Farmers’ knowledge and perception of harvest and postharvest losses in rice production across three agro-ecological zones of Ghana were examined using farm-level data collected from 108 randomly selected rice farmers. To examine the perception and knowledge of farmers on harvest and postharvest losses, means of a 5-point Likert scale were estimated compared with the values of the individual perception statements. Results indicated that rice production was male-dominated (80%) with an ageing farmer population (42 years on average), smaller farm sizes (~5 acres) with over 70% of farmers formally educated. This suggests the potential and need for mechanised interventions in rice production. Majority of the farmers sampled (over 95%) had experienced and were aware of harvest and postharvest losses in rice. Whereas over 50% of the farmers were cultivating the Jasmine rice variety, it was perceived by over 65% of the farmers to be associated with higher harvesting losses. Mechanical agents such as lack of appropriate harvesting machinery were perceived by over 40% of the farmers to cause harvesting losses. On the method of rice threshing, over 50% of the farmers used combines, 36% used the threshing by impact “bambam” method, 11% bag beating and 2% used mechanical threshers. Rice harvest and postharvest activities constituted 21% of total production cost, while accounting for nearly 20% of total grain loss. It is recommended that aside the mechanised interventions, efforts should be geared towards proper development of rice fields to ensure sustainable production and improved land productivity.

The escalating demand for water and the increasing pollution of natural water bodies necessitate innovative solutions for wastewater treatment and reuse. This study investigated the potential of a horizontal subsurface flow (HSSF) constructed wetland to treat aquaculture wastewater for reuse. The...

Harvesting plays a critical role in the cassava production value chain. A review of some existing cassava harvesting options is necessary to facilitate the proper adaption and uptake of improved harvesting methods applicable to farmers from different parts of the globe. In terms of capacity, manual, semi-manual and fully mechanised harvesting options respectively require about 22–51 man-hha-1, 16-45 man-hha-1 and 1–4 man-hha-1. An added advantage with mechanised options is that the field is left ploughed after harvesting with savings on fuel, time and cost. Mechanised harvesters work best on ridged fields with minimal trash or weeds and relatively dry soils (12–16% d.b. moisture content). Earlier attempts at mechanised harvesting have been affected by constraints such as soil characteristics, nature and size of tubers, depth and width of cluster and bond between tubers and the soil, leading to high tuber damage. Though less research attention is given to cassava harvesting mechanisation, that aspect of the global cassava transformation agenda has always been the problem. There is still room for improvement in the provision of appropriate harvesting options for cassava worldwide and a more concerted effort from both the government and private sector is vital.

Amid growing global challenges such as population growth, climate change, and limited natural resources, the need for sustainable farming systems to ensure food security and environmental conservation has become increasingly critical. This study – conducted in the forest zones of Ghana during the major and minor cropping seasons of 2023 – evaluates the effects of integrating Cajanus cajan (also known as pigeon pea), a leguminous shrub, into a maize cropping system. This maize–pigeon pea (MPP) intercropping approach is part of an innovative integrated soil fertility management strategy aimed at improving maize yield, farm profitability, and climate resilience of smallholder farmers. A split-plot experimental design was employed, with the cropping systems – MPP intercrop and sole maize – as main plots, and varying recommended inorganic fertilizer (full rate [FR], half rate [HR], and a no-fertilizer control) as subplots. The findings revealed a significant association between the MPP intercropping system and the rate of inorganic fertilizer application on maize growth and yield, with improved and comparable maize productivity observed when either the HR or FR fertilizer was applied. This suggests that integrating pigeon peas and their biomass could reduce the recommended fertilizer rate by half, thereby enhancing farmers’ income and profitability while promoting sustainable maize production amid climate change. Future research should explore long-term soil fertility dynamics and broader agroecological applications.

Performance of a Yanmar DB 1000 mechanised paddy thresher was comparatively assessed against manual threshing by impact method using a locally-made wooden box for Amankwatia and AGRA rice varieties under farmer’s field conditions at Nobewam in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The mechanised thresher was evaluated at various threshing drum speeds (550 rpm, 600 rpm and 650 rpm) and feeding rates (200 kgh-1, 400 kgh-1 and 600 kgh-1). Results showed that threshing was satisfactory at grain moisture content between 16.9% w.b and 18.0% w.b. for both rice varieties. Threshing efficiency increased from 94.6% to 95.8% with no significant difference observed whereas cleaning efficiency decreased significantly from 84.2 % to 81.6 % with increasing feed rate irrespective of rice variety. Again, threshing efficiency increased with increasing drum rotational speed, irrespective of feed rate and rice variety. Percentage broken grain and grain loss both increased with increasing peripheral drum speed and paddy feed rate irrespective of rice variety. Average fuel consumption, physical energy requirement and threshing capacity increased significantly with increasing drum speed and feed rate. Crop moisture content and shattering ability influenced the threshing efficiency, threshing capacity, grain loss, broken grain, fuel and physical energy requirement at threshing. AGRA rice variety generally performed better than Amankwatia under both mechanical and manually threshing methods. Mechanised threshing was significantly better at reducing grain loss and physical energy demand whilst yielding over 200% higher threshing capacity than manual threshing by impact using the wooden box. Mechanised threshing was financially rewarding, yielding over 500% higher profit margin than the manual threshing option. Further research on optimum crop moisture content for improved threshing of different rice varieties is suggested.

Faced with global challenges such as population growth, resource scarcity, and climate change, the world must find sustainable agricultural solutions. Precision agriculture (PA) and the circular economy (CE) emerge as viable options. Our paper explores how these frameworks, along with their associated strategies and examples from Ghana, can address issues such as soil degradation, low productivity, limited diversification, postharvest losses, and heightened climate vulnerability among small farms. By incorporating PA strategies such as organic farming, legume‐crop integration, drone technology, water‐smart farming, aquaponics fish production, hydroponics, innovative mushroom and snail farming, deployment of smart crop varieties, bundling, and agroecology CE principles that maximize productivity per unit area, practitioners can bolster climate resilience, enhance food security, and support rural livelihoods. Adopting strategies such as vertical farming for vegetable production, integrated aquaponics‐based food systems, mushroom production, and improved crop varieties will pave the way for a sustainable future in agriculture. The current study deployed a systematic review to examine the trends, implications, and contributions of PA and the CE to food security and agricultural production in Ghana over the past decade. The findings revealed the various PA and CE strategies adopted in Ghana, along with their potential benefits and synergies.