Farmers’ perceptions of yam pests and diseases and management practices, particularly relating to yam seed, in the Northern and Brong-Ahafo Regions of Ghana.
Abstract
A rapid rural appraisal (RRA) was carried out during January 1998 as part of the DFID-funded ‘Control of yam diseases in Ghana’ Project (R6691). The main objectives of the RRA were to investigate farmers’ perceptions of yam pests and diseases, particularly their impact, causality, and farmers’ practices relating to seed preparation methods, selection and storage. Pests and diseases were considered by yam growers to be important constraints to yam production and marketing in the Northern, Upper West and Brong-Ahafo Regions of Ghana, which are major yam producing areas in the country. Overall, when pests and diseases were grouped together, they were ranked the second most important problem (after lack of finances) and were considered a major reason for the poor yam yields experienced by the majority of farmers in 1997.
Citation
Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, Kent, UK., Department of Agriculture, University of Reading, UK., Ministry of Agriculture, Tamale, Ghana, Crops Research Institute, Kumasi, Ghana, Savanna Agricultural Research Institute, Nyankpala, Ghana, 78 pp.
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