ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Groundnut production constraints and farmers’ trait preferences: a pre-breeding study in Togo

Background Groundnut is an important legume crop in Togo. However, groundnut yield has been steadily decreasing for decades as a result of lack of organized breeding program to address production constraints. Though, low yielding varieties and late leaf spot have been often reported as the most important constraints, there is no documented evidence. Identifying and documenting the major production constraints is a prerequisite for establishing a good breeding program with clearly defined priority objectives and breeding strategies. Thus, the objectives of this study were to identify groundnut production constraints and assess farmers’ preferred traits. Methods A participatory rural appraisal approach was used to collect data on agronomic practices, farmers’ preferences, and possible threats to production through individual and group interviews. Three regions and three villages per region were selected based on the representativeness of groundnut production systems. In each village, 20 farmers were randomly selected and interviewed; thus, a total of 180 farmers were interviewed. Content analysis was carried out for qualitative data and for quantitative data generated within and across regions, comparative descriptive statistics were carried out. Differences in perception and preferences were assessed using chi-square tests. Results The study has revealed that, though there were some variation across the regions, traits pertaining to yield such as pod yield (66.66%) and pod size (12.12%) were the most important. Leaf spot diseases, rosette and peanut bud necrosis (37.77%) and insects such as pod sucking bug and bruchid (27.77%) were considered to be the most important constraints limiting groundnut production. Among diseases, farmers in all the three regions indicated that late leaf spot is of economic importance which they associated to various causes such as maturity, drought, or insects. No gender differences were observed for the perception of constraints and groundnut traits preferences. Land size is significantly influenced by age and gender. Besides, farmers have pointed the lack of improved varieties and the unavailability of groundnut seeds highlighting the necessity of a sustainable groundnut seed system linked with a strong breeding program. Conclusion This study has enabled understanding of the farming practices, constraints, and farmers preferred characteristics, thus providing the basis for a participatory breeding program in Togo which should consider that farmers perceive low yielding varieties and diseases as major constraints to production.

Source: UG
Groundnut spread likability, sensory properties, and intent to pay for quality certification

Quality-certified, nutritious novel groundnut spread has great commercialization possibilities due to evolving urban lifestyles in Africa, but lack of information about likability, sensory attributes, and consumer safety awareness is a severe barrier for small enterprises. This paper examines a novel groundnut spread, made of sorted kernels deemed free of aflatoxin, intended for use on bread in a fashion similar to groundnut paste or groundnut butter, but with modified sensory characteristics. In particular, it seeks to measure the effects of sensory attributes of the novel spread on the intent to pay for safety certification and the role of consumer awareness of aflatoxin. A novel spread was prepared with groundnut paste from sorted kernels (to eliminate the risk of aflatoxin contamination) and cocoa. Adults intercepted at Ghana’s International Fair in 2012 volunteered to sample the spread and complete a questionnaire. Results from a tasting panel of untrained participants established that sensory attributes and panellist characteristics are relevant to the intent to pay for quality certification. Spread likability, aroma, education, knowledge about aflatoxin, packaging and being married were identified as major factors increasing the probability of intent to pay for quality certification whereas young age and the presence of children in a household lowered the probability. Results also identified income, education level, and having young children at home as increasing the chances of knowing about aflatoxin. Groundnut paste available in Ghana is often contaminated by aflatoxin as it is in other countries in the region and consumers cannot visually assess paste quality. Under the circumstances, quality certification is necessary

Source: UG
Groundwater availability in the shallow aquifers of the southern voltaian system: A simulation and chemical analysis

A steady state groundwater flow simulation model was developed using available well data and general hydrogeological and geological information, for the Afram Plains area, Ghana. The hydrochemistry of groundwater from wells in the area was then evaluated to determine its suitability for irrigation and domestic uses. The assessment of the irrigation quality of groundwater from this area was based on salinity (EC) and sodium adsorption ratios (SAR), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), and permeability indices (PI). The simulation model reveals that groundwater in the Afram Plains area generally flows from the midsections in the neighborhood of Tease and surrounding areas, where significant recharge takes place, to the outer regions and discharges into the Volta Lake in the southern and eastern sections of the area. Flow magnitude and piezometric maps suggest that there is probably of less potential for groundwater extraction for sustainable irrigation in the central regions of the area, when compared to the other discharge areas. This study reveals that more than 70% of the samples analyzed fall within the C2-S1 category, referring to the medium level salinity and low sodium. Medium salinity waters may be used for irrigation on coarse textured soils with good permeability. About 15% of the data fall within the C3-S2 category, referring to water of high salinity and medium sodicity. High salinity, medium sodicity irrigation water cannot be used on fine-grained soils where drainage is restricted. This is because restricted flow is likely to result in the accumulation of salts in the root zones of crops, leading to salinity and soil clogging crisis. About 3% falls within the C3-S3 (high salinity, high sodicity) category. This category requires special soil management including improved drainage, heavy leaching and the use of chemical amendments on the water. Only one point plots within the extreme salinity-sodicity range. Concentrations of fluoride, arsenic and other natural elements in the area generally fall well within the world health standards for domestic water. © 2007 Springer-Verlag.

