Yield Gap Analysis in Maize Production from Stakeholders Perspective in Ejura-Sekyedumase District of the Ashanti Region of Ghana
| dc.contributor.author | Yeboah, Solomon | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2014-03-21T10:27:00Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-04-19T18:51:44Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2014-03-21T10:27:00Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-04-19T18:51:44Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2013 | |
| dc.description | A thesis submitted to the Department of Materials Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Science in Environmental Resources Management | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | Maize is a major cereal crop in Ghana but production at the local level is often below both domestic and industrial demand. Promising ecologies exist in the Ejura-Sekyedumase District located in the transitional zone of Ghana with large stretches of land to favour large scale production of maize. Statistics indicate a low average yield below 1.9 t/ha in the Ejura-Sekyedumase District which is far below the potential yield of 4-5 t/ha. There is a necessity to discover and address yield constraints in order to boost maize production in the area. An investigation was undertaken using the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) guidelines and other considerations of yield gap (revolving around technical, biophysical and socio-economic issues) to ascertain yield limitations from the perspective of major stakeholders (farmers, researchers, and extensionists). The outcome showed that the current constraints to yield are poor seed source (use of seeds from farmer's own farm) and selection, mid-season drought, pest and disease prevalence, lack of access to credit and inadequate credit facilities, low market price, low profit from farming, high cost of fertilizer, low literacy and educational status of farmers. In addition, water stress, late or early rainfall, lack of irrigation facilities and practice, poor soil fertility monitoring, use of local varieties, low adoption of technologies, poor investment, poverty and low income level, landholding and land tenure were noted. Holistic and collaborative approach such as farmers, researchers and extension effort to the use of recommended varieties, timely credit availability and accessibility to farmers, reducing fertilizer cost, timely distribution of government subsidized fertilizer, intensification of extension activities will arrest the situation to boost maize production to meet both local domestic and industrial demand and for export. | en_US |
| dc.description.sponsorship | KNUST | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://ir.knust.edu.gh/handle/123456789/5899 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.title | Yield Gap Analysis in Maize Production from Stakeholders Perspective in Ejura-Sekyedumase District of the Ashanti Region of Ghana | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |