Agriculture experts are proposing soil testing as a critical component of farming activities to improve soil health, boost crop yield and adapt to climate crisis.
They say soil testing recommends the precise nutrient levels needed by farmers to achieve maximum productivity and profitability.
The proposal was made at the second multi stakeholder dialogue series orgnised by Farm Radio International in Accra under its five-year, multi-country project called Gender inclusive Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for climate change adaptation.
Supported by Global Affairs Canada, the project was using Farm Radio’s interactive local radio programming to achieve enhanced rural community climate action using locally-relevant, inclusive and gender-responsive NbS.
Dr Collins Korbla Tay, the Director of the Soil Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-CRI) said soil degradation was a major challenge in Ghana’s agricultural sector, causing large areas of cropland to become unproductive.
He explained that human activities, use of pesticides, continuous open burning, heavy metals, and agrochemicals had negative environmental and health impacts on soil.
“One of the cures to this challenge is to test the soil to know the deficiencies and use the right dose of fertilizer to regenerate it,” he said.
Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, National Advisory Panel sharing findings of a perception study said that soil degradation and soil infertility had worsened in six regions in the past decade.
The study, he said, sampled the opinions of more than 3,000 farmers on Nature Based Solutions for climate change adaptation in the country.
Mr Ben Fiafor, Ghana and Nigeria Manager of Farm Radio International, said in Ghana the project was being implemented at selected regions; Upper West, Upper East, Northern, Bono, Central and Volta.
He said a total of 80 Community listener groups had been formed at the respective implementing areas.
The project, he said, had designed, produced and aired two On-Air Dialogue (OAD) radio series, conducted two in-station training.
Rosemond Ohene, the Project Coordinator, noted that Climate change and biodiversity loss were two of the most defining environmental crises facing the world.
Nature-based Solutions (NbS), she stated, had gained increased attention as a means to harness the power of nature to help solve these twin crises.
If appropriately implemented, NbS can accelerate progress towards a greener, more equitable, gender-responsive, and socially inclusive future.
This project will help to create a common understanding of how NbS can be used to prepare for and adapt to changing climate risks and impacts while protecting and restoring local biodiversity and ecological services.
She said the project would offer a means for local communities to identify and express their adaptation needs, expand access to NbS information across Sub-Saharan Africa, support rural communities in learning about, customizing and applying NbS for climate adaptation, increase the responsiveness of decision of local communities on NBS.
The project’s ultimate outcome is to improve inclusive and gender-responsive climate-resilient communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Uganda and Zambia.
Overall, the project targets 1000 communities taking NbS for climate change adaptation actions and 24 policies that respond to communities’ needs, wisdom and experiences.
GNA