Farmers at the Tono Irrigation Scheme under the Irrigation Company of Upper Regions (ICOUR) are eager to have improved rice varieties with shorter yielding periods and greater drought resistance.
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI), a Ghana-based institution focused on researching and developing agricultural innovations suitable for the savanna ecosystem, has been engaging with farmers at the Tono Irrigation Project to find solutions to their challenges in obtaining short-duration and drought-resistant rice varieties.
To help address farmers’ needs, CSIR-SARI held a demonstration program showcasing six improved hybrid rice varieties from Côte d’Ivoire under the Technology for African Agricultural Transformation II (TAAT II) initiative. The program aimed to highlight the yield potential and growth duration of these varieties, allowing farmers to observe and make informed choices.
The most commonly cultivated rice variety at Tono is Agra rice. However, farmers have raised concerns that Agra rice takes between 120 and 130 days from planting to harvest, which is a long duration. In contrast, CSIR-SARI’s improved hybrid rice varieties mature within 83 to 90 days.
Assistant Research Scientist and Acting Head of the Rice Improvement Program at CSIR-SARI, as well as the focal person in Ghana for the TAAT II Project, Mr. Alex Yeboah, explained:
“Today, we are demonstrating the potential of climate-resilient rice varieties in Ghana as a way of showcasing improved technologies to farmers. Hybrid rice is a technology on its own, and in Ghana, we have not done well in developing hybrid varieties. We have attempted a few times, but several challenges have prevented their release. However, this new variety has come in at a time when we are working to fulfill all regulations, so that once officially registered and released in Ghana, farmers will benefit from a resilient rice variety.”
“For instance, what you see here was planted in October, at the end of the season, yet these varieties are now ready for harvest. Within just three months, they have matured—far shorter than the 120 to 130 days required by the varieties currently in the system. The recently released variety, CSR Banse rice, takes just 84 days to mature, and we have demonstrated its potential as well. Farmers stand to benefit by adopting these improved varieties, which are better suited to their ecological conditions.”
After the demonstration, some farmers expressed their excitement over the results of the new varieties.
Doris Aada, a farmer at the Tono Irrigation Project, shared her thoughts:
“We have been farming Agra rice, but due to economic challenges, its long duration is a concern. We need a shorter-duration variety with high yields to help us. With the rehabilitation of the project, we are expecting to increase production cycles from two to three per year. CSIR-SARI is introducing us to new varieties, and we hope they will be short-duration and high-yielding. As we observe these varieties now, we expect them to be tested again in the dry season to compare their performance in different conditions. Short-duration varieties will help boost our yields, especially since we sometimes face water shortages at the irrigation site.”
Another farmer, James Bawa, also shared his observations:
“I’ve been farming here for quite some time now. Over the years, various rice varieties have come and gone, but Agra remains dominant. However, we have noticed that Agra’s yields have been declining compared to when we first started cultivating it.
These new varieties look promising in terms of yield, though we still need to observe their full potential. Personally, I examined the different varieties, and while some might not be the highest yielders, I consider other factors before making a choice. One key factor is shattering—some varieties have good panicles and look promising, but if they shatter easily, they may not be practical. Here, we rely on combine harvesters, which operate quickly. If a variety shatters too much, we will lose a lot of rice during harvesting, no matter how good it looked in the field.”
The Farmer Service Manager at ICOUR, Mr. Charles Aboyela, indicated the company’s willingness to support farmers in increasing their yield.
“Our extension officers, agronomists, and staff will be on the field. Once we identify the best-performing variety, we will use our structures to inform farmers through capacity-building and training programs. We work with about 15 Water Users Associations, and we will disseminate information through these structures to ensure farmers adopt the best-performing varieties to improve their businesses.”
The Municipal Director of Agriculture, Mr. Atimbire Elias, also affirmed the district’s support for CSIR-SARI’s efforts to introduce improved rice varieties for farmers in the area.
Source: A1Radioonline.com | 101.1Mhz | Samuel Adagom | Bolgatanga
