with 150 kg N ha-1 , while the highest NUE (15.91 kg/kg) was recorded when Omankwa was grown with 90 kg N ha-1. In the minor season of 2019, NUE was highest (13.54 kg/kg) when Pannar 12 was grown with 150 kg N ha-1 , while application of 120 kg N ha-1 to Omankwa resulted in the highest NUE (10.85 kg/kg). The studies indicated that application of nitrogen at 90, 120 and 150 kg N ha-1 improved NUE in maize. However, NUE was optimized in Pannar 12 due to application of 150 kg N ha-1 , while application of 90 kg N ha-1 was enough to optimize NUE in Omankwa.
American Journal of Plant Sciences, 2023
Crops are largely influenced by climatic conditions during the growing season and therefore, mino... more Crops are largely influenced by climatic conditions during the growing season and therefore, minor deviation from optimal conditions can seriously threaten yield. In view of this, knowledge on the effect of environmental factors on crop growth and development could reduce the possibilities of significant yield loss. There have been statistical methods which have been developed in respect to characterizing crops but the additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) method integrates analysis of variance and principal components analysis into a unified approach. AMMI has been used in the analysis of G × E interaction with greater precision in many crops. The objective of this study was to assess the extent of genotype x environment interaction and to select the stable cowpea genotypes in Ghanaian environments over seasons using AMMI model. Eight genotypes of cowpea released by Crops Research Institute of Ghana over two decades were selected for evaluation in two locations and two seasons using RCBD with 3 replications in forest and transitional zones of Ghana. When the mean yields of various genotypes were subjected to the AMMI model, the results showed that, a highly significant (P < 0.001) genotype by location and by year interaction effects for cowpea grain yield was recorded with 63.1% of the total variation attributable to environmental effects. The AMMI Bi-plot of PC1 and GGE Bi-plot gave 80.8% and 89.3% respectively. Genotype Asontem (G3) had the highest yield and was adapted to all the environments and seasons.
American Journal of Plant Sciences
Acta Scientific Agriculture
American Journal of Plant Sciences
Field experiments were carried out on roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L) during the 2019 and 2020 cr... more Field experiments were carried out on roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L) during the 2019 and 2020 cropping seasons at the CSIR-SARI Research Station at Manga in the Upper East Region of Ghana. The aim of the experiment was to study the response of roselle to cowdung, nitrogen fertilizer and their interaction on the growth and yield of roselle. The treatments consisted of factorial combination of five rates of cowdung (0, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5 t/ha) and five levels of nitrogen (0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 kgN/ha) laid out in a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. Data were collected on days to 50% flowering, plant height, number of leaves per plant and dry calyx yield. The results indicated that differences in dry calyx yield due to the manure and nitrogen fertilizer effects were highly significant (P < 0.01). Application rate of 2.5 t/ha manure recorded the highest yield of 340 kg/ha and 308.1 kg/ha in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Increasing manure rate from 2.5-3.5 t/ha did not result in significant increases in dry calyx yield. The four rates differed significantly from the control which had the least calyx yield of 190.3 kg/ha and 180 kg/ha in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Nitrogen rate of 60 kg/ha recorded the highest dry calyx yield of 510.5 kg/ha and 370.4 kg/ha in 2019 and 2020 respectively which were significantly different from calyx yields recorded by other treatments. The trend on partial budget analysis was consistent in both seasons with the highest yielding treatments (2.5 t/ha cowdung manure and 60 kg/ha) recording the highest net benefit while the control
Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
The inability of farmers to adhere to the precise usage pattern of weedicides and personal protec... more The inability of farmers to adhere to the precise usage pattern of weedicides and personal protective equipment (PPE) in cocoa cultivation has been a challenge to cocoa production, the environment and human health. We conducted a study to determine the usage pattern of weedicides and PPE in some cocoa-growing communities in the Western North region of Ghana. We collected data from 92 cocoa farmers distributed in five communities using a semi-structured questionnaire and descriptive statistics was employed in analysing the data in the form of frequency, percentages and p values. The results indicated a significant difference (P &lt; 0.05) in all the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers where most of the smallholder farmers were of old age. The majority (84%) of the farmers used both manual and chemical methods of weed control in their farms. Farmers&#39; choice of weed control method was significantly influenced by their level of education, use of protective clothing and their socio-economic characteristics. Farmers’ knowledge of weedicide usage, mode of application, rate of application and time of application was low. Wearing of protective clothing, wellington boots and overalls were common among farmers during weedicide application. Yet farmers complained of body irritation, severe headaches, catarrh, and body aches after weedicide usage. This is an indication of incomplete or improper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) by the farmers who were not aware of the dangers associated with the use of weedicides on their health. Based on these health problems and other related issues, Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has discouraged cocoa farmers from the use of weedicides in the cocoa ecosystem. Instead, COCOBOD has provided slashers for use by farmers.
