Cowpea is deemed as a food security crop due to its ability to produce significant yields under conditions where other staples fail. Its resilience in harsh environments; such as drought, heat and marginal soils; along with its nitrogen-fixing capabilities and suitability as livestock feed make cowpea a preferred choice in many farming systems across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Despite its importance, Cowpea yields in farmers’ fields remain suboptimal, primarily due to biotic and abiotic factors and the use of either unimproved varieties or improved varieties that are not well-suited to local conditions. Multi environment testing of genotypes is essential for recommending varieties suited for either specific or for wide cultivation. This study aimed, to identify and recommend cowpea breeding lines for wide or specific cultivation in the Sudan Savanna and Deciduous Forest zones of Ghana. The research utilized twenty early-maturing advance cowpea breeding lines and three check varieties (released varieties). The experiment was conducted in two locations: Bunso in the Deciduous Forest zone and Manga in the Sudan Savanna zone over 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 cropping seasons. Combined analysis of variance revealed a significant genotype-environment interaction (GEI) which accounted for 35.12% of the variation in yield. The environments were classified into three mega environments, with Bunso_2021 identified as the near-ideal environment where the genotypes exhibited their maximum genetic potentials. In terms of adaption, genotype UG_04 demonstrated broad adaption, showing high yield and stability across all test environments. Genotypes UG_01 and UG_02 performed particularly well in Bunso_2021 and Bunso_2022, while UG_04 and UG_14 excelled in Manga_2021. These findings provide valuable insights for selecting cowpea varieties that can enhance productivity and stability in diverse agro-ecological zones.

Twenty-two open-pollinated varieties (OPVs) of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) genotypes were tested in two locations for three seasons in Ghana to estimate the magnitude of genetic variability, heritability, and stability for grain yield and related traits and grain micronutrients among the varieties. General analysis of variance within and across locations and years revealed very highly significant variability ( $p<0.01$ ) among the genotypes. The additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) analyses revealed significant genotype × environment interaction (GEI) that influenced the relative ranking of genotypes across the environments. Genotypic variance ( ${\sigma }^{2}g$ ) contributed a greater proportion of the phenotypic variance (σ2p) for plant height (530.31) and grain Fe content (34.72). Broad-sense heritability ( $h_{bs}^2$ ) varied widely from 24.82% for grain yield to 77.53% in days to flower. Phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was higher than genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) for all traits, indicating strong play of environment on trait expressions. 11 out of the 22 OPVs were stable for grain yield and micronutrients across environments for the three-year period and included GB 8735 and ICMV 221 Wbr and SOSAT-C88.

This study evaluates the effectiveness of stone bunds in enhancing soil moisture, vegetation health, and crop yields in Ghana’s semi-arid Upper East Region, an important area for agricultural productivity in West Africa. In this region, agricultural practices are heavily impacted by erratic rainfall and poor soil moisture retention, threatening food security. Despite the known benefits of traditional soil conservation practices like stone bunds, their effectiveness in this context has not been fully quantified. Field and remote sensing data were used to evaluate the influence of stone bunds on soil moisture dynamics, vegetation growth, and crop yield. Experimental plots with and without stone bunds were monitored for climate, soil water infiltration, and soil moisture and analyzed using the NDVI from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery over two growing seasons under sorghum production (2022–2023). The results indicated that stone bunds enhanced soil moisture retention and increased infiltration rates. The NDVI analysis consistently revealed higher vegetation health and growth in the plots with stone bunds, particularly during critical growth periods. The intermediate results of the conducted experiment indicated that stone bunds increased sorghum yields by over 35% compared to the control plots. The substantial agronomic benefits of stone bunds as a soil and water conservation strategy were evident, improving soil water infiltration, water retention, vegetation health, and crop yields. The findings support the broader adoption of stone bunds in semi-arid regions to enhance agricultural productivity and resilience against climate variability. Further research is recommended to explore the long-term impacts and the integration of stone bunds with other sustainable farming practices to optimize rainfed agricultural outcomes.

Seed saving is crucial to ensure seed and food security, especially in developing countries. In Ghana, about 90% of pearl millet farmers utilise farmer-saved seed for production. Such seeds usually have a low germination rate, and may carry important seed-borne pathogens. In this study, the quality of farmer-saved seeds and the potential of botanicals to control seed-borne fungi were examined. A structured questionnaire was administered to 120 farmers from Garu, Bongo and Kassana-Nankana districts in Ghana. During the survey, 60 samples of farmer-saved seed were obtained for seed quality evaluation. Aqueous extracts of neem (Azadirachta indica) and citrus (Citrus sinensis) were prepared as seed treatments compared with a control. Fourteen (14) fungal species were associated with the seed samples, but the four dominant ones were Curvularia spp. (62%), Talaromyces spp. (53%), Aspergillus spp. (52%) and Exserohilum spp. (42%). The application of citrus extract inhibited fungal incidence (15–31.7%) compared to neem extract (33.3–93.3%) and the control (96.7–98.3%). The application of citrus extract resulted in a higher (74.7–82.8%) field germination rate compared to neem extract (62.3–73.2%) and the control (65.5–69.2%). The citrus extract was the most efficient treatment in reducing the incidence of fungi and enhancing the seed germination and vigour of pearl millet.