ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Agro-Industrial Waste Biochar Abated Nitrogen Leaching from Tropical Sandy Soils and Boosted Dry Matter Accumulation in Maize

This study was conducted to assess the effects of amending tropical sandy soils with biochar derived from agro-industrial wastes on the leaching and utilization of nitrogen (N) by maize. The experiment was conducted in pots in a greenhouse with two sandy soil types and two different biochars. The biochars used in this experiment were preselected in a preliminary column experiment that assessed the N retention capacities of the different biochars and those that exhibited the best retention capacities chosen for experimentation. The biochars evaluated included saw dust, rice husk and corncob pyrolyzed at 500 ◦C and the results from the column leaching experiment showed that sawdust biochar had superior retention capacities for both NO3 − and NH4 + , followed by rice husk biochar. The pot experiment utilized sawdust and rice husk biochars applied at rates of 0, 20 and 40 t/ha to the soil treated with different N sources including cow dung and ammonium sulfate and growing maize on the amendments for two seasons with each season lasting for five weeks. The soils were leached on the 14th and 28th days after planting to determine the amount of leachable N. Biochar amendments reduced the leaching of NO3 −N and NH4 +N with no significant differences observed between biochar types, but between soil types. The abatement of leaching by biochar amendments consequently enhanced N uptake by maize and dry matter production and thus, agro-industrial waste biochar amendment is recommended for reducing leaching in tropical sandy soils.

Source: UG
Agroforestry systems can mitigate the severity of cocoa swollen shoot virus disease

Currently, the only effective treatment for cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) infected with the cocoa swollen shoot virus disease (CSSVD) is to cut and replant infected trees. Hence, the development of preventive control measures and strategies to mitigate the severity of the disease are of utmost importance. While past research has mainly focused on resistance breeding, mild strain cross protection and vector control, diversification measures such as agroforestry have received relatively less attention, despite their potential to mitigate CSSVD severity. Therefore, we studied the effects of shade on CSSVD symptom severity, capsid damage and cocoa yield along a gradient of increasing shade tree abundance in smallholder cocoa farms in Ghana. Furthermore, we measured photosynthetic active radiation and assessed soil fertility in order to elaborate on potential causal factors for possible shade effects on CSSVD symptom severity. Both CSSVD symptom severity and cocoa yields followed quadratic curves, and were found to be lowest and highest in plots with 54% and 39% shade, respectively. The simulated optimal shade levels for CSSVD symptom severity and cocoa yield overlapped between 45%–53%, indicating that agroforestry systems with around 50% shade cover may be an optimal coping strategy to balance CSSVD symptom severity versus reduced cocoa yield until diseased cocoa is replaced with more resistant varieties. Furthermore, our results suggest that rather than soil fertility, high-light and possibly also soil moisture stress may have been responsible for the shade effects on CSSVD symptom severity.

Source: UG
Agronomic performance and genotypic diversity for morphological traits among cassava genotypes in the Guinea Savannah Ecology of Ghana

We evaluated the agronomic performance and diversity for morphological traits among a collection of local and exotic cassava genotypes in the Guinea Savannah agroecology of Ghana. One hundred and fifty cassava genotypes were assessed using 28 agro-morphological (18 qualitative and 10 quantitative) traits recorded from three months after planting until harvesting at 12 months after planting. There was significant genetic variability among the genotypes for most of the traits evaluated. High broad sense heritability was observed for most of the traits. Principal component analyses of the traits indicated that the first three principal component axes which accounted for more than 55% of the variation for 10 quantitative traits included storage root yield, number of leaves, harvest index, height at first branching, and plant height as the most important traits. A greater proportion of the phenotypic variances of plant height, height at branching, and harvest index were accounted for by genetic variances indicating that progress could made with selection. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that a number of traits were related to growth and yield of cassava in the Guinea Savanna ecology, making indirect selection for root yield possible. The study revealed ample genotypic variation in these morphological and agronomic traits to support selection for improved varieties. © Korean Society of Crop Science and Springer 2016.