American Journal of Plant Sciences
Crops are largely influenced by climatic conditions during the growing season and therefore, mino... more Crops are largely influenced by climatic conditions during the growing season and therefore, minor deviation from optimal conditions can seriously threaten yield. In view of this, knowledge on the effect of environmental factors on crop growth and development could reduce the possibilities of significant yield loss. There have been statistical methods which have been developed in respect to characterizing crops but the additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) method integrates analysis of variance and principal components analysis into a unified approach. AMMI has been used in the analysis of G × E interaction with greater precision in many crops. The objective of this study was to assess the extent of genotype x environment interaction and to select the stable cowpea genotypes in Ghanaian environments over seasons using AMMI model. Eight genotypes of cowpea released by Crops Research Institute of Ghana over two decades were selected for evaluation in two locations and two seasons using RCBD with 3 replications in forest and transitional zones of Ghana. When the mean yields of various genotypes were subjected to the AMMI model, the results showed that, a highly significant (P < 0.001) genotype by location and by year interaction effects for cowpea grain yield was recorded with 63.1% of the total variation attributable to environmental effects. The AMMI Bi-plot of PC1 and GGE Bi-plot gave 80.8% and 89.3% respectively. Genotype Asontem (G3) had the highest yield and was adapted to all the environments and seasons.
American Journal of Plant Sciences
The oil palm leaf miner, Coelaenomenodera lameensis, is currently the most destructive pest of oi... more The oil palm leaf miner, Coelaenomenodera lameensis, is currently the most destructive pest of oil palm in Ghana and other African oil palm growing countries, causing significant losses in fresh fruit bunch yield. Progressive pruning is an oil palm pruning method in which pruning is done at the same time as fresh fruit bunch harvesting. This study evaluated the impact of progressive pruning on leaf miner population in oil palm and how these two factors (leaf miner and progressive pruning) affect the yield of oil palm at the Benso Oil Palm Plantation Public listed company (BOPP. Plc). Five distinct blocks in the plantation were selected for observations on fronds at various ranks (33, 25, or 17) based on the degree of defoliation by counting the number of pests on leaflets at different phases of insect development. Fronds from selected plots were sampled in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The size of plots used for the study ranged between 19 to 45 hectares. A minimum of 78 fronds were evenly cut from each block for pest count depending on the block size. Secondary data on annual yields of fresh fruit bunches before and after the introduction of progressive pruning were also obtained from BOPP. Plc records from 2011-2020. The results from the analyzed data on leaf miner index before and after the introduction of progressive pruning showed that progressive pruning has, to a high extent (64% to 36%), reduced leaf miner populations in the plantation. Paired t-test on fresh fruit bunch yield has also revealed a significant (p < 0.001) increase in annual fresh fruit bunch yield due to progressive pruning. A regression analysis, however, revealed a lower rate of yield loss (3.
Advances in Agriculture
A field experiment was conducted at the Research and Teaching Farm, School of Agriculture and Tec... more A field experiment was conducted at the Research and Teaching Farm, School of Agriculture and Technology (SOAT), University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), Dormaa Ahenkro Campus, Ghana, to determine the genetic variability, heritability, genetic advance, and correlation among growth and yield traits of the African yam bean in Ghana. There were significant differences ( p < 0.05 ) for the traits studied, except for days to 50% emergence, petiole length, days to maturity, stem diameter, days to 50% flowering, pod weight, pod beak length, pod weight per plant, seed length, and seed width. The phenotypic coefficient of variation and genotypic coefficient of variation for the yield and yield components ranged from 9.43% to 18.92% and 3.25% to 15.93%, respectively, and from 9.35% to 20.08% and 2.15% to 23.28%, respectively, for the growth parameters. Heritability ranged from 34.54% to 91.81, and the GAM ranged from 2.77% to 45.96% for the growth parameters. The heritability and...
