Rapid and low-cost screening for single and combined effects of drought and heat stress on the morpho-physiological traits of African eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum) germplasm.

Drought and heat are two stresses that often occur together and may pose significant risks to crops in future climates. However, the combined effects of these two stressors have received less attention than single-stressor investigations. This study used a rapid and straightforward phenotyping method to quantify the variation in 128 African eggplant genotype responses to drought, heat, and the combined effects of heat and drought at the seedling stage. The study found that the morphophysiological traits varied significantly among the 128 eggplants, highlighting variation in response to abiotic stresses. Broad-sense heritability was high (> 0.60) for chlorophyll content, plant biomass and performance index, electrolyte leakage, and total leaf area. Positive and significant relationships existed between biomass and photosynthetic parameters, but a negative association existed between electrolyte leakage and morpho-physiological traits. The plants underwent more significant stress when drought and heat stress were imposed concurrently than under single stresses, with the impact of drought on the plants being more detrimental than heat. There were antagonistic effects on the morphophysiology of the eggplants when heat and drought stress were applied together. Resilient genotypes such as RV100503, RV100501, JAMBA, LOC3, RV100164, RV100169, LOC 3, RV100483, GH5155, RV100430, GH1087, GH1087*, RV100388, RV100387, RV100391 maintained high relative water content, low electrolyte leakage, high Fv/Fm ratio and performance index, and increased biomass production under abiotic stress conditions. The antagonistic interactions between heat and drought observed here may be retained or enhanced during several stress combinations typical of plants' environments and must be factored into efforts to develop climate change-resilient crops. This paper demonstrates improvised climate chambers for high throughput, reliable, rapid, and cost-effective screening for heat and drought and combined stress tolerance in plants.

Plasticity of root hair and rhizosheath traits and their relationship to phosphorus uptake in sorghum.

Sorghum is an essential crop for resilient and adaptive responses to climate change. The root systems of crop plants significantly contribute to the tolerance of abiotic stresses. There is little information on sorghum genotypes' root systems and plasticity to external P supply. In this paper, we investigated the variations in root systems, as well as the responses, trait relationships, and plasticity of two sorghum genotypes (Naga Red and Naga White), popularly grown in Ghana, to five external P concentrations ([P]ext): 0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 mg P kg-1 soil. Sorghum plants were grown in greenhouse pots and harvested for root trait measurements at the five-leaf and growing point differentiation (GPD) developmental stages. The plants were responsive to [P]ext and formed rhizosheaths. The two genotypes showed similar characteristics for most of the traits measured but differed significantly in total and lateral root lengths in favor of the red genotype. For example, at the five-leaf growth stage, the lateral root length of the red and white genotypes was 22.8 and 16.2 cm, respectively, but 124 and 88.9 cm, at the GPD stage. The responses and plasticity of the root system traits, including rhizosheath, to [P]ext were more prominent, positive, and linear at the five-leaf stage than at the GPD growth stage. At the five-leaf growth stage, total root length increased by about 2.5-fold with increasing [P]ext compared to the unamended soil. At the GPD stage, however, total root length decreased by about 1.83-fold as [P]ext increased compared to the unamended soil. Specific rhizosheath weight correlated with RHD, albeit weakly, and together explained up to 59% of the variation in tissue P. Root hair density was more responsive to P supply than root hair length and showed a similar total and lateral root length pattern. Most desirable responses to P occurred at a rate of 200-300 mg P kg-1 soil. It is concluded that sorghum would form rhizosheath, and [P]ext could be critical for the early vigorous growth of sorghum's responsive root and shoot traits. Beyond the early days of development, additional P application might be necessary to sustain the responses and plasticity observed during the early growth period, but this requires further investigation, potentially under field conditions.

Urinary Pesticide Residual Levels and Acute Respiratory Infections in Children Under 5 Years of Age: Findings From the Offinso North Farm Health Study.

