Crops and farmers' response to application of fecal sludge derived - Fortifer™ in different agro-ecological zones in Ghana.

Fecal sludge (FS)-derived fertilizer material, Fortifer™ was used in farmers' field to cultivate different crops under varying soil and agro-climatic conditions in Ghana. The aim was to (1) create awareness among smallholder farmers for widespread use of Fortifer™ (2) observe the response of crops to Fortifer™ application by farmers in different agro-ecological zones (3) obtain farmers feedback on the FS-derived product to enhance further dissemination across the country. In total 95 farmers in six locations participated in the farmer-led pilots. Fortifer™ containing up to 3.0% nitrogen, 3.6% phosphorus, 1.3% potassium and 44.3% organic matter was applied to tomato, rice, maize and pepper in comparison to inorganic fertilizers at recommended rates. Subsequently, farmers' perception of, and willingness to use the product were studied. Crop yield was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) in the Fortifer™ plots compared to the inorganic fertilizer plots for all the selected crops. Yield was 12% higher for tomato, 27% for rice and maize and 30% for pepper under the Fortifer™ plots. Farmers indicated that, nutrient content was the most important factor they consider when making fertilizer purchasing decision.

Bridging old and new: diversity and evaluation of high iron-associated stress response of rice cultivated in West Africa.

Adoption of rice varieties that perform well under high iron-associated (HIA) stress environments can enhance rice production in West Africa. This study reports the genetic characterization of 323 rice accessions and breeding lines cultivated in West Africa using genotyping-by-sequencing and their phenotypic response to HIA treatments in hydroponic solution (1500 mg l-1 FeSO4·7H2O) and hot-spot fields. The germplasm consisted of four genetic subpopulations: Oryza glaberrima (14%), O. sativa-japonica (7%), O. sativa-indica Group 1 (45%), and O. sativa-indica Group 2 (25%). Severe versus mild stress in the field was associated with a reduced SPAD value (12%), biomass (56%), and grain yield (57%), with leaf bronzing explaining 30% and 21% of the variation for biomass and grain yield, respectively. Association mapping using 175 indica genotypes identified 23 significant single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers that mapped to 14 genomic regions. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) signals associated with leaf bronzing, a routinely used indicator of HIA stress, differed in hydroponic compared with field conditions. Contrastingly, six significant SNPs on chromosomes 8 and 9 were associated with the SPAD value under HIA stress in both field and hydroponic experiments, and a candidate potassium transporter gene mapped under the peak on chromosome 8. This study helps define criteria for assessing rice performance under HIA environments.

Storage duration and temperature affect pathogen load, heavy metals, and nutrient levels in faecal derived fertiliser.

There are debates regarding the safety of faecal derived fertiliser (FDF) due to notions that harmful substances may persist at undetectable levels. A major concern is the recolonisation of indigenous pathogens and nutrient changes while undergoing storage. Abiotic factors such as duration and temperature on indigenous pathogen re-growth and nutrient during FDF storage have received little research attention. In this study, we assess the effect of varying storage temperature conditions and duration on indigenous E. coli re-growth and NPK changes of different FDF (enriched co-compost, NECo and co-compost, Co) during storage. A 2 × 3 × 6 factorial design was used with factors: fertiliser, temperature, and duration. The factorial had 36 experimental conditions in a completely randomised design with three replications. FDF samples were collected monthly for 6 months and analysed for pH, EC, organic carbon, N, NH4-N, NO3-N, P, K, E. coli, and total coliform. Findings show storage temperature and duration did not affect indigenous E. coli re-growth and total N in stored NECo and Co. However, NH4-N concentrations of NECo decreased between 27% and 55% with increasing duration of storage at lower temperatures (5°C and 25°C). The significance of this study for the FDF industry is that it is safe after storage and longer storage do not necessarily influence nutrient losses in stored FDF. Future studies are recommended to investigate the effect of moisture on stored FDF.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices towards yaws in endemic areas of Ghana, Cameroon and Côte d'Ivoire.

