ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Production and characterization of coconut shell charcoal-based bio-briquettes as an alternative energy source for rural communities

The increasing demand for sustainable energy solutions has driven interest in the utilization of agricultural residues, such as coconut shells, for bio-briquette production. This study investigates the impact of binder types (cassava and corn) and concentrations (5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%) on the properties of bio-briquettes made from dried coconut shells with two particle sizes (40 mesh and 60 mesh). The experimental evaluation focuses on several performance indicators, including density, shatter index, percentage moisture content (PMC), percentage volatile matter (PVM), percentage ash content (PAC), percentage fixed carbon (PFC), higher heating value (HHV), ignition time, burning time, and boiling time. The results indicate that briquettes with 10 % fine charcoal cassava binder achieved the highest density of 0.764 g/cm3 due to improved compaction. Briquettes with 15 % coarse charcoal corn binder demonstrated the highest shatter resistance at 96.99 %, reflecting their superior structural integrity. The highest PMC and PVM values were observed in briquettes with 15 % coarse charcoal cassava binder, at 8.13 % and 31.25 %, respectively. Conversely, the highest PAC was 16.34 % for 5 % coarse charcoal cassava binder. Briquettes with 10 % fine charcoal corn binder exhibited the highest PFC of 70.79 % and HHV of 31.51 MJ/kg. Boiling times ranged from 15 min 53 s to 36 min 35 s, with the shortest boiling time for briquettes with 10 % fine charcoal corn binder. The findings highlight the superior mechanical properties and energy performance of bio-briquettes with specific binder concentrations and particle sizes. This study demonstrates the potential of coconut shell bio-briquettes as a viable and sustainable energy source, offering economic and environmental benefits through the effective utilization of agricultural waste and reduction of carbon emissions.

Source: UG
Production and characterization of titanium doped electrolytic manganese dioxide for use in rechargeable alkaline zinc/manganese dioxide batteries

A preliminary screening test of some organo-titanium compounds was conducted. The aim was to find their chemical stability in the electrolyte used for manganese dioxide production. Titanium doped electrolytic manganese dioxide (Ti-EMD) samples were prepared using suitable organo-titanium compounds and a special fine-grained titanium dioxide. The Ti-EMD samples were characterized by conducting physical, chemical and electrochemical tests on them. Physical tests included: X-ray diffraction analysis and BET surface area determination. Chemical test conducted was the determination of titanium content of samples. The electrochemical characterization involved: cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic discharge and application of sample in real cell situations. Doped samples performed well in comparison with TOSOH-Hellas GH-S (commercial battery grade electrolytic manganese dioxide).

Source: UG
Production and Quality Characteristics of Starter Culture Fermented Aliha, a Maize-Based Indigenous Fermented Beverage

Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms that are used as starter cultures to improve the safety, sensory qualities, and nutritional properties of the final products. Therefore, this study was designed to use selected lactic acid bacteria (LABs) and yeast strains isolated from spontaneously fermented Aliha to improve the quality of the final Aliha. Four LAB strains (Limosilactobacillus fermentum Cm1-24-L1a, Limosilactobacillus fermentum UL, Limosilactobacillus fermentum TCD45.2, and Limosilactobacillus fermentum NBRC 15885) and two yeast strains (Pichia kudriavzevii CY902 and Pichia kudriavzevii CBS 5147 18) were sourced and used to ferment corn malts into probiotic Aliha. The pH, acidity, growth rates, hygiene conditions, nutritional qualities, and sensory properties were determined. The results revealed that strain NBRC 15885 recorded the lowest pH value (2.67) and the highest acid values of 0.71% after 24h of fermentation. While strain CBS 5147 18 recorded the highest viability rate (4.30 log CFU/mL) after 24h of fermentation, Aliha fermented by strain UL recorded the second lowest indicator counts for aerobic plate count (APC), Enterobacteriaceae, and fungi, making it the safest. The most nutritious (carbohydrates, crude fibre, proteins, potassium, calcium, and magnesium) Aliha was produced by strains NBRC 15885 and TCD45.2 and the least by strain CY902. However, Aliha fermented by strain UL was highly accepted by the assessors as it recorded the highest values of appearance (4.56), color (4.39), taste (4.63), and overall acceptability (4.99). Hence, the use of defined starter cultures has improved the quality parameters of the beverages produced and therefore must be recommended to the local producers for safer and better Aliha production.

