By
Anthony Apubeo, GNA
Nyariga-Doone (U/E),
July 22, GNA – Soilless Vegetable Production, a new technology of producing
hygienic and large quantity vegetables without the use of soil has been
introduced to two farmer groups in the Upper East Region.
The project, which
aims to empower farmers to produce vegetables without necessarily demanding for
land is being implemented by the School of Agriculture with the Department of
Crop Science at the University of Ghana with funding support from the Skills
Development Fund (SDF), a Non- Governmental Organisation (NGO).
The farmer groups
include; the Nyariga-Doone Women Association in the Bolgatanga Municipality and
Bongo-Nyariga Cooperative Farmers Association in the Bongo District.
The technology
requires the growing of nutritious, clean and hygienic vegetables without the
use of soil. The system makes use of locally available materials such as saw
dust, rice husk, cocopeat and cow dung or poultry manure and these materials
have the ability to retain water, and release nutrients for the plant’s growth.
Explaining the
method, Dr Eric Cornelius, Senior Lecturer with the Department of Crop Science,
University of Ghana stated that in preparing the media or substrate, one could
choose to mix the saw dust, rice husk and cow dung or poultry litter together
under shade and water and compost for 12 weeks.
On the other hand,
one could mix cocopeat and cow dung or poultry manure with water together which
does not require any time to be ready for use.
Explaining further
the processes, Dr Cornelius said one could “fill substrates into nursery boxes
which could be wooden boxes, buckets, plastic planting trough, plastic bags
among others and water and plant seeds directly or transplant seedlings into
them.”
The Senior Lecturer
who urged the groups to adopt the innovation, indicated that the method was
less expensive to practice because it was not labour intensive and did not
require big land space to practise in large quantity.
He indicated that
with the use of the new technology, vegetables could be produced anywhere
including cemented backyard, and added that crops grown using the soilless
method were free from some of the soil diseases such as fungi and anima-dotes
as well as being environmentally friendly.
Dr Cornelius
stressed that the new technology which had more women benefitting would enable
farmers to produce vegetables in commercial quantities to ensure vegetable
security and augment their incomes and improve their livelihoods.
He announced that
two farmers, as well as a representative from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture
(MoFA) would be given practical training at the University who would in turn
replicate the skills acquired to their colleague farmers while the implementing
team would be paying periodic visits to the communities to ensure that the
right things are done.
Mr Augustine Zoogah,
Extension Officer at the Bolgatanga Municipal office of MoFA lauded the
initiative and said the knowledge acquired at the training would be put into
good use especially at the various operational zones to increase vegetable production
in the region.
He pledged his
outfit’s commitment to supporting the project to succeed and added that the
successes of these farmer groups would be used as reference points to sensitise
other communities to adopt and use the method to increase productivity.
Reverend John
Akaribo, the Coordinator of the Nyariga-Doone Women Association thanked the
implementing team and the sponsors for selecting his group to benefit from the
support, adding that the initiative was a big relief to the women in particular
since its practice did not require acquisition of land that had been a major
challenge for women interested in farming.
GNA