Background
Maize, also known as Corn and scientifically called Zea Mays is the most important cereal crop cultivated by most Ghanaian farm households for food and income and has a high domestic demand to feed both humans and livestock. Maize accounts for more than 50 percent of the country’s total cereal production according MoFA 2020. Northern Ghana contributes about 76% of the total maize produced in Ghana, and its cultivation is a key livelihood opportunity in this region. (MoFA2020)
The increasing demand for the crop for both domestic and industrial use has made it a cash crop, thus significantly contributing to poverty reduction among smallholder and large-scale farmers.
The Maize crop is grown mostly in the Karaga, Saboba, Mion Gusheigu, Tolon and Kumbungu districts of the northern region.
The cultivation of maize, similar to many other crops in the northern region, is largely undertaken by smallholder farmers with low external input and is heavily reliant on rainfall; hence, yield levels are generally very low when there is interference in the rainfall pattern.
The problem
Climate change is one of the factors limiting the productivity of maize in Northern Ghana. The over-reliance on rainfall, which has increasingly become erratic; resulting in drought, is detrimental to prime growth and yield. Another weather parameter which is known to impact the yield of maize is high temperature. Changes in temperature influence the physiological, biochemical, metabolic, and molecular functions of plants, affecting the growth and yield of crops. (CSIR-SARI)
Climatic changes have had substantial impact on maize production, considering the magnitude of variations in temperature and CO2 from baseline conditions. An increased temperature from 26 °C to 30 °C resulted in maize yield decline, whereas yield increase was reported in cooler environments where the base temperature was 19 °C.
Usually, the planting period for the traditional maize varieties such as Dobidi, Okomasa, Kawanzie, Abeleehi, Dorke SR, Safita, Aburotia is Mid-March to the end of April and they have late maturity period thus take 115 to 120 days (4 months) to mature.
Because these varieties take too long to mature, when the rains stop early or starts late (interference with the rainfall pattern) it affects the maize yields negatively. The reason is that, these varieties are unable to withstand drought and strain resulting in low or no yields despite the best farming practices.
The Executive Director for Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA-GH) Halima Sagito Saeed revealed that the situation in the past years negatively affected the livelihoods of over nine thousand (9,000) of her women who are into the maize value chain.
She explained that, the situation has not only affected the income levels of these women but has cause trauma and some mental health issues considering the fact that, these women invest their annual savings into maize production and later lose this invest to climate change impact the yields of maize.
She said, “The yields were declining every year, for instance with the same best practices on an acre of land you go 10 bags in the previous year, you will get either 5 or maximum of six bags in the current year.”
Meanwhile, Ibrahim Salamatu a maize farmer from Gumo in the Kumbungu district said with the best agronomic practices, coupled with the right plant population, she used to get over 10 bags and that kept reducing.
The situation was worrisome and was affecting food security and livelihood of especially rural women in the northern region.
SARI’s Interventions
However, in the year 2006, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Savannah Agriculture Research Institute (CSIR-SARI) started a project known as Maize Improvement Program together with CSIR- Crop Research Institute (CRI) in Kumasi to ensure the improvement of maize resilience and its adaptation to climate change by producing new maize varieties that can match the climate change effects and contribute to food security.
By 2017, the Research Institutes, released over 10 new high yielding maize varieties including the following:
| Maize Variety | Maturity Period | Average Yield |
| CSIR-SARI Maize 1 | 110 days | 8.5Mt/h |
| CSIR-Wang Basing | 75-80 days | 5.5Mt/h |
| Suhudoo | 75-80 days | 5.5Mt/h |
| Aburohemaa | 90 days | 5.5Mt/h |
Others are Aseda, Opeaburoo, Tintim, Owanwa, Odomfo and Honampa while CSIR-SARI 1, CSIR-Wang Basing, Suhudoo, Abrohemaa, Aseda, Opeaburoo and Tintim are also known to be drought resistant, Owanwa, Odomfo and Honampa contains relatively higher levels of pro-vitamin A.
Dr. Prince Maxwell Etwire, a Senior Research Scientist at the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), said there is scientific data that is evident that the climate in the area has being changing and has had effects on maize production therefore then need for the interventions.
He said “apart from the drought resilience of the new varieties, the varieties have the ability withstand stress and strigger which is a very dangerous weed that affects the growth of maize.”
Dr. Etwire revealed that, since 2017 their interventions have helped a large number of Ghanaian farmers and contributed to ensuring food security in the country.
“This is because we are responsible for the development of the seeds and all the farmers under the government’s agriculture flagship programs known as Planting for Food and Job and all the farmers benefiting from the fertilizer and seed subsidy use our seeds.” He explained.
Meanwhile, he mentioned that some other varieties will be released this
He said the government of Ghana does so well in paying the salaries of the workers, however funding for the actual research and services are donor driven and was quick to acknowledge the Bill and Melinda Gate foundation for funding the Maize Improvement Program.
Planting for Food and Jobs
Planting for Food and Jobs” (PFJ) Campaign was launched by Ghana’s President His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in April, 2017.
The policy rallied all citizens to grow grain crops and vegetables in open spaces including backyards. In that regard, private and public institutions like breweries, food processors, schools, colleges and prisons were encouraged to set up their own farms to feed the nation, export the surpluses, reduce excessive food import bill and generate employment for Ghanaians.
According to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), after three year of the implementation of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJs) program the agriculture sector witnessed a GDP growth rate of about 6.1 percent in 2017 and 4.8 in 2018. It is important to mention that significant yield increases were recorded in 2017 for selected crops including maize yield which increased by 67 percent from 1.8mt/ha to 3.0mt/ha.
CSIR-SARI
CSIR-SARI is one of the 13 research institutes of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research; it is located 16 km West of Tamale in the Northern Region of Ghana. The mandate of the CSIR-SARI is “to provide farmers in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions with appropriate technologies to increase their food and fibre crop production based on a sustainable production system which maintains and/or increases soil fertility”. This is guided by the vision “to become a lead research and development (R&D) Institution by making agricultural research responsive to farmer needs and national development” and the mission to conduct agricultural research in Northern Ghana with the aim of developing and introducing improved technologies that will enhance overall farm level productivity for improved livelihoods”.
CSIR-SARI has over 40 research scientists with specialization in: Agronomy, plant breeding, soil science and microbiology, agricultural economics, food science, postharvest technology, entomology, pathology, seed science and technology, agrometeorology and crop physiology. There are also laboratory staff and other technical staff who support scientific work. The scientific research staffs have ground experience in the field as well as in designing and implementation of international research collaborative projects. The institute has strong socioeconomics and agribusiness section that has carried out a number of activities aimed at improving the livelihoods of farmers in the mandate area.
By: Prince Kwame Tamakloe/Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
