Workshop “Collaborative Research Activities of JIRCAS in Ghana -Technologies to enhance rice production and to improve Savanna agriculture in Africa with various approaches-”

Related Research Program
Stable Food Production
country
Ghana

JIRCAS organized a workshop titled “Collaborative Research Activities of JIRCAS in Ghana -Technologies to enhance rice production and to improve Savanna agriculture in Africa with various approaches-” on 27th September 2012 to celebrate the third anniversary of the JIRCAS-Africa Liaison Office in Accra, Ghana. The workshop began with a presentation outlining its main research activities, followed by the introduction of individual research activities by JIRCAS and other related projects in Ghana. It was attended by many researchers from JIRCAS as well as from related organizations based in Ghana.
JIRCAS has implemented four research projects in Ghana during these three years of collaboration (from July 2009) with African countries. These projects are as follows: (i) Development of improved infrastructure and technologies for rice production in Africa (DIITRPA); (ii) Improvement of soil fertility with use of indigenous resources in rice systems of Sub-Saharan Africa; (iii) Development of low-input rice cultivation system in flood-plains in Africa (FPR, as a feasibility study) and (iv) Development of fish farming in Africa.

Date
September 27, 2012
Venue
Accra, Ghana
Organizer
Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS)

Summary

JIRCAS organized a workshop titled “Collaborative Research Activities of JIRCAS in Ghana -Technologies to enhance rice production and to improve Savanna agriculture in Africa with various approaches-” on 27th September 2012 to celebrate the third anniversary of the JIRCAS-Africa Liaison Office in Accra, Ghana. The workshop began with a presentation outlining its main research activities, followed by the introduction of individual research activities by JIRCAS and other related projects in Ghana. It was attended by many researchers from JIRCAS as well as from related organizations based in Ghana.

JIRCAS has implemented four research projects in Ghana during these three years of collaboration (from July 2009) with African countries. These projects are as follows: (i) Development of improved infrastructure and technologies for rice production in Africa (DIITRPA); (ii) Improvement of soil fertility with use of indigenous resources in rice systems of Sub-Saharan Africa; (iii) Development of low-input rice cultivation system in flood-plains in Africa (FPR, as a feasibility study) and (iv) Development of fish farming in Africa.

Two research projects were launched in Ghana starting from fiscal year 2011, the first year of the 3rd mid-term research plan of JIRCAS. The first was titled “Development of rice production technologies in Africa (DeriptA),” a JIRCAS flagship project under Program B (Stable food production); the second was “Development of technologies for sustainable agricultural production in the African savanna,” a conservation agriculture (CA) sub-project under Program A (Development of agricultural technologies based on sustainable management of the environment and natural resources in developing regions).

The workshop was divided into two sessions in order to generate effective and meaningful discussion for each project. In Session #1, Program A was outlined and CA research activities were explained; in Session #2, Program B was outlined and DeriptA sub-projects were explained. DeriptA-related projects by other organizations were also presented. Research efforts to improve tolerance to phosphorus deficiency in rice and to define the components of the research study on rain-fed lowlands in Africa, namely, (a) Development of low-cost irrigation facilities applicable to Africa, (b) Farm mechanization, (c) DIITRPA, (d) Soil fertility management, and (e) Agricultural water management, were reported.

Many questions were raised and it inspired fruitful discussions among the participants. They found the research activities in Ghana interesting and they related deeply to the presentations. It is hoped that the workshop outcome and recommendations would be applied by participants and related staff in Ghana in the near future.

Workshop participants listen to a presentation

The workshop highlights JIRCAS' research accomplishments in Ghana.

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