Background: Several environmental factors are associated with the risk of acute lower respiratory infections (ALRIs) and upper respiratory infections (URIs) in children under 5 years of age (YOA). Evidence implicating chemical pesticides remains equivocal. There are also no data on this subject in these children in Ghana. This study investigated the association between urinary pesticide residual levels and the risk for ALRIs/URIs in children under 5 YOA. Methods: The participants for this study were from the Offinso North Farm Health Study, a population-based cross-sectional study. Two hundred and fifty four parents/guardians who had answered affirmatively to the question "Has your child ever accompanied you to the farm?" were interviewed on household socio-demographic and environmental factors, being breastfed, child education, age, gender, and respiratory infection. One hundred fifty children were randomly selected to provide the first void urine. Results: The proportion of children with ALRI was 22.1% and those with URI was 35.8%. We observed a statistically significant exposure-response relation of p,p'-DDE (tertile) with ALRI (1.7-3.2 µg/L urine: prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.22 [1.05-1.70], ⩾3.2 µg/L urine: 1.50 [1.07-3.53] [P-for trend = .0297]). This observation was in children older than two YOA (P-for trend = .0404). Delta-HCH and beta-HCH (2-levels) were significantly associated with ALRI but not URI. The risk of ALRI increased with deltamethrin levels in an exposure-response manner (2.5-9.5 µg/L urine: 2.10 [1.37-3.24], ⩾9.5 µg/L urine: 4.38 [1.87-10.32] [P-for trend = .0011]) and this was also observed in children older than two YOA. Similar observation was noted for URI. Bifenthrin (>0.5 µg/L urine) was positively associated with ALRI and URI whereas permethrin (⩾1.2 µg/L urine) was not associated only with URI. Conclusions: The present study supports the hypothesis that exposure to chemical pesticides is associated with respiratory infections in children under 5 YOA.

Root System Traits Contribute to Variability and Plasticity in Response to Phosphorus Fertilization in 2 Field-Grown Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] Cultivars.

Due to roots' physical and physiological roles in crop productivity, interest in root system architecture (RSA) and plasticity in responses to abiotic stresses is growing. Sorghum is significant for the food security of millions of people. Phosphorus deficiency is an important limitation of sorghum productivity. There is little information on the RSA-based responses of sorghum to variations in external P supply ([P]ext). This study evaluated the phenotypic plasticity and RSA responses to a range of [P]ext in 2 sorghum genotypes. The results showed that both genotypes responded to [P]ext but with significant variations in about 80% of the RSA traits analyzed. Aboveground biomass and most RSA traits increased with increasing [P]ext. Plasticity was both genotype- and trait-dependent. For most RSA traits, the white sorghum genotype showed significantly higher plasticity than the red genotype, with the former having about 28.4% higher total plasticity than the former. RSA traits, such as convex area, surface area, total root length, and length diameter ranges, showed sizeable genetic variability. Root biomass had a high degree of plasticity, but root number and angle traits were the leading contributors to variation. The results suggested 2 root trait spectra: root exploration and developmental spectrum, and there was an indication of potential trade-offs among groups of root traits. It is concluded that RSA traits in sorghum contribute to variability and plasticity in response to [P]ext. Given that there might be trade-offs among sorghum root traits, it would be instructive to determine the fundamental constraints underlying these trade-offs.

HIV Education, Empathy, and Empowerment (HIVE3): A Peer Support Intervention for Reducing Intersectional Stigma as a Barrier to HIV Testing among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Ghana.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) in Ghana remain at heightened risk of HIV infection, and face challenges in accessing HIV prevention and care services. Previous research in Ghana shows that MSM face intersectional stigma across ecological levels (family, peers, healthcare settings, and community level) and the criminalization of same-gender sexual behaviors in the country. To protect their wellbeing from exposure to stigma, many MSM avoid interactions with healthcare systems and services, which inadvertently inhibits their opportunities for early detection and treatment of HIV. Consequently, MSM in Ghana carry a disproportionate burden of HIV prevalence (18%) compared to the general population (2%), highlighting the need for culturally relevant processes in HIV/STI prevention, and care communication to optimize sexual health and wellness among MSM in Ghana. To this effect, we collaborated with community partners to use the Assessment, Decision, Adaptation, Production, Topical Experts, Training, Testing (ADAPT-ITT) model to modify a theory-driven smartphone-based peer support intervention to enhance its focus on intersectional stigma reduction, and improve HIV health-seeking behaviors among MSM, including HIV testing and linkage to care. We used the Dennis Peer Support Model to develop the peer support components (emotional, informational, and appraisal support) to increase peer social support, decrease social isolation, and minimize intersectional stigma effects on HIV-related healthcare-seeking behaviors. This paper shows the preliminary acceptability and effectiveness of employing culturally relevant techniques and communication strategies to provide secure peer support to improve HIV prevention and care among key populations in highly stigmatized environments.

Causal shoot and root system traits to variability and plasticity in juvenile cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) plants in response to reduced soil moisture.

Cassava is an important source of food security and livelihoods for millions of consumers daily. Water deficit conditions are one of the major factors that affect the development of root system architecture (RSA) and consequently, crop productivity, and yet, due to its long maturity periods and bulky storage root systems, RSA studies in cassava are uncommon. The objective of this study was to identify traits that are responsible for the variability and plastic responses of cassava in response to drought at the juvenile stage of growth. Eight cassava genotypes were grown in soil-filled pots under well-watered and droughted conditions for up to 45 days and multivariate analyses employed to determine the major contributory traits to variability and the relative distance plasticity index (RDPI) was computed to evaluate plasticity. There were significant genotypic variations for most of the traits measured. Drought generally inhibited root production and development and the degree of inhibition was between 2 and 22%. Regardless of the soil moisture condition, traits which differentiated the RSA included root biomass, root numbers, root branching density, and total root length, and these were also the important contributory traits to variability under well-watered soil conditions. Important contributory traits to variability traits under drought were shoot-related traits such as leaf area and shoot biomass, and also root system traits such as nodal root number, root biomass, diameter and branching density. Phenotypic plasticity was found in most traits where the number, branching density and diameter of upper nodal roots presented the highest RDPI. These traits corresponded with the traits contributing greatly to variation. Plastic responses of cassava to drought were dependent on trait and genotype. It is concluded that upper nodal roots-related traits could have importance in breeding cassava to better tolerate water deficit conditions. The secondary growth and ability to maintain or increase the upper nodal root count or density under limited soil moisture may be related to good growth and yield performance of cassava under drought conditions. Upper nodal roots could be used to screen and select cassava genotypes adapted to drought at the juvenile stage but as a potential indirect selection strategy, the persistence and pertinence of these traits and their relationship with yield and yield components under drought conditions in the field must be confirmed.

Phenotypic Characterization of Tiger Nuts (Cyperus esculentus L.) from Major Growing Areas in Ghana.

Tigernut (Cyperus esculentus Lativum) is an important but understudied and underutilized crop in Ghana. The tubers are highly appreciated for their health benefits and nutritive value. To contribute to the conservation process of tiger nut and identify elite genotypes, this study was conducted to assess phenotypic variability in tiger nut genotypes in Ghana. Sixty-four (64) genotypes were collected from major tiger nut growing areas in Ghana. The genotypes were field-grown and characterized based on phenotypic and yield traits. Similarity coefficient (Bray-Curtis) was between 0.82 and 0.98, indicating low variability in both qualitative and quantitative characters. The cophenetic correlation coefficient was 0.64. The genotypes were mainly brown with only a few black (6) tubers from the central region. Materials collected from parts of the eastern region (Aduamoah) generally recorded the highest tuber weight. Tuber weight depended on plant height and number of tillers. There were high tillering genetic materials among the genotypes. Tubers were categorised as oval (10), ovoid (33), or oblong (15). The genotypes clustered into two groups based on shoot and tuber characteristics, rather than on geographical origin. The low genetic diversity among the genotypes suggested either the possible existence of a network among tiger nut farmers in Ghana in circulating the planting material or some form of seed sorting for uniform and homogenous planting materials has been carried out over the years. Our results point to the imperativeness to expand the genetic base of the tiger nuts to facilitate its improvement in Ghana.

The search for yield predictors for mature field-grown plants from juvenile pot-grown cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz).

