1. Eliasu Salifu1, Wilson Agyei Agyare1, Larbi Asamoah2
Soil and Water Management Techniques to Improve Soil Moisture for Maize, Cowpea and Soybean Production in Northern Ghana
Eliasu Salifu1, Wilson Agyei Agyare1, Larbi Asamoah2
1Department of Agricultural Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University for Science and Technology, Kumasi.
2Africa RISING, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Tamale.

2. Introduction
The three northern regions of Ghana have the potential for increased agricultural production.
To realize this potential requires that the declining soil quality conditions be addressed.
Need for sound research to back the promotion of soil and water conservation
Senayah et al., (2001) for instance have reported improved yields of maize, sorghum, millet, rice and groundnut under SWC measures compared with normal farm management in a trials carried out in Bawku municipality of the Upper East Region

3. Objectives
To determine the effect of soil and water conservation measures on soil moisture content for maize, cowpea and soybeanproduction
To determine the effect of soil and water conservation measures on maize, cowpea and soybean grain yield

4. Materials and Methods (1/4)
Study Area
On-station = Africa RISING Research Station, Tamale Airport Area,
On-farm = Duko, Tingoli and Gbanjong in the Northern Region.
Experiment Setup
Design: RCBD
Treatments: Contour Farming (CF), Half Moon (HM), Contour Ridges (CR) and Flat Bed (FB)
Replications: On-station = 4; On-farm = 3 (each community)
Plot Size: 5m x 10m
Crops: Maize, Cowpea and Soybean

5. Materials and Methods (2/4) Treatments Details
Contour farming
Contour farming requires that the ploughing/hoeing, sowing and other activities be done along the contours.
Fig. 1: Layout and picture of contour farming
Ridges were therefore prepared along the contours whilst ensuring that the ridges were parallel to each other and to the contours. This yielded thirteen (13) ridges on each CF plot.
Half-moon
The bunds of the half-moon were laid in staggered rows with their tips on the contours.
Fig. 2: Layout and picture of half-moon
The semi-circular bunds had a diameter of 2 m and raised to 20 cm with a gap of 1 m left between two neighbouring structures so that run-off water can flow downslope to the next structure.

6. Materials and Methods (3/4) Treatments Details
Contour ridges
With the contour ridges, small earth banks parallel to the contour of the slope were constructed at 2 m interval and raised to a height of 20 cm whiles stretching to the ends of the plot. This resulted in a total of five earth banks on each CR plot.
Fig. 3: Layout and picture of contour ridges
Flat Bed
The flat bed are often not conservational to soil and water and ploughing is often done along the slope or across the contours. The plots for FB were therefore left bare and flat after harrowing was done.
Fig. 4: Picture of flat bed

7. Materials and Methods (4/4)
Data collection and analysis
Soil moisture content
Ten soil moisture readings, taken at three days interval with a delta T soil moisture probe
Grain yield
Grain yield taken from the two middle rows of each plot

8. Results and discussion (1/3)
Fig. 5: Effect soil and water conservation measures on soil moisture for maize trial
Fig. 6: Effect of soil and water conservation measures on soil moisture for cowpea trial

9. Results and discussion (2/3)
Fig. 7: Effect soil and water conservation measures on soil moisture for soybean trial
Fig. 8: Effect of soil and water conservation measures on maize yield in on-station and on-farm trial

10. Results and discussions (3/3)
Fig. 9: Effect of soil and water conservation measures on cowpea yield in on-station and on-farm trial
Fig. 10: Effect of soil and water conservation measures on soybean yield in on-station and on-farm trial

11. Conclusions
Soil moisture content was significantly high under SWC measures in maize cowpea and soybeans trials on-station.
Soil and water conservation measures significantly improved maize and soybean grain yield on-station and on-farm and cowpea on-farm only.
Contour farming gave the best maize, cowpea and soybean grain yield at both on-station and on-farm

12. Recommendations
Contour farming is recommended for adoption by farmers in Northern Region as the best SWC practice among those studied.
The trial should be repeated and also carried in other parts of northern Ghana
The costs-benefits analysis of the conservation measures should be carried out to enable farmers to be advised accordingly.

13. END THANK YOU