Yaws, caused by Treponema pallidum ssp. pertenue, remains a significant public health concern in tropical regions of West Africa and the South Pacific, primarily affecting children in remote areas with limited access to hygiene and sanitation. In this study, conducted in three endemic countries of West Africa where yaws remains a significant public health concern (Ghana, Cameroon, and Côte d'Ivoire), we aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to yaws among community members, community health workers (CHWs), and traditional healers. The study revealed variations in the perception of causes of yaws among community members: the majority or participants in Ghana attributed yaws to germs (60.2%); in Cameroon the most reported form of transmission was contact with or drinking infected water sources (44.6%); and in Côte d'Ivoire both of these answers were also the most prevalent (60.3% germs and 93.% water sources). A substantial proportion of participants in Côte d'Ivoire also associated yaws with witchcraft and divine punishment (44.8%). Only a small proportion of individuals in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire correctly identified contact with an infected person as a form of transmission (11.9% and 20.7%, respectively) and less than half in Cameroon (42.6%), although more than 98% of all participants reported avoidance behaviours towards yaws infected people due to fear of getting infected. Most participants expressed a preference for seeking care at hospitals (49.2%, 60.6%, 86.2%) or health care professionals including doctors and nurses (58.5%, 41,5% and 17.2%) if they were diagnosed with yaws, although a quarter of participants in Côte d'Ivoire also sought support from traditional healers. The CHWs interviewed were generally well-trained on yaws causes and treatment options, although they often reported low availability of treatment and diagnostic tests for yaws. Our findings underscore the need for community education, awareness campaigns, ongoing CHW training, and improved access to yaws treatment and diagnostic resources. The data also suggest that collaboration with traditional healers, who usually hold a highly esteemed position in the society, such as giving training on yaws causes and transmission or exchanging knowledge on treatment options, could be beneficial in certain regions, particularly in Côte d'Ivoire.

Biofertilizer Activity of Azospirillum sp. B510 on the Rice Productivity in Ghana.

Rice production in Ghana has become unsustainable due to the extremely nutrient-poor soils. It is caused by inadequate soil fertility management, including the inefficient application of fertilizers. A practical solution could be the biofertilizers, Azospirillum sp. B510. We performed field trials in Ghana and Japan to compare the effects of B510 colonization on selected Ghanaian rice varieties grown. The B510 inoculation significantly enhanced the rice cultivars' growth and yield. The phenotypic characteristics observed in rice varieties Exbaika, Ex-Boako, AgraRice, and Amankwatia were mainly short length and high tillering capacity. These features are attributed to the host plant (cv. Nipponbare), from which the strain B510 was isolated. Furthermore, Azospirillum species has been identified as the dominant colonizing bacterium of rice rhizosphere across a diverse range of agroecologies in all major rice-growing regions in Ghana. Our results suggest that the utilization of B510 as a bio-fertilizer presents a promising way to improve rice growth, enhance soil fertility, and sustain rice productivity in Ghana.

Performance evaluation of biofil toilet waste digester technologies in Ghana: the efficacy of effluent treatment options.

The study was carried out to assess the efficacy of a standard Biofil toilet digester with regard to its effluent quality and to evaluate the performance of new effluent polishing options being developed by BiofilCom. Influent and effluent were collected from 18 standard Biofil digesters connected to full-flush toilets. Effluent from five pilot installations with improved effluent polishing options were also taken for analyses. Ten other Biofil installations were selected to assess the impact of digester effluent discharge on the surrounding soil. Pollutant concentrations in the Biofil effluent exceeded both Ghana EPA and WHO standards for discharge though pollutant removal efficiencies were high: 84% for biochemical oxygen demand, 86.1% for chemical oxygen demand and 82.4% for total suspended solids. Escherichia coli and total coliform levels were significantly reduced by 63% and 95.6%, respectively, and nutrients were the least removed from effluents. Generally, effluents from the majority of the pilot polishing options met most of the discharge standards. E. coli were present in the soil at all study sites, except one. Biofil digester effluent is discharged subsurface but comparing their effluent quality with standards for discharge into water courses is relevant especially in areas of frequent flooding and high water tables.