Cassava is the 6th most important source of dietary energy in the world but its root system architecture (RSA) had seldom been quantified. Ability to select superior genotypes at juvenile stages can significantly reduce the cost and time for breeding to bridge the large yield gap. This study adopted a simple approach to phenotyping RSA traits of juvenile and mature cassava plants to identify genotypic differences and the relationships between juvenile traits and harvest index of mature plants. Root classes were categorised and root and shoot traits of eight (8) juvenile pot-grown cassava genotypes, were measured at 30 and 45 days after planting (DAP). The same or related traits were measured at 7 months after planting of the same genotypes grown in the field while yield and yield components were measured in 12-months old field-grown plants. The field experiment was done in 2017 and repeated in 2018. Differences between genotypes for the measured traits were explored using analysis of variance (ANOVA) while traits in juvenile plants were correlated or regressed onto traits measured in 7- and 12-months old plants. The results show significant genotypic variations for most of the traits measured in both juvenile and 7-months old plants. In the 12-months old plants, differences between genotypes were consistent for both 2017 and 2018. Broad-sense heritability was highest for the number of commercial roots (0.87) and shoot fresh weight (0.78) and intermediate for the total number of roots (0.60), harvest index (0.58), fresh weight of roots (0.45). For all the sampling time points or growth stages, there were greater correlations between traits measured at a particular growth stage than between the same traits at different growth stages. However, some juvenile-mature plant trait relationships were significant, positive and consistent for both 2017 and 2018. For example, total root length and the total number of roots in 30 DAP, and branching density of upper nodal roots in 45 DAP, positively correlated with harvest index of 12-months old plants in both 2017 and 2018. Similarly, the diameter of nodal roots, for example, had a negative, significant correlation with fresh shoot biomass of mature plants in both 2017 and 2018. Regression of traits measured in 30 DAP explained up to 22% and 36% of the variation in HI of mature plants in 2017 and 2018, respectively. It is concluded that the simple, rapid, inexpensive phenotyping approach adopted in this study is robust for identifying genotypic variations in juvenile cassava using root system traits. Also, the results provide seminal evidence for the existence of useful relationships between traits of juvenile and mature cassava plants that can be explored to predict yield and yield components.

Respiratory and non-respiratory symptoms associated with pesticide management practices among farmers in Ghana's most important vegetable hub.

The data presented here are from the Offinso North District Farm Health Study (ONFAHS), a population-based cross-sectional study among vegetable farmers in Ghana. The paper addresses knowledge, pesticide handling practices, and protective measures related to pesticide use by self-reported symptoms for 310 adult farmers who completed a comprehensive questionnaire on pesticide management practices and health. In addition, an inventory was prepared using information supplied by pesticide sellers/dealers in this district. We report that cough and wheezing (but not breathlessness) are positively associated with stirring pesticide preparations with bare hands/drinking water while mixing/applying pesticides, and stirring pesticide preparations with bare hands/drinking water/smoking cigarettes while mixing/applying pesticides. There is a significant exposure-response association between the number of precautionary measures practiced while handling pesticides and cough and wheezing but not with breathlessness. We also found unsafe practices to be associated with sexual dysfunction, nervousness, and lack of concentration. The results also suggest a negative association between practice of any precautionary measure when mixing/applying pesticides and sexual dysfunction, nervousness, and lack of concentration. We found that in spite of the fact that farmers have adequate knowledge about the environment and health effects of pesticides, several unhygienic practices are in widespread use, indicating that knowledge is not necessarily always translated in action. Further action is necessary to promote the safe use of pesticides and to replace existing poor management practices among these and other farmers in Ghana.

Spatial assessment of sugarcane (Saccharurn spp. L.) production to feed the Komenda Sugar Factory, Ghana.

Ghana imports about US$ 2 million worth of sugar annually. To address this huge import bill and to take advantage of a growing demand for sugar in the West African sub-region, the Government of Ghana initiated a Sugar Policy. The Government of Ghana, therefore, re-constructed and commissioned the Komenda Sugar Factory in 2016 at a reported cost of US$ 35 million. The Komenda Sugar Factory can process 1,250 tons of sugarcane per day (or 225,000 tons per annum), but was shut down soon after the test run and commissioning. This raised considerable public outcry. Among the numerous reasons that were given, it was widely believed that the factory faced feedstock deficits. This study therefore applied satellite remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems to quantify the potential feedstock supply from current production within the immediate catchment of the factory. Supervised classification was applied to Landsat 8 images, using QGIS, to quantify sugarcane production in the study area and at specified buffer distances from the factory. The results showed that the factory could mobilize only 7% of its feedstock requirement within the industrially recommended radius of 40 miles and 13% within the entire catchment area in the 2016/2017 season. Thus, under current scale of production and production conditions, the Komenda Sugar Factory faces large deficits in feedstock supply. National production data suggests that total national sugarcane production in 2016 would only meet 68% of the factory's requirement if it were operational. The results suggest an urgent need to establish a plantation for the factory and to commit out-growers to production to support and sustain the factory if it is to become operational soon. There is also a need for high-yielding, high-brix, and early maturing varieties, coupled with good agronomic practices, to bridge the quantity and (potentially) quality gaps.