Source: UG
Production and sensory characteristics of flavoured soymilk samples

The sensory quality characteristics of four flavoured soymilk samples including vanilla, banana, coffee and chocolate were evaluated at varying concentrations of the flavour. This was done to establish the most acceptable flavour and desired concentration for commercial production of soymilk and also to facilitate increased consumption of soymilk for improved nutrition. Hot extraction of the milk from blanched soybeans was achieved by blending in hot water and sieving through muslin cloth. Different concentration levels of the flavours being assessed, namely chocolate, coffee, vanilla and banana, were added. Consumer preference for the various samples was assessed using a nine-point hedonic scale. Addition of flavours was found to improve the sensory characteristics and consumer preference of soymilk. Colour, taste, aroma, mouthfeel and hence overall acceptability of the soymilk samples were improved significantly by the addition of vanilla, banana, coffee and chocolate flavours. The maximum concentrations of the individual flavours for optimal sensory impact were established. Based on the results, the following flavour concentrations are recommended per 100 ml of soymilk: 0.03% vanilla, 0.01% banana, 1.5% coffee and 4% chocolate. © 2003 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Source: UG
Production and storage of N-enriched co-compost

Recovery of the organic fraction of municipals waste for peri-urban could contribute to the improvement of environmental sanitation and increase agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, municipal waster co-compost (Co) has how nitrogen. Therefore, this study investigated the type of form of inorganic N fertilizer of this N-enriched product under storage. To attain 30,000 mg kg-1(3%) N content, different amounts of urea or ammonium sulphate were applied in various forms (dry paste and liquid) to enrich Co. The production termed colizer was stored and its moisture, pH total nitrogen, NH4-N2N1-N1 and C/N ratio were monitored under ambient conditions for two years. In the first four months of storage, total N content of 50kg Co + 3.26kg, urea (CoUI) increased from 31.333 to 54,000 mg kg-1 and 50 kg Co +7.14kg (HH4)2 SO4 (CoASD) from 35.333 to 52,000 mg kg-1. At the end of two year of storage, the initial N content of CoUD and CoASD decreased by 4% and 24% respectively. Based on these results, is recommended that dry (NH4)2SO4 should be used in N enrichment of Co and that the comlizer should be stored in seated bags but not more than four months.

Source: UG
A PRODUCTION FUNCTION ANALYSIS OF POND AQUACULTURE IN SOUTHERN GHANA

Aquaculture is considered an alternative to making up the shortfall in supply of fish in Ghana. The Cobb-Douglas production function, which relates production output to several independent input variables, was used to determine the inputs that affect productivity. A survey was conducted on pond farmers selected from four regions of Ghana. Empirical results show stocking rate as the most significant input that affected production. Aquaculture exhibited increasing returns to scale over the period of the study, meaning an increase in inputs will more than proportionately increase the output. Estimates of the marginal physical productivity of the inputs indicated stocking rate should be increased while decreasing feed and labor use in order to increase productivity. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Source: UG
Production of Indigenous Food Crops: Implications for Children’s Nutritional Status of Farm Households in Northern Ghana

This paper examines the effect of indigenous food crops on the nutrition security outcomes of children in farm households. Using a standard treatment effect model, data on children under 5 years of age from 250 farm households in selected rural districts of northern Ghana were analysed. A multistage sampling procedure was used. Descriptive statistics show high rates of child wasting (16.7%), stunting (29.8%) and underweight (25.2%), but suggest better nutritional status for children in indigenous food crops producer households than those in non-producer households. Children in producer households have higher height-for-age; weight-for-height and weight for-age z-scores than children in non-producer households. The findings suggest that, children in non-producer households are more at risk of being stunted, wasted and underweight than those in producer households. Exploring the empirical link between the production of indigenous food crops and the nutrition status of children in northern Ghana extends the literature on nutrition and crop production.

Source: UG
Production of Kudzu Starch Gels with Superior Mechanical and Rheological Properties through Submerged Ethanol Exposure and Implications for In Vitro Digestion

Producing starch gels with superior mechanical attributes remains a challenging pursuit. This research sought to develop a simple method using ethanol exposure to produce robust starch gels. The gels’ mechanical properties, rheology, structural characteristics, and digestion were assessed through textural, rheological, structural, and in vitro digestion analyses. Our investigation revealed an improvement in the gel’s strength from 62.22 to 178.82 g. The thermal transitions were accelerated when ethanol was elevated. The exposure to ethanol resulted in a reduction in syneresis from 11% to 9.5% over a period of 6 hours, with noticeable changes in size and color. Rheologically, the dominating storage modulus and tan delta (<0.55) emphasized the gel’s improved elasticity. X-ray analysis showed stable B- and V-type patterns after ethanol exposure, with relative crystallinity increasing to 7.9%. Digestibility revealed an ethanol-induced resistance, with resistant starch increasing from 1.87 to 8.73%. In general, exposure to ethanol played a crucial role in enhancing the mechanical characteristics of kudzu starch gels while simultaneously preserving higher levels of resistant starch fractions. These findings have wide-ranging implications in the fields of confectioneries, desserts, beverages, and pharmaceuticals, underscoring the extensive academic and industrial importance of this study

Source: UG
Production Risk And Technical Efficiency Of Dry Season Vegetable Farmers In The Upper East Region Of Ghana.