Source: UG
Agronomic Performance and Resistance to Maize Lethal Necrosis in Maize Hybrids Derived from Doubled Haploid Lines.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most widely cultivated grain crops globally. In sub Saharan Africa (SSA), it plays an important role in ensuring both food and income security for smallholder farmers. This study was conducted to (i) assess the performances of testcross hybrids constituted from maize lethal necrosis (MLN) tolerant doubled haploid (DH) lines under various management conditions; (ii) estimate the combining ability effects and determine the nature of gene action in the DH lines; and (iii) identify DH lines and testcross hybrids for resistance to MLN, high grain yield, and other important traits. Eleven DH lines were crossed with 11 single-cross testers using the line-by-tester mating design, and 115 successful testcross hybrids were generated. These hybrids, along with five commercial check hybrids, were evaluated across four optimum management conditions, two MLN artificial inoculations, and one managed drought environment in Kenya. Under each management condition, the effects of genotypes, environments, and genotype-by-environment interactions were significant for grain yield (GY) and most other traits. Hybrids T1/L3, T10/L3, and T11/L3 exhibited higher grain yields under at least two management conditions. A combining ability analysis revealed that additive gene effects were more important than non-additive effects for GY and most other traits, except for leaf senescence (SEN) and MLN disease severity score. DH line L3 exhibited a desirable general combining ability (GCA) effect for GY, while L5 was the best general combiner for anthesis date (AD) and plant height (PH) across all management conditions. DH lines L2, L6, and L7 showed negative GCA effects for MLN disease severity. Single-cross testers T11 and T10 were good general combiners for GY under all management conditions. Hybrids T2/L11, T9/L10, and T2/L10 demonstrated high specific combining ability (SCA) effects for GY under all conditions. This study identified DH lines and testers with favorable GCA effects for grain yield, MLN resistance, and other agronomic traits that can be used in breeding programs to develop high yielding and MLN-resistant maize varieties. Better-performing testcross hybrids identified in the current study could be verified through on-farm testing and released for commercial production to replace MLN-susceptible, low-yield hybrids grown in the target ecologies.

Source: UG
Agronomic Performance and Susceptibility of Seven Ghanaian Improved Sweet Potato Varieties to the Sweet Potato Weevil, Cylas spp. (Coleoptera: Brentidae) in Coastal Savanna Zone of Ghana

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. is an important food crop adaptable to a broad range of agro-ecological conditions. The knowledge of the performance of the available varieties under a specific ecological condition is important to improve the production. A field experiment was carried out at the University of Ghana farm during the major and minor rainy seasons of 2015 to determine the yield performance of seven improved Ghanaian sweet potato varieties (CRI-Apomuden, CRI-Ligri, Faara, CRI-Bohye, CRI-Dadanyuie, Okumkom, Sauti) and their susceptibility to the sweet potato weevil, Cylas spp. (Coleoptera: Brentidae). Significant difference was found in the storage root yield among the varieties, with CRI-Ligri having the highest in both major (23.11 t/ha) and minor (22.49 t/ha) rainy seasons. CRI-Apomuden and CRI-Ligri scored the highest levels of infestation by sweet potato weevil in the major and minor seasons (1.94 and 2.00, 1.84 and 1.96, respectively) and yield loss (44.44 % and 42.80 %, 23.84 % and 23.87 %, respectively). While the lowest infestation levels in the major rainy season were recorded on Faara and Okumkom (1.18 and 1.31, respectively) with yield losses of 10.32 % and 9.09 %, respectively. However, in the minor rainy season, there was no significant difference among Faraa, Okumkom, CRI-Bohye and CRI-Dadanyuie in terms of infestation level and yield losses. Significant difference was found in all measured root characteristics including the shortest weevil distance, root neck length, root length, root girth and root size index. The storage root infestation had a strong negative correlation with the shortest weevil distance, a strong positive correlation with the root size index and a weak negative correlation with root neck length. In this study, Okumkom appeared to be less susceptible to sweet potato weevil infestation with relatively acceptable yield performance and therefore can be recommended for use by farmers to improve sweet potato production.