Ghanaians Might Be at Risk of Excess Dietary Intake of Potassium Based on Food Supply Data.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted the beneficial role of adequate intake of potassium (K) in combating the global burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), mainly hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Diets are the main source of K supply to humans and can contribute to both K deficiency (hypokalemia) and excess (hyperkalemia). While global attention is currently devoted to K deficiency, K excess can be even more dangerous and deserves equal attention. The objectives of this paper were to (i) estimate the K intake of Ghanaian population using food supply and food composition data and (ii) compare this estimate with the WHO-recommended requirement for K in order to assess if there is a risk of inadequate or excess K intake. Food supply data (1961-2011) were obtained from the Food Balance Sheet (FBS) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to derive trends in food and K supply. The average food supply in the FBS for 2010 and 2011 was used in assessing the risk of inadequate or excess dietary intake of K. The K content of the food items was obtained from food composition databases. Based on 2010-2011 average data, the K supply per capita per day was approximately 9,086 mg, about 2.6-fold larger than the WHO-recommended level (3,510 mg). The assessment suggests a potentially large risk of excess dietary K supply at both individual and population levels. The results suggest the need for assessing options for managing K excess as part of food security and public health strategies. The results further underscore a need for assessment of the K status of staple food crops and mixed diets, as well as K management in food crop production systems in Ghana.

Agronomic biofortification of selected underutilised solanaceae vegetables for improved dietary intake of potassium (K) in Ghana.

Agronomic biofortification is the deliberate use of mineral fertilizers to increase the concentration of a target mineral in edible portions of crops to increase dietary intake of the target mineral. Globally, increased dietary intake of potassium (K) is becoming a part of the strategy to address hidden hunger and related non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and cardiac disorders. This study aimed at demonstrating the efficacy of increasing the concentration of K in the edible portions of three commonly consumed but underutilized solanacea vegetables (Solanum aethiopicum, S. macrocarpon and S. torvum) in Ghana. The effects of different types and rates of K fertilizer application on the leaf- and fruit-K contents of the vegetables, as well as the K loss between the raw and cooked fruits were investigated. Five levels of each of three types of K fertilizer (liquid drench of potassium chloride, granular Muriate of potash and Sulphate of potash) were applied to each of the three field-grown vegetables. Yield data were collected and the fruits and leaves were analysed for the content of K, N, P, Ca, Fe, Zn and Cu. The results showed the rate of fertilizer application had significant effect on the yields of S. aethiopicum and macrocarpon but the yield of S. torvum was significantly affected by type, rate and interactive effect of type and rate of fertilizer application. Fruit K concentrations were greatest for S. aethiopicum (2130 mg K kg-1 DW) and S. torvum (1883 mg K kg-1 DW) with liquid KCl but with Sulphate of Potash for S. macrocarpon (1801 mg K kg-1 DW). There were higher K concentrations in leaves than in fruits of all the vegetables. Household cooking of the fruits resulted in the retention of over 70% of the K content in the raw fruits. Potassium fertilization increased the Ca, Fe, and Zn contents of S. aethiopicum and S. torvum. It is concluded that agronomic biofortification may be a useful strategy to increase K intakes and other important elements (e.g. Fe and Zn) in the vegetables studied.

Systematic review of the effects of agricultural interventions on food security in northern Ghana.

BACKGROUND: Food insecurity and poverty rates in Ghana are highest in the districts from latitude 8° N upwards. These have motivated several interventions aimed at addressing the food insecurity via promoting agricultural growth. An assessment of the overall impact of these interventions on food security is necessary to guide policy design and future interventions. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A systematic review was used to assess the cumulative evidence of the effect of development interventions, implemented from 2006 to 2016 on food security, especially in Northern Ghana. Information were retrieved from over 20 Government and non-Governmental organisations through online search and actual visits. The number of studies included in systematic review was 22. The study showed that a large number of interventions have been implemented in Northern Ghana over the study period. Access to quality extension services, training and capacity building was a major intervention strategy. About 82% of studies considered increasing production but only 14% of the studies reported on changes in yield. About 42% of the included studies used market access as a strategy but about 44% reported increase in incomes of beneficiaries (with only seven studies providing numerical evidence for this claim). The ranking of frequency of intervention strategies was in the order extension and capacity building > production > postharvest value addition > water and irrigation facilities > storage facilities > input supply. A substantial number of the studies had no counterfactuals, weakening confidence in attributing impacts on food security for even the beneficiaries. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that evidence for impacts of the interventions on food security was weak, or largely assumed. A logical recommendation is the need for development partners to synchronise their measurement and indicators of food security outcomes. It is also recommended that some food security indicators are explicitly incorporated into intervention design while bearing in mind the potential need for counterfactuals.