Journal of Food Quality
Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) contributes significantly to Ghana’s GDP and has made Ghana a recognized ... more Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) contributes significantly to Ghana’s GDP and has made Ghana a recognized leader in the cocoa industry. However, there are myriad problems associated with Ghana’s cocoa bean quality. One such problems stems from farmers paying less attention to the required postharvest activities (fermentation and drying) which contributes significantly to bean quality losses. This study investigated the effect of the duration of the traditional heap fermentation period and different drying methods: solar biomass hybrid dryer (SBHD) and traditional sun drying method (TSDM) on the bean quality of two cocoa varieties (hybrid cocoa and Amazonia). Quality attributes of cocoa beans such as pH, moisture content, fat content, crude protein, free fatty acids, phenolic contents, colour, and bean size were examined. The statgraphics statistical tool was used to analyse data and the least significant difference (LSD) was used to compare treatment means. Purple beans incidence was observe...
Agricultural Science Digest - A Research Journal
Background: Poor soil fertility management in Ghana has necessitated the need to investigate the ... more Background: Poor soil fertility management in Ghana has necessitated the need to investigate the appropriate source of nitrogen which enhances nitrogen use efficiency and improves maize productivity under rainfed condition. Methods: The experiment consisted of five treatments; control (no fertilizer), NPK 15-15-15 (90 kg N ha-1), urea (90 kg N ha-1), poultry manure (4.2 tons ha-1) and combination of NPK 15-15-15 and poultry manure (½NPK 15-15-15 + ½ poultry manure). Randomized complete block design was the experimental design used for the experiment with three replications. Result: The greatest grain yield (5,551 kg ha-1) and biomass yield (14,296 kg ha-1) for the major rainy season were recorded by the combined application of NPK 15-15-15 and Poultry manure treatment, while the highest grain yield (3,507 kg ha-1) and biomass yield (7,976 kg ha-1) was recorded by NPK 15-15-15 treatment during the minor rainy season.
![Research paper thumbnail of Yield Response of Bambara Groundnut [Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.] to Fertilizer Application and Plant Spacing](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/117128922/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Indian Journal of Agricultural Research, May 23, 2024
Background: An experiment was conducted at Nkoranza in the Bono-East Region and Ejura Sekyedumase... more Background: An experiment was conducted at Nkoranza in the Bono-East Region and Ejura Sekyedumase in the Ashanti Region of Ghana from July to December, 2021 to evaluate the effects of P based fertilizer and plant spacing on leaf area, leaf area index and seed yield and yield components of Bambara groundnut. Methods: The experiment was a 33 factorial, arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replicates. The first factor was plant spacing with three levels, including 50 cm 20 cm, 40 cm 20 cm and 40 cm 25 cm, while the second factor was application of P based complex fertilizer (NPK 11:22:20) with three levels, including 0 kg/ha, 30 kg P/ha and 60 kg P/ha. Result: Results of the study revealed that leaf area, leaf area index, yield components and seed yield of Bambara groundnut were significantly affected by plant spacing. W ider spacing of 50cm row was better than 40cm. Fertilizer application had mixed responses, with no significant impact when the plant density was 10 m-2 , whereas under a plant density of 12.5 m-2 there was a response to 60 kg P based fertilizer application, which needs further study.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
Cogent food & agriculture, Apr 11, 2024
Open journal of applied sciences, 2024
Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L) consists of various beneficial components like stalks, seeds, leave... more Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L) consists of various beneficial components like stalks, seeds, leaves, fibers, oils, proteins, allelopathic chemicals, and fiber strands, among other things. Despite the numerous uses of the crop, there is little or no information on optimum agronomic practices such as planting date and N fertilization of the crop in the Upper East Region (UER) of Ghana where the crop is widely cultivated by smallholder farmers. Field experiments were therefore carried out in 2020 and repeated during the 2021 cropping season in the study area. The objective of the study was to determine appropriate planting date and N fertilization for increased kenaf productivity. In each year, the treatments consisted of 3 × 5 factorial combinations of three planting dates (1 st July, 7 th July and 14 th July) and five levels of N (0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 kg/ha) replicated three times. The design of the experiment was a split-plot with the N fertilizer as the main plot and the planting date assigned to sub plot. The results showed that, planting kenaf in early (1 st) July or N fertilization at the rate of 60 kg/ha increased plant density, stem height, stem diameter, dry bast and core yields in both cropping seasons.