The Ghanaian population is aware of the increasing health challenges in our health facili ties and the need to consume more vegetables to improve their health status. This, cou pled with population growth and changing consumer patterns has led to an increasing demand for vegetable products in Ghana. Smallholder farmers in the country have thus intensified the production of vegetables during the dry season to meet consumers’ demand and to generate income. However, their outputs have been lower than the country’s potential, so the research was conducted to identify the causes and determinants of the low yields. A total of 322 dry-season vegetable farmers in seven (7) districts in twenty four (24) communities were selected from the Upper East Region of Ghana using a purpo sive random sampling technique. The Kumbhakar model was employed to compute the production risk, technical inefficiency and determinants of vegetable production in the region. The study reveals that the input variables: labour, seed, fertilizer, agrochemical and irrigation costs positively are related to the output value of vegetables with an increas ing return to scale. In addition, labour, seed and agrochemical costs show a significant production risk-decreasing effect while the risk of vegetable production is reduced with fertilizer and irrigation costs. The study further depicts that extension visits, experience, water pumps and gravity-fed irrigation systems positively affect the technical efficiency of dry-season vegetable production. Again, given the current state of technology and resources available to the farmers, enhancing the vegetable outputs could be achieved by reducing the technical inefficiencies by 27% while considering the effects of production risk. The study concludes that the farmers can improve the output of the vegetable farms for higher income by adopting the best vegetable production practices such as efficient water-saving irrigation technologies and fertilizer usage while adopting the knowledge from the extension training to improve their technical efficiency.

Source: UG
Production risk and technical efficiency of fish farms in Ghana

This paper adopts the stochastic frontier model with flexible risk to analyze production risk, technical efficiency and its determinants of fish farms in four regions of Ghana including Greater Accra, Volta, Western and Ashanti regions. The study employs a two year panel data from 320 farms making a total of 640 observation through a random selection. The findings demonstrates that the translog model is best fit for the mean output function, whilst the input variables: hired labour, family labour, fingerlings, feed and other cost are identified to positively influence fish farm output at an increasing returns to scale. The paper also finds that feed and other cost are risk increasing inputs, whilst hired labour, family labour and fingerlings are identified to be risk decreasing inputs. The estimated average technical efficiency score of 0.74 shows that efficiency is compromised when the production technology is modeled without the flexible risk property which gave a score of 0.87. Additionally, the results show that age2, experience, pond area, gender, pond type and fish farming education significantly influence technical efficiency of farmers. This paper also highlights that technical efficiency of fish farms in the study area improved over time. In conclusion, the paper notes that on the average, 26% of potential output is lost due to technical inefficiency and production risk and given the present state of technology and input level, the possibility of enhancing production can be achieved by reducing technical inefficiency by 26% through adoption of practices of the best fish farm, whilst taking production risk into consideration. © 2018

Source: UG
Productivity and constraints analysis of commercial tilapia farms in Ghana

This study examined the factors affecting productivity and constraints of commercial tilapia farms in the Dangme West District of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Primary data was obtained from 41 tilapia farms using multistage sampling. The data was then analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis, and the agreements within ranked constraints was assessed. The empirical results revealed that the tilapia farmers in the three towns from which the data were collected, namely Achavanya, Kajanya and Dormeliam, produced a mean output of 74 kg per cage (6 m 6 m 3 m) as a productivity measure. Productivity of the cage farms were found to be positively affected by quantity of seed, feed and education level of managers; and negatively affected by cage size, labour and year of experience. Furthermore, the major constraints identified were high cost of inputs, lack of access to feed and credits and in adequate extension services and stealing of fish. The study suggests the need for supporting policies on inputs such as fingerlings and feed, and also providing education i.e. training to tilapia farmers. Efforts should also be made by financial institutions and NGOs to make credit easily available and accessible to commercial fish farmers so that they could cope with high cost of inputs. © 2016 Kasetsart University. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/ 4.0/).

Source: UG
The Productivity and Management of Ghanaian Soils

Over decades we have longed for a book that related the scientific principles of soils to the Ghanaian context. Most of the textbooks were written by foreign authors with little or no data on soils from Ghana. Our reading and understanding about soils were abstract. This book fills this great vacuum with data from the soils in Ghana. The book will enhance the capacity in solving the peculiar problems of soils in our ecological zones. The book takes the reader not only through the knowledge of soils but also the related edaphic properties which directly or indirectly impact soil productivity

Source: UG
Productivity impact of improved maize varieties in the Eastern Region of Ghana

Traditional varieties of maize yields attained by farmersin Ghana are still far below the potential of the new varieties. This raises questions about the technical superiority of the new varieties over the traditional ones and whether the new varieties are being adopted in cultivation. The paper attempts to estimate the efficiencies of the improved varieties to the traditional ones with yield functions and factor payments. Determinants of adoption of new varieties and fertilizer are also assessed with binomial logit models. The results reveal that the plots planted with the traditional varieties have lower residual payments to fixed inputs than the new varieties, mainly due to low yields. It is evident from the results that only the third generation improved varieties have a higher technical efficiency than the traditional ones. Subsistence farmers, tenant farmers, and those in the forest zone are less likely to adopt the improved varieties and fertilizers. However, the study suggests that the performance of improved varieties can be enhanced with higher seed and fertilizer application rates.

Source: UG
Productivity of pigeonpea genotypes as influenced by palm bunch ash and NPK fertiliser application and their residual effects on maize yield

A field study was undertaken in the semi-deciduous forest agro-ecological zone of Ghana to assess the impact of palm bunch ash (PBA) and phosphorus and potassium (PK) fertiliser application on yield and key agronomic traits of three early maturing pigeonpea genotypes (ICPL 87091, ICPL 88034 and ICPL 88039), their residual effect on soil chemical properties and a succeeding maize crop grown in rotation. The results indicated that neither the genotype nor fertilisation had any significant effects on the grain yield of the pigeonpea genotypes. The total dry matter yield was significantly influenced by both genotype and fertilisation with the genotype ICPL 88034 significantly producing the highest dry matter (7.29 t ha−1) while ICPL 88039 produced the lowest dry matter (4.95 t ha−1). The PBA-treated plots produced significant dry matter yield compared with the control. Application of PBA also increased the pH of the experimental field from 5.19 to 5.82, 40 weeks after application with increase in available P and exchangeable cations (K, Ca and Mg) content of the soils. Yield of maize planted on pigeonpea plots previously fertilised with PBA was increased by 25% relative to yield of maize planted to pigeonpea on control plots. The study suggests that in the oil palm growing areas in Ghana where soils are acidic, PBA which are found in abundance could be used as a liming material and as organic fertiliser supplement to improve the yield of staple food crops.

Source: UG
Professional development among in-service teachers: motivational factors, pathways and coping strategies

While research indicates that teachers’ continuing professional development (TCPD) is highly significant for the successful implementation of effective classroom instruction, few research studies to date have explored the role of TCPD in Ghana. This paper aims to map the pathways of TCPD for in-service teachers in Ghana while exploring the motivations and coping strategies of these adult learners. The study employs a cross-sectional survey design in which 45 students enrolled in an MA Education programme were trained to collect data from 352 in-service teachers in 310 schools using a semi-structured questionnaire as the data collection instrument. The data from the study were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results from the study show that subject matter, knowledge of curriculum, and assessment knowledge were the three most important factors behind the teachers’ motivation to participate in CPD. Moreover, the analysis of the coping strategies of the in-service teachers suggests that there was little or no institutional support for them. In addition to this, despite the significant role mentorship plays in ensuring effective teaching and learning, the overwhelming majority of the teachers saw mentoring and exchange programmes as one of the least important forms of CPD opportunities available. Recommendations from the study indicate that teachers’ professional autonomy and the disparity between the professional values and skills demanded in 21st-century education cannot be under-estimated and that more research is required on how to design CPD programmes that will provide Ghanaian in-service teachers with the creative and innovative skills they require.

Source: UG
Professional development in private university libraries in Ghana

Purpose There has been a significant change in the provision of library services due to the application of technology to every aspect of library services. This has posed a major challenge to library staff as they need to be abreast with current technologies and their application to library services. One means by which a librarian can overcome this challenge is through professional development (PD) programs. The purpose of this paper is to determine PD opportunities in private university libraries in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey of 61 staff and interviews with 20 heads of libraries was conducted to collect data from 25 private universities in Ghana. Findings The study revealed that not all library staff in the private universities were allowed to attend PD programs. None of the private universities studied had a policy on PD and only three institutions made budgetary allocation to PD programs. Majority of the private universities did not have in-house PD programs and there were no means of knowledge sharing in most of the libraries studied. Originality/value In this paper, the researchers identified the major challenges encountered by library staff in private universities in Ghana and propose that librarians should see PD as a part of their own responsibility while, libraries should have a PD policy and make budgetary allocation toward PD.

Source: UG