Characterising shoot and root system trait variability and contribution to genotypic variability in juvenile cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) plants.

The development of cassava genotypes with root system traits that increase soil resource acquisition could increase yields on infertile soils but there are relatively few work that has quantified cassava root system architecture (RSA). We used an easily adaptable and inexpensive protocol to: (i) measure genotypic variation for RSA and shoot traits of a range of cassava genotypes; and (ii) identify candidate variables that contribute the largest share of variance. Cassava genotypes were grown in soil-filled pots, maintained at 70% field capacity. Shoot and RSA traits were measured on plants grown up to 30, 45 and 60 days. Multivariate analysis was used to determine major traits contributing to variation. The study showed that cassava roots are adventitious in origin consisting of a main root axis and orders of lateral roots, and therefore the historically used term "fibrous roots" are redundant currently not contributing to clarity. There were significant differences (P < 0.05) for traits evaluated. The highest relative root growth rate occurred over the first 30 days and ranged from 0.39 to 0.48 cm day-1. Root fresh weight was significantly correlated with other traits, including root length (r = 0.79), leaf area (r = 0.72), number of lower nodal roots (r = 0.60), indicating that direct selection based on these traits might be sufficient to improve root biomass. Up to the first six principal components explained over 80% of the total variation among the genotypes for the traits measured at 30, 45 and 60 days. Leaf area, root diameter and branching density-related traits were the most important traits contributing to variation. Selection of cassava genotypes based on shoot and root biomass, root diameter and branching density at juvenile growth stage could be successful predictors of nutrient and water-use efficiency in the field. Further studies are required to relate studied juvenile cassava root traits with the performance of field-grown-mature plant with regard to drought, nutrient-use efficiency and yield.

Soil-Transmitted Helminths in Top Soils Used for Horticultural Purposes in Cape Coast, Ghana.

This paper investigated the concentrations of eggs of three helminths (roundworm, hookworm, and whipworm) in the so-called black soils used for domestic and urban landscaping, home gardening and as growth medium for potted plants and pot experiments. The black soils are largely collected from active or abandoned waste dumpsites and fallowed or vegetated idle sites in the urban fringe or rural areas. Users buy black soils from dealers. Samples of black soils used for various purposes and at different places were collected for analysis of helminth eggs. The Modified EPA Method, which combines flotation and sedimentation, was used to isolate the eggs. The results show that these black soils have substantial loads of helminth eggs, with roundworm being dominant, followed by hookworm. Mean concentrations of helminth eggs were 2.45 (roundworm), 1.38 (hookworm), and 0.25 (whipworm) g-1 soil, respectively. The helminth egg loads also declined with duration of use of the black soils. It is concluded that black soils used for horticultural purposes in Ghana can be a potential source of helminth infestation. Therefore, treatment of black soils, regulation of black soil market and use, and development of growth media industry should be important components of helminth control strategy.

Modelling spatio-temporal heterogeneities in groundwater quality in Ghana: a multivariate chemometric approach.

Chemometric techniques were applied to evaluate the spatial and temporal heterogeneities in groundwater quality data for approximately 740 goldmining and agriculture-intensive locations in Ghana. The strongest linear and monotonic relationships occurred between Mn and Fe. Sixty-nine per cent of total variance in the dataset was explained by four variance factors: physicochemical properties, bacteriological quality, natural geologic attributes and anthropogenic factors (artisanal goldmining). There was evidence of significant differences in means of all trace metals and physicochemical parameters (p < 0.001) between goldmining and non-goldmining locations. Arsenic and turbidity produced very high value F's demonstrating that 'physical properties and chalcophilic elements' was the function that most discriminated between non-goldmining and goldmining locations. Variations in Escherichia coli and total coliforms were observed between the dry and wet seasons. The overall predictive accuracy of the discriminant function showed that non-goldmining locations were classified with slightly better accuracy (89%) than goldmining areas (69.6%). There were significant differences between the underlying distributions of Cd, Mn and Pb in the wet and dry seasons. This study emphasizes the practicality of chemometrics in the assessment and elucidation of complex water quality datasets to promote effective management of groundwater resources for sustaining human health.