Agricutural science digest/Agricultural science digest, May 21, 2024
Background: Adequate and balanced use of plant nutrients could increase crop performance and redu... more Background: Adequate and balanced use of plant nutrients could increase crop performance and reduce adverse environmental effects. Farmers in Berekum have little information on the specific rate of nutrient, especially nitrogen application for hybrid and open pollinated maize varieties. Methods: A field experiment was carried out in Berekum Municipality of Ghana to determine the effects of different doses of N fertilizer (0, 90, 120 and 150 kg N ha-1) on growth and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of Pannar 12 (hybrid) and Omankwa (openpollinated) maize varieties. The experiment was conducted in a factorial randomized block design and replicated thrice. Result: Experimental results revealed that incremental doses of nitrogen significantly impacted vegetative growth and NUE of maize. The studies indicated that the growth response in terms of plant height, number of leaves per plant and stem diameter of Omankwa was better than that of Pannar 12. It was found that in the main cropping period of 2019, the maximum NUE of 14.58 kg/kg was gained when Pannar 12 was grown with 150 kg N ha-1 , while the highest NUE (15.91 kg/kg) was recorded when Omankwa was grown with 90 kg N ha-1. In the minor season of 2019, NUE was highest (13.54 kg/kg) when Pannar 12 was grown with 150 kg N ha-1 , while application of 120 kg N ha-1 to Omankwa resulted in the highest NUE (10.85 kg/kg). The studies indicated that application of nitrogen at 90, 120 and 150 kg N ha-1 improved NUE in maize. However, NUE was optimized in Pannar 12 due to application of 150 kg N ha-1 , while application of 90 kg N ha-1 was enough to optimize NUE in Omankwa.
American Journal of Plant Sciences, 2023
Crops are largely influenced by climatic conditions during the growing season and therefore, mino... more Crops are largely influenced by climatic conditions during the growing season and therefore, minor deviation from optimal conditions can seriously threaten yield. In view of this, knowledge on the effect of environmental factors on crop growth and development could reduce the possibilities of significant yield loss. There have been statistical methods which have been developed in respect to characterizing crops but the additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) method integrates analysis of variance and principal components analysis into a unified approach. AMMI has been used in the analysis of G × E interaction with greater precision in many crops. The objective of this study was to assess the extent of genotype x environment interaction and to select the stable cowpea genotypes in Ghanaian environments over seasons using AMMI model. Eight genotypes of cowpea released by Crops Research Institute of Ghana over two decades were selected for evaluation in two locations and two seasons using RCBD with 3 replications in forest and transitional zones of Ghana. When the mean yields of various genotypes were subjected to the AMMI model, the results showed that, a highly significant (P < 0.001) genotype by location and by year interaction effects for cowpea grain yield was recorded with 63.1% of the total variation attributable to environmental effects. The AMMI Bi-plot of PC1 and GGE Bi-plot gave 80.8% and 89.3% respectively. Genotype Asontem (G3) had the highest yield and was adapted to all the environments and seasons.