Source: UG
Agronomic performance of eight sweet melon cultivars in three ecological zones of Ghana

In this study, Sweet melons were evaluated in different ecological zones to select those best suited for exporters and other stakeholders in the horticultural industry. The aim of this study was to investigate the performance of eight Sweet melon cultivars (Alpes, Amaral, Kousto, Mirella, Makenna, Anish, Raneen and Alameda) for their growth, yield and fruit quality characters in three different ecological zones (Forest, Coastal and Guinea savanna zones) of Ghana in two seasons (2008 and 2009). The design of the field experiments was Randomized Complete Block Design with factorial combination of eight cultivars and two locations replicated three times. However, in order to obtain information on the effects of season, the results in both seasons were analyzed as a split-split-plot design with season as the main block, location as sub-plot and cultivar as sub-sub plot. Results indicated significant differences in agronomic performance among the varieties in the different ecological zones as well as significant cultivar×location interaction. Yield was higher atBinduri (Guinea savanna zone) and Kade (Forest zone) than at Sogakope (Coastal savanna zone). Cultivars Alameda and Ranneen recorded the highest fruit weight while Alpes had the lowest. Sugar content was lowest at Kade (Forest zone) and highest at Sogakope (Coastal savanna zone). Alpes, Anish, Mirella and Makeenna were found to be early maturing and can be recommended for export due to their earliness. From the studies all the varieties except Makeenna at Kade performed well in all the three agro-ecological zones and thus are suitable for cultivation. © 2012 Asian Network for Scientific.

Source: UG
AI-driven sustainability brand activism for family businesses: a future-proofing perspective article

Purpose – Artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainable business represent the irrefutable future of all forward looking businesses in the world today. In this perspective article, the authors explore the confluence of these important topics by highlighting the role of family businesses in advancing sustainable brand activism aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), like SDG 1, which emphasises poverty eradication. The authors fall on the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and online brand communities in family businesses as an anchor for promoting sustainability practices that align with UNSDGs. Design/methodology/approach –Using literature review, the authors fall on the transformative potential of AI and online brand communities in family businesses as an anchor for promoting sustainability practices that align with UNSDGs. Findings – Scholarly research on AI-driven sustainability brand activism in family businesses is either limited or nonexistent. Family businesses have a unique opportunity to use AI for eco-friendly operations, personalised brand engagement, eco-friendly product development, global collaborations and education and advocacy in support of the UNSDGs. Future research could look at how family businesses align their values, their long-term effects, how they work across generations, how resilient and flexible they are and how they compare to non family businesses when it comes to using AI and brand activism as long-term strategies for sustainability and survival. Originality/value – The authors call for family businesses, governments and stakeholders to take theoretical and practical actions in promoting AI-driven sustainability brand activism aligned with the UNSDGs. It underscores the distinctive role of family businesses in driving sustainability and fostering brand activism through AI in a digital age.

Source: UG
Aid to Africa’s agriculture towards building physical capital: Empirical evidence and implications for post-COVID-19 food insecurity

