Rice Sector Support Project: Piloting of the DMC in selected communities

START DATE: 2014.                       ESTIMATED DURATION: 1 year (+2year Extension)

SPONSORS: AFD/GOG (RSSP):    

LOCATION: Northern Region, Upper East Region and Upper West Region

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Dr. Wilson Dogbe (PhD)

PARTICIPATING SCIENTISTS: Ann Perinniel, Elsie Sarkodie Addo, Micheal Mawunya

Objective

• To provide training and technical support to farmers for the implementation of Direct seeding Mulch based Cropping system (DMC) at the community level
• To demonstrate to farmers the benefits of practising conservation on their farm lands

METHODOLOGY:

Direct Seeding Mulch based cropping system (DMC) demonstrations are executed in 3 pilot communities, Djanton, Nwodua and Zugu. The demos demonstration are located in Upland and Midland (hydromorphic) ecologies in the communities. In the Upland ecology, the cropping system being demonstrated is maize inter- sown with Brachiaria, .Crotalaria or Cowpea. In the Mid land, rice is used as the main crop and intercropped with Stylosanthes  or Sorghum or Brachiaria. A corresponding sole cover crops of Stylosanthes g., sorghum or Brachiaria are established in both ecologies  to ensure   bi-annual rotation. Farmers’ practice of the maize cropping system or rice cropping system are kept for comparison.

 The management of the demonstration  in each community is done in partnership with the community based consultative committees and staff from SARI. All the inputs are supplied by the projects, whiles volunteer farmers on the other hand help with the field management.

ACTIVITY/PROGRESS MADE SINCE PREVIOUS REPORT:

The DMC demonstrations were effectively established in the 3 pilot communities (Djanton, Nwodua and Zug) despite delay in the onset of rains in the current year. Pre-harvest data collection have been done in all the pilot communities. Upland demonstration in the pilot communities have been harvested. Moreover, exchange field visits were organized among the pilot communities before the harvesting to enable the farmers make their own observations of the cropping systems so as to make  informed choices. The rice based system will be harvested in the early weeks of November.

WAY FORWARD:

Data on the cropping system will be assessed with active participation of the farmers in order to promote the cropping systems that are acceptable to them.