American Journal of Plant Sciences
Acta Scientific Agriculture
American Journal of Plant Sciences
Field experiments were carried out on roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L) during the 2019 and 2020 cr... more Field experiments were carried out on roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L) during the 2019 and 2020 cropping seasons at the CSIR-SARI Research Station at Manga in the Upper East Region of Ghana. The aim of the experiment was to study the response of roselle to cowdung, nitrogen fertilizer and their interaction on the growth and yield of roselle. The treatments consisted of factorial combination of five rates of cowdung (0, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and 4.5 t/ha) and five levels of nitrogen (0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 kgN/ha) laid out in a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. Data were collected on days to 50% flowering, plant height, number of leaves per plant and dry calyx yield. The results indicated that differences in dry calyx yield due to the manure and nitrogen fertilizer effects were highly significant (P < 0.01). Application rate of 2.5 t/ha manure recorded the highest yield of 340 kg/ha and 308.1 kg/ha in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Increasing manure rate from 2.5-3.5 t/ha did not result in significant increases in dry calyx yield. The four rates differed significantly from the control which had the least calyx yield of 190.3 kg/ha and 180 kg/ha in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Nitrogen rate of 60 kg/ha recorded the highest dry calyx yield of 510.5 kg/ha and 370.4 kg/ha in 2019 and 2020 respectively which were significantly different from calyx yields recorded by other treatments. The trend on partial budget analysis was consistent in both seasons with the highest yielding treatments (2.5 t/ha cowdung manure and 60 kg/ha) recording the highest net benefit while the control
Journal of Agriculture and Food Research
The inability of farmers to adhere to the precise usage pattern of weedicides and personal protec... more The inability of farmers to adhere to the precise usage pattern of weedicides and personal protective equipment (PPE) in cocoa cultivation has been a challenge to cocoa production, the environment and human health. We conducted a study to determine the usage pattern of weedicides and PPE in some cocoa-growing communities in the Western North region of Ghana. We collected data from 92 cocoa farmers distributed in five communities using a semi-structured questionnaire and descriptive statistics was employed in analysing the data in the form of frequency, percentages and p values. The results indicated a significant difference (P &lt; 0.05) in all the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers where most of the smallholder farmers were of old age. The majority (84%) of the farmers used both manual and chemical methods of weed control in their farms. Farmers&#39; choice of weed control method was significantly influenced by their level of education, use of protective clothing and their socio-economic characteristics. Farmers’ knowledge of weedicide usage, mode of application, rate of application and time of application was low. Wearing of protective clothing, wellington boots and overalls were common among farmers during weedicide application. Yet farmers complained of body irritation, severe headaches, catarrh, and body aches after weedicide usage. This is an indication of incomplete or improper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) by the farmers who were not aware of the dangers associated with the use of weedicides on their health. Based on these health problems and other related issues, Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) has discouraged cocoa farmers from the use of weedicides in the cocoa ecosystem. Instead, COCOBOD has provided slashers for use by farmers.
American Journal of Plant Sciences
Crops are largely influenced by climatic conditions during the growing season and therefore, mino... more Crops are largely influenced by climatic conditions during the growing season and therefore, minor deviation from optimal conditions can seriously threaten yield. In view of this, knowledge on the effect of environmental factors on crop growth and development could reduce the possibilities of significant yield loss. There have been statistical methods which have been developed in respect to characterizing crops but the additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) method integrates analysis of variance and principal components analysis into a unified approach. AMMI has been used in the analysis of G × E interaction with greater precision in many crops. The objective of this study was to assess the extent of genotype x environment interaction and to select the stable cowpea genotypes in Ghanaian environments over seasons using AMMI model. Eight genotypes of cowpea released by Crops Research Institute of Ghana over two decades were selected for evaluation in two locations and two seasons using RCBD with 3 replications in forest and transitional zones of Ghana. When the mean yields of various genotypes were subjected to the AMMI model, the results showed that, a highly significant (P < 0.001) genotype by location and by year interaction effects for cowpea grain yield was recorded with 63.1% of the total variation attributable to environmental effects. The AMMI Bi-plot of PC1 and GGE Bi-plot gave 80.8% and 89.3% respectively. Genotype Asontem (G3) had the highest yield and was adapted to all the environments and seasons.
American Journal of Plant Sciences
The oil palm leaf miner, Coelaenomenodera lameensis, is currently the most destructive pest of oi... more The oil palm leaf miner, Coelaenomenodera lameensis, is currently the most destructive pest of oil palm in Ghana and other African oil palm growing countries, causing significant losses in fresh fruit bunch yield. Progressive pruning is an oil palm pruning method in which pruning is done at the same time as fresh fruit bunch harvesting. This study evaluated the impact of progressive pruning on leaf miner population in oil palm and how these two factors (leaf miner and progressive pruning) affect the yield of oil palm at the Benso Oil Palm Plantation Public listed company (BOPP. Plc). Five distinct blocks in the plantation were selected for observations on fronds at various ranks (33, 25, or 17) based on the degree of defoliation by counting the number of pests on leaflets at different phases of insect development. Fronds from selected plots were sampled in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The size of plots used for the study ranged between 19 to 45 hectares. A minimum of 78 fronds were evenly cut from each block for pest count depending on the block size. Secondary data on annual yields of fresh fruit bunches before and after the introduction of progressive pruning were also obtained from BOPP. Plc records from 2011-2020. The results from the analyzed data on leaf miner index before and after the introduction of progressive pruning showed that progressive pruning has, to a high extent (64% to 36%), reduced leaf miner populations in the plantation. Paired t-test on fresh fruit bunch yield has also revealed a significant (p < 0.001) increase in annual fresh fruit bunch yield due to progressive pruning. A regression analysis, however, revealed a lower rate of yield loss (3.