The formation of physical capital in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in agriculture is imperative to help the continent (1) overcome the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity and (2) still be on track towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of “No poverty” and “Zero hunger” in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using country-level data on 40 SSA countries from 1996 to 2014 and rainfall deviations as an in strument for agricultural official development assistance (ODA) in fixed-effect estimation settings, this paper examines the ‘instantaneous’ impact of agricultural ODA on agricultural fixed capital formation in SSA. The question here is whether aid to agriculture does translate instantaneously to building fixed capital urgently needed to address the effect of any potential crisis on food insecurity. Measuring agricultural fixed capital as fixed investments in farm machinery, dams, industrial buildings for agricultural and agro-processing, fences, ditches, drains, etc., we find that capital formation in SSA agriculture improves instantaneously with agricultural ODA inflows. Second, we find that even though rainfall deviations are associated with agricultural ODA inflows to SSA, institutions particularly those designed to control corruption and strengthen rule of law, do matter for agricultural aid inflows to SSA. These results suggest that agricultural ODA is necessary to accelerate agricultural investments and achieve food security. Our results are robust to sensitivity analysis on the specification of the instantaneous model.

Source: UG
Aid to Africa’s agriculture towards building physical capital: Empirical evidence and implications for post-COVID-19 food insecurity

The formation of physical capital in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in agriculture is imperative to help the continent (1) overcome the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity and (2) still be on track towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of “No poverty” and “Zero hunger” in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using country-level data on 40 SSA countries from 1996 to 2014 and rainfall deviations as an instrument for agricultural official development assistance (ODA) in fixed-effect estimation settings, this paper examines the ‘instantaneous’ impact of agricultural ODA on agricultural fixed capital formation in SSA. The question here is whether aid to agriculture does translate instantaneously to building fixed capital urgently needed to address the effect of any potential crisis on food insecurity. Measuring agricultural fixed capital as fixed investments in farm machinery, dams, industrial buildings for agricultural and agro-processing, fences, ditches, drains, etc., we find that capital formation in SSA agriculture improves instantaneously with agricultural ODA inflows. Second, we find that even though rainfall deviations are associated with agricultural ODA inflows to SSA, institutions particularly those designed to control corruption and strengthen rule of law, do matter for agricultural aid inflows to SSA. These results suggest that agricultural ODA is necessary to accelerate agricultural investments and achieve food security. Our results are robust to sensitivity analysis on the specification of the instantaneous model.

Source: UG
AIDS-related knowledge and behavior among married Kenyan men: A behavioral paradox?

The heterosexual character of HIV/AIDS transmission in sub-Saharan Africa, a context where men are dominant in sexual and reproductive matters, underscores the importance of assessing male behavior in sexual and related health arenas. Despite condom use being the recommended and expected behavioral response to knowledge about the fatal outcome of HIV/AIDS infection, use continues to be extremely low in sub-Saharan Africa. This article explores the relationship between various facets of knowledge about HIV/AIDS and condom use among married Kenyan men. The main finding is one of a significant interaction effect of the recognition that it is impossible to visually identify infected parties and one's perception of self-risk. Although neither is in itself significant, simultaneously recognizing that healthy-looking persons may be infected and perceiving that one is himself not at risk significantly reduces condom use among men. This finding - of an interaction effect - plausibly explains why a perception of self-risk, on its own, does not necessarily translate into safe behavior. After all, those who believe they can identify infected persons may think they are at low risk because they avoid contact with the infected and, in selecting partners they deem free of infection, they may be less inclined to use condoms. This finding has implications for how specific aspects of AIDS-related knowledge are imparted to communities and individuals as well as for our understanding of other health-related behaviors.

Source: UG
Air Pollution in Accra Neighborhoods: Spatial, Socioeconomic, and Temporal Patterns

This study examined the spatial, socioeconomic status (SES), and temporal patterns of ambient air pollution in Accra, Ghana. Over 22 months, integrated and continuous rooftop particulate matter (PM) monitors were placed at a total of 11 residential or roadside monitoring sites in four neighborhoods of varying SES and biomass fuel use. PM concentrations were highest in late December and January, due to dust blown from the Sahara. Excluding this period, annual PM2.5 ranged from 39 to 53μg/m3 at roadside sites and 30 to 70 μg/m3 at residential sites; mean annual PM10 ranged from 80 to 108 μg/m3 at roadside sites and 57 to 106 μg/m3 at residential sites. The low-income and densely populated neighborhood of Jamestown/Ushertown had the single highest residential PM concentration. There was less difference across traffic sites. Daily PM increased at all sites at daybreak, followed by a mid-day peak at some sites, and a more spread-out evening peak at all sites. Average carbon monoxide concentrations at different sites and seasons ranged from 7 to 55 ppm, and were generally lower at residential sites than at traffic sites. The results show that PM in these four neighborhoods is substantially higher than the WHO Air Quality Guidelines and in some cases even higher than the WHO Interim Target 1, with the highest pollution in the poorest neighborhood. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

