CSIR-SARI Pilots Innovative Soil Fertility Technologies for Northern Region Farmers.

Tolon: Some smallholder farmers at Fihini in the Tolon District of the Northern Region have expressed their readiness to adopt Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) technologies, which are being piloted in the area to promote sustainable farming practices and enhance food security. This initiative is crucial for addressing issues related to low productivity caused by poor soil fertility and health, which have been significant challenges for the farmers.According to Ghana News Agency, the ISFM technologies demonstration involves testing improved and climate-smart groundnut varieties, such as SARI Nut 2, with various mineral fertilizer combinations, including 167kg ha-1, Yara legume, NPK 20-30-20+08ZN kg ha-1, and NPK4. These practices are expected to enhance resilience among the farmers. During a demonstration visit to a groundnut field at Fihini, farmers assessed the impact of the project on sustainable farming practices within their communities.The field visit was part of a 20-month project titled 'Advancing Agriculture through Upscaling of Innovative Soil Health Technologies in Ghana.' This project is implemented by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI) in collaboration with CSIR-Soil Research Institute, Kumasi, AMYA Agro Plus at Wenchi in the Bono Region, and the District Departments of Agriculture in the implementing zones. It is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the AGRA PIATA consortium and is being executed across five districts in the North East Region, four districts each in the Northern, Upper East, and Upper West Regions.The project aims to create at least 200 jobs and reach approximately 50,000 smallholder farmers, each cultivating an average of 12 acres of farmland for crops like cowpea, maize, rice, soybean, and groundnut. It also plans to train about 200 extension agents, including Village-Based Agriculture Advisors (VBAs), 50 scientists, and 100 technicians on ISFM and good a gricultural practices.Mr. Ziblim Suale, a farmer from Fihini who led the local piloting of the project, expressed satisfaction with the yield levels at the demonstration field, considering it a viable approach to tackling unemployment and reducing poverty, hunger, and deprivation. Mr. Abdul-Ganiyu Amidu, an Agricultural Extension Officer for Fihini Operational Area, acknowledged the farmers' commitment to the project, indicating their willingness to incorporate ISFM technologies into their farming practices.Dr. Edwin Akley, Project Coordinator/Manager of Advancing Agriculture through Upscaling of Innovative Soil Health Technologies in Ghana, CSIR-SARI, highlighted the importance of the project in addressing the decline in soil fertility, which has hindered farmers' ability to produce sufficient food. The project also aims to tackle unsustainable agricultural practices that contribute to soil erosion, water pollution, and deforestation, while empowering the youth to view agriculture as a viable business op portunity to address unemployment.