Advances in Agriculture
A field experiment was conducted at the Research and Teaching Farm, School of Agriculture and Tec... more A field experiment was conducted at the Research and Teaching Farm, School of Agriculture and Technology (SOAT), University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), Dormaa Ahenkro Campus, Ghana, to determine the genetic variability, heritability, genetic advance, and correlation among growth and yield traits of the African yam bean in Ghana. There were significant differences ( p < 0.05 ) for the traits studied, except for days to 50% emergence, petiole length, days to maturity, stem diameter, days to 50% flowering, pod weight, pod beak length, pod weight per plant, seed length, and seed width. The phenotypic coefficient of variation and genotypic coefficient of variation for the yield and yield components ranged from 9.43% to 18.92% and 3.25% to 15.93%, respectively, and from 9.35% to 20.08% and 2.15% to 23.28%, respectively, for the growth parameters. Heritability ranged from 34.54% to 91.81, and the GAM ranged from 2.77% to 45.96% for the growth parameters. The heritability and...
Journal of Food Quality
Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) contributes significantly to Ghana’s GDP and has made Ghana a recognized ... more Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) contributes significantly to Ghana’s GDP and has made Ghana a recognized leader in the cocoa industry. However, there are myriad problems associated with Ghana’s cocoa bean quality. One such problems stems from farmers paying less attention to the required postharvest activities (fermentation and drying) which contributes significantly to bean quality losses. This study investigated the effect of the duration of the traditional heap fermentation period and different drying methods: solar biomass hybrid dryer (SBHD) and traditional sun drying method (TSDM) on the bean quality of two cocoa varieties (hybrid cocoa and Amazonia). Quality attributes of cocoa beans such as pH, moisture content, fat content, crude protein, free fatty acids, phenolic contents, colour, and bean size were examined. The statgraphics statistical tool was used to analyse data and the least significant difference (LSD) was used to compare treatment means. Purple beans incidence was observe...
Agricultural Science Digest - A Research Journal
Background: Poor soil fertility management in Ghana has necessitated the need to investigate the ... more Background: Poor soil fertility management in Ghana has necessitated the need to investigate the appropriate source of nitrogen which enhances nitrogen use efficiency and improves maize productivity under rainfed condition. Methods: The experiment consisted of five treatments; control (no fertilizer), NPK 15-15-15 (90 kg N ha-1), urea (90 kg N ha-1), poultry manure (4.2 tons ha-1) and combination of NPK 15-15-15 and poultry manure (½NPK 15-15-15 + ½ poultry manure). Randomized complete block design was the experimental design used for the experiment with three replications. Result: The greatest grain yield (5,551 kg ha-1) and biomass yield (14,296 kg ha-1) for the major rainy season were recorded by the combined application of NPK 15-15-15 and Poultry manure treatment, while the highest grain yield (3,507 kg ha-1) and biomass yield (7,976 kg ha-1) was recorded by NPK 15-15-15 treatment during the minor rainy season.
Indian Journal of Agricultural Research, May 23, 2024
Background: An experiment was conducted at Nkoranza in the Bono-East Region and Ejura Sekyedumase... more Background: An experiment was conducted at Nkoranza in the Bono-East Region and Ejura Sekyedumase in the Ashanti Region of Ghana from July to December, 2021 to evaluate the effects of P based fertilizer and plant spacing on leaf area, leaf area index and seed yield and yield components of Bambara groundnut. Methods: The experiment was a 33 factorial, arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replicates. The first factor was plant spacing with three levels, including 50 cm 20 cm, 40 cm 20 cm and 40 cm 25 cm, while the second factor was application of P based complex fertilizer (NPK 11:22:20) with three levels, including 0 kg/ha, 30 kg P/ha and 60 kg P/ha. Result: Results of the study revealed that leaf area, leaf area index, yield components and seed yield of Bambara groundnut were significantly affected by plant spacing. W ider spacing of 50cm row was better than 40cm. Fertilizer application had mixed responses, with no significant impact when the plant density was 10 m-2 , whereas under a plant density of 12.5 m-2 there was a response to 60 kg P based fertilizer application, which needs further study.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules