Recently, we submitted a paper to the Nutrition Journal on the current and potential role of grain legumes on protein (both quantity and quality) and micronutrient adequacy of the diet of rural Ghanaian infants and young children.

In my last update, I presented portion of my second paper published in Field Crops Research (https://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S037842901730727X).

Grain legume residues (GLRs) are among the main feed resources used by livestock producers in northern Ghana, especially during the dry season. GLRs are preferred to cereal residues as livestock feed because of their relatively higher nutrient levels. They are extensively used among major livestock production chain actors such as smallholder farmers, fatteners and trader. Opportunities for increasing livestock production and trade in northern Ghana strongly depend on the availability and accessibility of feed resources, such as the supply of GLRs by farmers.

Studies on adoption of new products, services and technologies by smallholders mainly look into barriers affecting adoption and application of Rogers’ innovation adoption theory (Rogers, 1983). Following the case study research methodology, I studied qualitatively the interaction between adoption barriers and smallholders’ perceptions to develop a detailed understanding on how different barriers have an impact on different adoption perceptions following Rogers’ adoption theory and thereby know smallholders’ decision to adopt.

Introduction

The trials conducted in 2016 were repeated in 2017 to determine the effects of phosphorus fertilizer application and rhizobial inoculation on photosynthetic efficiency, nodulation, growth and productivity of three cowpea varieties and secondly to evaluate the performance of some  varieties of cowpea in cowpea-cowpea sequential cropping system on three farmers’ fields in Minna, southern Guinea savanna of Nigeria.  

 The promiscuity ability of cowpea enables it to form nitrogen-fixing root nodules with diverse symbiotic bacteria. It is mainly nodulated by slow-growing bacteria which constitute heterogeneous group of rhizobia called “cowpea miscellany” belonging to the genus Bradyrhizobium.

The urgent and continuing need for capacity building to develop the next generation of agricultural experts working across the food system is often highlighted as a major priority in high-level policy documents. N2Africa has contributed to capacity development at all levels from smallholder farmers across the value chains and broader agricultural and food system. This is an area that we will be studying in our ongoing impact evaluations. In this Podcaster we have an annual update from the PhD candidates working within N2Africa.

I examined the impact of improved cowpea technology on  women farmers which was introduced by the Promoting Sustainable Agriculture in Borno State, (PROSAB), project  which was implemented from 2004 to 2009 in Southern Part of Borno State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to identify the changes in income as a result of using improved cowpea varieties by the respondents, analyze the impact of the improved technology on the food security status of the respondents and identify the constraints associated with the use of improved cowpea varieties.