Source: UG
Groundwater classification using multivariate statistical methods: Southern Ghana

This study demonstrates the strength of R-mode factor analysis and Q-mode hierarchical cluster analysis in determining spatial groundwater salinity groups in southeastern Ghana. Three hundred and eighty three (383) groundwater samples were taken from six hydrogeological terrains and surface water bodies and analyzed for the concentrations of the major ions, electrical conductivity and pH. Q-mode hierarchical cluster analysis and R-mode factor analysis were respectively used to spatially classify groundwater samples and determine the probable sources of variation in groundwater salinity. The quality of groundwater for irrigation was then determined using three major indices. The analyses revealed two major sources of variation in groundwater salinity: silicate mineral weathering on one hand, and seawater intrusion and anthropogenic contamination on the other. A plot of the factor scores for the two major sources of variation in the salinity revealed trends which can be used in hydrogeological mapping and assist in drilling potable water boreholes in southeastern Ghana. This study also revealed four major spatial groundwater groups: low salinity, acidic groundwaters which are mainly derived from the Birimian and Togo Series aquifers; low salinity, moderate to neutral pH groundwaters which draw membership mainly from samples of the Voltaian, Buem and Cape Coast granitoids; very high salinity waters which are not suitable for most domestic and irrigation purposes and are mainly from the Keta Basin aquifers; and intermediate salinity groundwaters consisting of groundwater from the Keta basin aquifers with minor contributions from the other major terrains. The major water type identified in this study is the Ca-Mg-HCO3 type, which degrades into predominantly Na-Cl-SO4 more saline groundwaters towards the coast. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd.

Source: UG
Groundwater Evolution in the Voltaian Basin, Ghana – An application of multivariate statistical analyses to hydrochemical data

Multivariate statistical methods were applied to hydrochemical data obtained from various field sampling campaigns in order to highlight the major groundwater types and the evolution of groundwater from recharge areas to discharge areas in the groundwater flow regime. Q-mode hierarchical cluster analysis distinguished four major hydrochemical types: Ca-HCO low salinity fresh groundwater in the south of the basin, through Na-HCO3 fresh low to intermediate salinity groundwater types, to saline-brackish Na-Cl groundwater types in the north of the basin. The concentrations of the major hydrochemical parameters also increase from south to north, suggesting that groundwater evolves from apparent recharge areas in the south to saline-brackish Na-Cl groundwater types in the north. On the basis of the observed variation in the hydrochemical data, this study hypothesizes that the southern parts of the basin are the major recharge areas in the basin, whereas the northern sections are discharge locations in the groundwater flow regime. R-mode factor analysis was then applied to the data to differentiate the various factors responsible for the observed hydrochemical variations. Four factors were distinguished: dissolution of chlorides of the major ions, silicate mineral weathering and organic matter oxidation, dissolution of kieserite group of minerals, and anthropogenic contamination. Of all these factors, silicate mineral weathering is the most pervasive throughout the study area. This is apparently due to the presence of silicate minerals almost everywhere in the terrain. This analysis was determined by means of factor scores computed from the factor loadings and the standardized dataset through regression. The resulting refined factor scores were then interpolated by ordinary kriging. The dissolution of the chlorides and kieserite group of minerals are limited to locations where such minerals are present in the lithology. Anthropogenic contamination of the aquifers occurs almost everywhere within the basin but the effects are generally low.

Source: UG
Groundwater evolution in the Voltaian Basin, Ghana —an application of multivariate statistical analyses to hydrochemical data

Multivariate statistical methods were applied to hydrochemical data obtained from various field sampling campaigns in order to highlight the major groundwater types and the evolution of groundwater from recharge areas to discharge areas in the groundwater flow regime. Q-mode hierarchical cluster analysis distinguished four major hydrochemical types: Ca-HCO3 low salin-ity fresh groundwater in the south of the basin, through Na-HCO3 fresh low to intermediate sa-linity groundwater types, to saline-brackish Na- Cl groundwater types in the north of the basin. The concentrations of the major hydrochemical parameters also increase from south to north, suggesting that groundwater evolves from ap-parent recharge areas in the south to saline- brackish Na-Cl groundwater types in the north. On the basis of the observed variation in the hydrochemical data, this study hypothesizes that the southern parts of the basin are the ma-jor recharge areas in the basin, whereas the northern sections are discharge locations in the groundwater flow regime. R-mode factor analy-sis was then applied to the data to differentiate the various factors responsible for the observed hydrochemical variations. Four factors were distinguished: dissolution of chlorides of the major ions, silicate mineral weathering and or-ganic matter oxidation, dissolution of kieserite group of minerals, and anthropogenic conta- mination. Of all these factors, silicate mineral weathering is the most pervasive throughout the study area. This is apparently due to the presence of silicate minerals almost everywhere in the terrain. This analysis was determined by means of factor scores computed from the factor loadings and the standardized dataset through regression. The resulting refined factor scores were then interpolated by ordinary kriging. The dissolution of the chlorides and kieserite group of minerals are limited to locations where such minerals are present in the lithology. Anthro-pogenic contamination of the aquifers occurs almost everywhere within the basin but the ef-fects are generally low.

Source: UG
Groundwater flow modeling and particle tracking for chemical transport in the southern Voltaian aquifers

Groundwater is the major source of water supply for most uses in the rural settlements in Ghana. A groundwater flow model was calibrated for some aquifers of the southern Voltaian sedimentary system under steady-state conditions. The objective was to determine estimates of the hydraulic conductivities of the different hydrostratigraphic units of the southern Voltaian, and the distribution of recharge from precipitation. Data on the stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen from the study area suggest that groundwater recharge in the area is from rainfall. The calibrated steady-state model suggests that aquifer hydraulic conductivities in the study area range from 1.19 to 6.3 m/day. Hydrostratigraphic unit specific hydraulic conductivities are discussed. The calibrated recharge ranges from 3. 81e-05 m/day to 6. 0e-04 m/day, which represents 0.9-6% of the precipitation in the form of rainfall. Six distinct flowpaths have been defined using particle tracking. The particle tracking simulation suggests travel times in the range of 380 to 5,199 years from recharge areas to discharge areas along the flowpaths identified. A contaminant dropped at the recharge areas in the central sections of the model area would travel at these rates along the flowpaths, assuming that advection is the dominant transport process. Inverse geochemical modeling indicates the dissolution of albite, K-feldspars and anorthite, respectively, along flowpaths I and IV. The inverse modeling along flowpaths I and IV suggest the dissolution of albite, K-feldspar and anorthite, respectively, at 1.085e-06, 3.16e-08 and 3.168e-07 mmol/year. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.

Source: UG
Groundwater flow modeling in the Akyem area, Southeastern, Ghana

Hydrogeological information from previous work and detailed geophysical analysis were used with a steady state groundwater flow simulation model to describe the hydrogeological conditions of aquifers in the Akyem area, southeastern Ghana. This series of investigations indicates that the groundwater resources of aquifers in this area are based on the intensity of secondary permeability resulting from weathering and fracturing. Aquifer transmissivity varies from 2.13 to 18 m2/day with an average of 7.67 m 2/day, and relates strongly with specific capacity after twelve hours of pumping. Well yield correlates poorly with depth, which suggests that the water bearing structures are discrete entities which are not evenly distributed with depth. The flow simulation model reveals local, intermediate and regional flow systems. Groundwater contours follow the pattern of the topography, and range from 130 m to 180 m above sea level. There is a general flow from NE to SW. However, due to the heterogeneity of the aquifers and their dependence on secondary permeability, such as fractures and quartz veins among others, for groundwater storage and transmission, there are many barriers to continuous groundwater flow laterally as well as with depth and this is clearly displayed in the flow simulation model. The distribution of the hydraulic heads in the area, however, indicates significant opportunities for groundwater extraction for various uses.

Source: UG
Groundwater quality evaluation for productive uses - The afram plains area, Ghana

Groundwater is the most widely used water resource in the Afram Plains area, Ghana. The objective of this study was to determine the distribution of fluoride, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and salinity (EC) in groundwater from the different aquifers in the Afram Plains area. The distribution of these parameters would enable a determination of the quality of groundwater from the different aquifer units for use in households and irrigation purposes. The inverse distance weighting, interpolator with a power of 2 was applied to 143 data points of each parameter to generate prediction maps for fluoride, SAR, and EC in the area. The distribution maps from this study show that the shale aquifers that underlie the southwestern sections of the area have the highest levels of fluoride, SAR, and EC. A narrow strip of the shale aquifer in the southwestern region produces groundwater whose fluoride level (2.2 mg/L) is higher than the World Health Organization minimum allowable fluoride concentration of 1.5 mg/L in drinking water. The feldsparthic sandstone, arkose, siltstone, and mudstone aquifers in the northeastern sections of the area produce groundwater with fluoride concentration in the range of 0.0-0.3 mg/L, which fall outside the minimum range of 0.7-1.2 mg/L required in drinking water for normal bone and dental health. The highest SAR and EC are also associated with the shale aquifers to the southwestern section of the area. Using the World Food and Agriculture Organization's guidelines for irrigation water quality, it was determined that groundwater from the Afram Plains area will generally have a mild to moderate effect on the hydraulic properties of soils when used as irrigation water. © 2008 ASCE.