Source: UG
Airborne volatile organic compounds at an e-waste site in Ghana: Source apportionment, exposure and health risks

Informal e-waste recycling processes emit various air pollutants. While there are a number of pollutants of concern, little information exists on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) releases at e-waste sites. To assess occupational exposures and estimate health risks, we measured VOC levels at the Agbogbloshie e-waste site in Ghana, the largest e-waste site in Africa, by collecting both fixed-site and personal samples for analyzing a wide range of VOCs. A total of 54 VOCs were detected, dominated by aliphatic and aromatic compounds. Mean and median concentrations of the total target VOCs were 46 and 37 μg/m3 at the fixed sites, and 485 and 162 μg/m3 for the personal samples. Mean and median hazard ratios were 2.1 and 1.4, respectively, and cancer risks were 4.6 × 10-4 and 1.5 × 10-4. These risks were predominantly driven by naphthalene and benzene; chloroform and formaldehyde were also high in some samples. Based on the VOC composition, the major sources were industry, fuel evaporation and combustion. The concentration gradient across sites and the similarity of VOC profiles indicated that the e-waste site emissions reached neighboring communities. Our results suggest the need to protect e-waste workers from VOC exposure, and to limit emissions that can expose nearby populations.

Source: UG
Akan Ananse Stories, Yorùbá Ìjàpá Tales, and the Dikenga Theory: Worldview and Structure

s it possible to use endogenous African cosmological, philosophical, theoretical, and conceptual frameworks to analyze indigenous African phenomena? Why should one even try? In this article, it is argued that such analyses are not only possible and plausible, but they are imperative. It is further argued that just such frameworks can add insight to our understanding of the structure of Akan Ananse and Yorùbá Ìjàpá stories and the shared African worldview from which they arise. According to Fu-Kiau, "nothing exists that does not follow the steps of the cyclical Kongo cosmogram " (Fu-Kiau 1994: 26). This bold hypothesis is tested in this study by applying Dikènga, the cosmogram of the Bakôngo, to an oral (and/or written) literary analysis of the structure of Akan and Yorùbá stories. This application is what we term the "Dikènga theory of literary analysis." We find that this theoretical framework can help us shift away from concepts of "storylines" and "timelines" to reveal the patterned and cyclical nature of material and immaterial phenomena and to deepen our understanding of these stories as manifestations of a shared African worldview.

Source: UG
Akan Kasadwini (Akan Oral Literature)

The book is a pioneering work of Akan oral literature written in the Akan language. It gives a theoretical view of oral literature and a detailed account of the major genres of oral literature in Akan. It deals with an introduction to literature and some aspects of stylistics. It ushers students of literature into some of the crucial issues of literature. The book deals with what literature is, and what it can afford to individuals and the society as a whole. It considers literature as an indispensable aspect of any society’s life. It also identifies the main characteristics of literature with specific reference to oral literature. The book treats some of the major terms in literature and supports them with examples. The book has 24 chapters and each chapter’s addresses, performance, composition, structure, functions and literary devices. Each chapter ends with sample questions that will help- students to revise what they have learned from the chapter. The book is in response to the needs of students at the WASSCE, Diploma and Degree levels to the subject matter of oral literature in Akan This book will also help Training College students both in their course work at college and also in their teaching.

Source: UG