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Maize (Zea mays L.) is the principal staple crop, produced and consumed by most farming households in Ghana. It is produced predominantly by smallholder resource-poor farmers under rain-fed conditions. The crop is well adapted and grows in most of the ecological zones of Ghana including the northern savannah. It provides a major source of calories in many parts of Ghana. It has nearly replaced traditional staple crops like sorghum and pearl millet in northern Ghana. An average maize grain yield on farmers’ fields is about 1.7 t/ha as against an estimated achievable yield of about 6.0 t/ha (MoFA, 2011).
The contribution of key partners in the maize value chain in Ghana to eliminating the bottlenecks is phenomenal. For agriculture to be recognised as an economically viable sector, adequate enough to attract the youth and people with capital resource to invest in the value chains, the limiting factors to high productivity must be eliminated.
Demeter Ghana Ltd. has been working as a key player in the provision of agricultural input service delivery for the past five years. Demeter provides services that help address key challenges especially in the production of crops. Key areas include:
Demeter Mobile Soil Testing Kits:
Left to right; Sales Agronomist analyzing soil samples; Team analyzing sample results
It is very common for farmers to plant their crops without knowing the nutrient adequacy ratio in their soil. Knowledge of the nutrients and pH levels of the farmer’s field is vital information for selecting the type of crop to cultivate and the soil amendments required to improve soil productivity. Demeter supports both smallholder and commercial farmers across Ghana in conducting soil tests and providing technical advisory information on the type of fertilizers needed to boost the deficiencies identified from the soil test results. This helps optimize maize production, protects the environment from contamination from run-offs and leaching of excess fertilizer, whilst also saving farmers money and energy by applying only the amount of fertilizer needed. Maize grows best at pH of between 5.5 and 7.3 with pH 6.0-6.5 being optimal. Nitrogen, Potassium, Calcium and Magnesium are readily available at this pH level.
Supply of Various Fertilizers to Optimize Productivity
Maize production depends heavily on mineral fertilizer, which is sometimes supplemented by manure and by crop rotation with legumes. Poor soil fertility is one of the leading challenges for small-scale farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.
Maize has a high requirement for nutrients especially nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Among these major nutrients, N is the one that most often limits yield. It determines the number of leaves the plants produces and the number of seeds per cob, therefore determining yield potential. The amount of mineral fertilizer to apply varies with the P and K content of the soil, its moisture content and the maturity period of the varieties.
In general, rates of applications per hectare in Ghana average around 90 kg N. 60 kg P2O5 and 60 kg K2O. However, fertilizer N levels up to 120 kg/ha are recommended for cultivation in degraded soils. It is essential to have your farm soil tested to know its fertility status and pH levels. By doing this, you will be informed about the additional amount of fertilizer needed to meet target yields.
Nitrogen fertilizer is the main driving force to produce maize yields under irrigated and favorable rain-fed conditions in Ghana. During production, the cost of nitrogen fertilizer represents 15-30% of the total production costs, with this cost increasing as more countries remove fertilizer and other input subsidies. Farmers are therefore advised to look out to the best Nitrogen fertilizers that can help maximize profit.
Many farmers in Ghana do not use the optimum method of fertilizer application process they prefer to broadcast fertilizer in maize. These practices are inefficient because generally only one-third of the fertilizer nitrogen is used by the plant. Losses occur through gaseous losses, runoff, and leaching or immobilization in the soil.
Top Dressing with Urea:
According to IFDC applied research, Urea Deep Placement (UDP) is an innovative, proven fertilizer application technology that achieves average yield increases of 18% while reducing fertilizer use by about one-third. This technology has improved nitrogen-uptake efficiency and is a simple, low-cost technology that is extremely well suited to small-scale maize production. In Ghana, Demeter Ghana Ltd. is the only place you can be sure of your Urea briquette supply needs.
Benefit of Urea Deep Placement (UDP).
Reduces expenditures for urea by 20% - 25%.
- Increases maize yields by 15% - 25%.
- Reduces expenditures for hired weeding labor by 26% - 35%.
- Reduces phosphorus runoff when urea-diammonium phosphate is deep placed.
- Minimizes ammonium and phosphate fixation and immobilization.
- Ensures nitrogen availability beyond the tasseling stage when applied at an appropriate rate.
Farmers can top dress with Urea briquette at 45kg per acre four weeks after planting.
Nitrogen easily leaches through the soil, therefore the total amount of nitrogen fertilizer required should be split between two in-crop applications to ensure nitrogen availability throughout the critical growth stages of the crop for improved yields. In most cases, all the P and K and about two-thirds of the N are applied basally, with the rest of the N top-dressed later.
Therefore, apply N-P-K compound fertilizer (60-60-60 kg/ha as N, P2O5 and K2O) within 7-10 days after planting and top-dressed with 30 kg N/ha at 4-6 weeks after planting 4 weeks for early maturing varieties or 6 weeks for intermediate to late maturing varieties).
Supply of Hybrid and Open Pollinated Quality Seeds.
The use of low-quality seeds is another major cause of low maize productivity in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana. Poor seed selection and limited use of new improved commercial varieties are among the reasons why farmers are not able to achieve high productivity. To move maize production levels beyond 1.7t/ha, improved and hybrid seeds are essential.
Maize varieties differ from one another in a number of characteristics and each one has its own adaptability and yield potential. For high stable yields, plant improved varieties with the right agronomic strengths for your area.
Hybrid seeds are the product of breeding two distinct varieties of a plant into a single, first generation hybrid that has all the desired characteristics of both parent lines. Hybrids are well suited to favourable production environments and respond well to high management levels. Hybrids contain improved genetics, such as high yield potential and unique trait combinations to tolerate adverse growing conditions resulting in higher yields than OPVs.
Demeter supplies a hybrid maize variety which is high yielding and suitable for commercial agriculture.
- A product of Pannar’s tropical breeding programme makes this the best white hybrid adapted to Ghanaian conditions.
- Medium Maturity – 54 days to flower and 115-120 days to harvest
- Superior grain quality with hard flint grain making this hybrid more tolerant to insect damage
- Dark green leaf colour resulting from excellent fertilizer use efficiency
- Tolerant of acid soils
- Resistant to all major maize diseases
- Top performer in regional Ghanaian Research Trials
For further information you can reach us at +233 24 529 7047 or email Info@demeterafrica.com.