Source: UG
Groundwater quality in some Voltaian and Birimian aquifers in northern Ghana—application of mulitvariate statistical methods and geographic information systems

Groundwater is a priceless resource in the economies of the rural populations in northern Ghana. A combination of multivariate statistical and spatial analytical techniques was applied to groundwater data from the Voltaian and Birimian aquifers in parts of northern Ghana. The objective was to classify the groundwater quality control parameters and determine whether the aquifers deliver groundwater of acceptable quality for domestic and commercial irrigation purposes. It was found that groundwater quality is dominated by the weathering of accessory minerals that are predominant in the Obosum and Oti beds of the Middle Voltaian in the north, and incongruent silicate mineral weathering ranks second among the major causes of variation. The two processes account for over 70% of the total variance in the hydrochemistry and interpolation maps generated for these two major factors are discussed. The mineral weathering and dissolution processes are less apparent within the Birimian aquifers. Four spatial groundwater types were distinguished by differences in EC and pH, which are high among the water types within the Obosum and Oti beds, and generally low within the Birimian aquifers. Mineral stability diagrams suggest that montmorillonite is the most stable clay mineral phase in the system, a significant finding in terms of cation exchange processes. This, in turn, has affected the irrigation quality of groundwater from the aquifers in the area. Our findings suggest that the Birimian aquifers are more suitable for irrigation, due to generally low salinities and sodicities, and those associated with the Obosum and Oti beds of the Middle Voltaian are less suitable. © 2012 Copyright 2012 IAHS Press.

Source: UG
Groundwater–lakewater interactions: an evaluation of the impacts of climate change and increased abstractions on groundwater contribution to the Volta Lake, Ghana

A 3D steady state groundwater flow model has been calibrated for the Afram Plains portion of the Southern Voltaian Sedimentary Basin. The model was based on data of hydraulic parameters of the aquifer in the area, and regional groundwater recharge estimates conducted by various researchers using a variety of methods. Model calibration was conducted using hydraulic head data of 43 boreholes in the area. Although the groundwater system in the area appears to receive some amount of recharge from the Volta Lake, the net groundwater outflow into the lake currently outstrips the volumes received from the Lake. The net effect, as suggested by the calibrated model is that groundwater outflows into the Volta Lake amount to approximately 465 m 3 /day (169,725 m 3 /year). However, with increasing groundwater abstractions at a rate of 2.5%, consistent with annual population projections, a reversal of flow is predicted by 2030 if groundwater recharge remains at the 2015 rates. This would lead to a net lake discharge of approximately 9755 m 3 /day into the aquifer system to sustain abstraction rates by 2050. This is predicted to increase further if there is a reduction in groundwater recharge as suggested by regional hydroclimatological data. A 25% reduction in groundwater recharge rate by 2050 will induce a net lake discharge of approximately 11,000 m 3 /day into the aquifer system to sustain abstractions for domestic consumption. Lateral outward/environmental flows will reduce from 5200 m 3 /day to 2700 m 3 /day under the 2015 recharge conditions, and 1300 m 3 /day under conditions of reduced recharge by 2050. Groundwater in the area does not appear to hold promise for commercial abstraction for irrigation purposes, especially under climate change conditions. © 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

Source: UG
Group lending with covariate risk

Group-based lending with joint liability has been a major tool microfinance institutions (‘‘MFIs’’) have employed to improve lending feasibility. The related theoretical literature typically assumes borrowers face independent risk. This paper examines how covariate risk affects the usefulness of joint liability lending in the hidden-information setting of Stiglitz and Weiss (1981) and Ghatak (2000). In a benchmark setting where all agents face the same degree of covariate risk, greater correlation renders group lending less effective; this is because the effective rate of joint liability is reduced when borrowers are more likely to fail together. We focus on a setting where extensive and intensive margins are distinguished: some agents face independent risk while others face correlated risk. We find that an intermediate prevalence of correlated risk can lead to lower outreach than both a low and a high prevalence. Thus, reaching a market with mixed covariate risk profiles, e.g. farmers and micro-entrepreneurs, can be harder than reaching markets with a single profile of either kind. Assuming limited ability of lenders to use information on borrower correlation, we find that higher outreach is often achievable by separately servicing correlated and non-correlated borrowers. This can help explain the existence of specialized institutions such as agricultural banks versus standard microenterprise-focused MFIs.

Source: UG