By Eunice Hilda Ampomah, GNA
Accra, Dec. 13, GNA – The Council for
Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ghana has called on government to
establish a robust quality seed-yam system by adopting the ‘aeroponics’ and
‘hydroponics’ methods of cultivation to boost yam production.
Aeroponics is an alternative form of
gardening that does not require soil or water as a medium for growing, and the
plants survive with the roots exposed to the air.
In Hydroponics method of cultivating, plants
are grown in water instead of soil and mineral solutions are added to the water
to help them survive.
The recommendation was to reduce challenges
farmers went through in cultivating yam and the rate at which the economy was
largely affected by low yam yield and export.
Traditionally, farmers save their own seed
yams at the end of every farming season and the quality of the seed they save
has always been problematic due to the presence of disease pathogens, often
resulting in significant reduction in yield.
The CSIR scientists at the Crop Research
Institute (CRI), apart from the aeroponics and hydroponics, had also identified
the use of tissue culture, and temporary immersion bioreactor systems, as other
better ways for yam cultivation.
Professor Paul P. Bosu, the Deputy
Director-General, Research and Development of the CSIR-Ghana gave the
recommendation at an Advocacy Forum organised by the Council on Thursday in
Accra on the implementation of the “Yam Improvement for Incomes and Food
Security in West Africa PHASE 2 project (YIIFSWA-II).”
The objective of the project was to increase
yam production by at least 30 per cent, while the strategy was to use a market
based, integrated approach to deliver clean and quality seed of improved yam
varieties to at least 320,000 smallholder farmers for long term benefits.
It is projected that by the end of the
project, 7,700 Seed Enterprises would supply approximately 247,000 hectares of
ware yam in six states in Nigeria and two regions in Ghana.
Prof. Bosu said Ghana was currently the
leading exporter of yam, accounting for about 94 per cent of total yam exports
from the sub-region.
It was therefore of utmost importance that
Ghana and the entire sub-region, promoted the application of modern scientific
methods and technologies to ensure sustainable yam production, he said.
Professor Marian D. Quain, a Principal
Research Scientist, CSIR-CRI Kumasi, said the newly developed system of yam
production, ought to be embraced by all especially women and the youth.
She urged government to create mechanisms
for the system to be employed in its “Planting for Food and Jobs” initiative to
boost production.
“At the world market, traceability is required
to know the source of the yams exported, therefore, when Ghana uses a clean
seed system, the nation can be sure of the quality of yam it exports,” she
said.
Dr Norbert G. Maroya, the Project Leader,
YIIFSWA, said cultivating yam with the new technologies had been tried and
tested and proven to yield more than cultivating yam the ordinary way.
He reiterated that government had a
responsibility to support the laudable initiative and research by the CSIR.
“It will be a shame for West Africa and
Ghana in particular when level of production and export of yam starts
declining. We need more support from government because now we can produce
clean planting material and in quantity.
“At first, when you harvest yam, you have to
save some part of it to replant, but now we don’t have that problem anymore”.
Dr Patricia Acheampong, a Senior Research
Scientist, CSIR, said the system when adopted, would benefit the country
especially in terms of employment as it would bring out the interest of the
youth in agriculture and enhance high production.
She said yam contributed a lot to food
security, however, the CSIR observed that instead of farmers getting 30 to 40
tonnes per hector, they were getting 10 tonnes, which affected economic
development by increasing the cost of yam sold in the markets.
It was also noticed that there were low
yields because farmers did not have access to seed yam, and had to allocate
part of the yam they yielded for reproduction, hence the initiative and
advocacy.
The forum was attended by representatives
from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and stakeholders from the private
sector, development partners, researchers and universities departments of
Agricultural Production.
GNA