Response-based selection of barley cultivars and legume species for complementarity: Root morphology and exudation in relation to nutrient source.

Phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) use efficiency may be improved through increased biodiversity in agroecosystems. Phenotypic variation in plants' response to nutrient deficiency may influence positive complementarity in intercropping systems. A multicomponent screening approach was used to assess the influence of P supply and N source on the phenotypic plasticity of nutrient foraging traits in barley (H. vulgare L.) and legume species. Root morphology and exudation were determined in six plant nutrient treatments. A clear divergence in the response of barley and legumes to the nutrient treatments was observed. Root morphology varied most among legumes, whereas exudate citrate and phytase activity were most variable in barley. Changes in root morphology were minimized in plants provided with ammonium in comparison to nitrate but increased under P deficiency. Exudate phytase activity and pH varied with legume species, whereas citrate efflux, specific root length, and root diameter lengths were more variable among barley cultivars. Three legume species and four barley cultivars were identified as the most responsive to P deficiency and the most contrasting of the cultivars and species tested. Phenotypic response to nutrient availability may be a promising approach for the selection of plant combinations for minimal input cropping systems.

Work Pressure and Safety Behaviors among Health Workers in Ghana: The Moderating Role of Management Commitment to Safety.

BACKGROUND: safety and healthy working environment has received numerous research attention over the years. Majority of these researches seem to have been conducted in the construction industry, with little attention in the health sector. Nonetheless, there are couple of studies conducted in Africa that suggest pressure in hospitals. Therefore the aim of the study was to examine how pressure influence safety behavior in the hospitals. With reference to the relevance of safety behavior in primary health care delivery, there was the need for the study. METHOD: Data was obtained from 422 public hospital employees. Respondents were assured that all information would be kept confidential to increase the response rate and acquire more accurate information. Collection of questionnaires from participants took four weeks (20 working days), after which the data was analyzed. RESULTS: The result of the study showed that work pressure correlated negatively with safety behavior. General safety climate significantly correlated positively with safety behavior and negatively with work pressure, although the effect size for the latter was smaller. Hierarchical regression analysis showed management commitment to safety to moderate the relationship between work pressure and safety behavior. CONCLUSION: When employees perceive safety communication, safety systems and training to be positive, they seem to comply with safety rules and procedures than voluntarily participate in safety activities.

Analysis of root growth from a phenotyping data set using a density-based model.

Major research efforts are targeting the improved performance of root systems for more efficient use of water and nutrients by crops. However, characterizing root system architecture (RSA) is challenging, because roots are difficult objects to observe and analyse. A model-based analysis of RSA traits from phenotyping image data is presented. The model can successfully back-calculate growth parameters without the need to measure individual roots. The mathematical model uses partial differential equations to describe root system development. Methods based on kernel estimators were used to quantify root density distributions from experimental image data, and different optimization approaches to parameterize the model were tested. The model was tested on root images of a set of 89 Brassica rapa L. individuals of the same genotype grown for 14 d after sowing on blue filter paper. Optimized root growth parameters enabled the final (modelled) length of the main root axes to be matched within 1% of their mean values observed in experiments. Parameterized values for elongation rates were within ±4% of the values measured directly on images. Future work should investigate the time dependency of growth parameters using time-lapse image data. The approach is a potentially powerful quantitative technique for identifying crop genotypes with more efficient root systems, using (even incomplete) data from high-throughput phenotyping systems.

Ghanaians Might Be at Risk of Inadequate Dietary Intake of Potassium.

Adequate dietary intake of potassium (K) helps fight noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), mainly hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. This paper (i) estimated the K intake of Ghanaian population using food supply and food composition data and (ii) compared this estimate with the WHO recommended requirement for K in order to assess if there is a risk of inadequate K intake. Food supply data (1961-2011) was obtained from the FAO Food Balance Sheet (FBS) to derive trends in food and K supply. The average food supply in the FBS for 2010 and 2011 was used in assessing the risk of inadequate dietary intake of K. The K contents of the food items were obtained from food composition databases. The mean K supply per capita per day was approximately 856 mg. The assessment suggests a potentially large risk of inadequate dietary K supply at both individual and population levels. The results suggest the need for assessing options for managing K deficiency, including assessment of K supplying power of soils and K fertilizer management in food crop production systems, as well as empirical estimates of K content of food items (including those underreported in the FBS) and mixed diets in Ghana.