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This report covers the first visit by the NRI team to Ghana in the start-up of the agronomy component of the Integrated Food Crops Systems Project (IFCSP). The team was fully supported by in-country IFCSP personnel, VSO (Ms Meijer) and other collaborators. The purpose of the visit was to establish the project on the ground following funding approval from the NRSP FAI programme. This involved defining the activities of the various collaborators and conducting a participatory rural appraisal of farmers' perceptions and practices for maintaining soil fertility in dry season vegetable producing areas of Brong Ahafo region. The PRA which was carried out in four typical vegetable growing areas revealed that farmers use considerable amounts of inorganic fertilisers but are concerned about their costs and that increased quantities are required to maintain yields at former levels. Many farmers practice fallowing to maintain soil fertility and to avoid pest build-up, but generally fallow periods are becoming shorter. The project aims to overcome these constraints through the introduction and testing of suitable legume cover crops and green manures. A strategy for introducing the concept of cover crop and green manure usage and testing was developed for each of the four study locales following completion of the PRA. Strategies are related to the soil type(s) present, water availability and husbandry practices employed. Arrangements were made with SRI to conduct an initial soil survey and analysis of two surveyed areas before the start of the rains in April. Funding for the survey will be provided from the newly opened project account in Sunyani. Arrangements were made to purchase seed of suitable cover crops from CRI and seeds of those not available were ordered from European suppliers. Agreement for importing new accessions were made with the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Department (Accra) and the Plant Genetic Resources Centre, at Bunso.

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