AGRICULTURE EXTENSION OFFICERS UNDERGO TRAINING IN PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT IN SELECTED VEGETABLES AND LEGUMES
The Bono East regional directorate of the Department of Agriculture in collaboration with the Crops Research Institute( CRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research( CSIR) has organized a 2 day training of trainers’ workshop for 16 extension officers on disease and pest management in garden eggs, cabbage, pepper, groundnuts, cowpea and soybean in Atebubu.
The exercise which was under the ‘Modernizing Agriculture in Ghana’ programme covered all eleven districts in the region and had one groundnut farmer, one garden eggs producer and the crops officer for the host district also participating.
According to Mr. Benard Marfo, the regional officer in charge of extension, the workshop was a response to findings at the 2021 regional Research-Extension-Farmer-Linkage Committee RELC review and planning session where it came to light that yields of the said crops were on the decline due to pest and disease infestation.
Welcoming participants, the Atebubu-Amantin municipal director of the Department, Mr. Stephen Aidoo urged them to take the training seriously since it will lead to an increase in production of the affected vegetables and legumes for the benefit of farmers and the country as a whole.
Mr. Godfried Ohene-Mensah, a Plant pathologist with the Crops Research Institute took participants through the concept of disease with emphasis on the disease cycle and epidemics. He spoke on some general diseases affecting vegetables and their management after which he touched specifically on diseases affecting cowpea, soybean and groundnuts as well as pepper, garden eggs and cabbage stressing on their symptoms, mode of spread and control.
Mr. Paul Marno, a Plant breeder with the legumes division of the CRI spoke about best practices in the production of groundnuts, soybean and cowpea. He took participants through: site selection, temperature and water requirements, land preparation, planting, varieties, agronomic practices, pests and diseases as well as harvesting and processing.
The Bono East regional coordinator of RELC, Dr. Kofi Frimpong-Anin who is also a Research Scientist spoke on the effective management of insect pests of cowpea, garden eggs, pepper and cabbage touching specifically on a number of these pests their signs and how to manage them.
Some participants expressed their delight at the opportunity to expand their knowledge base and hoped to share the new insights acquired with their colleagues and farmers in their various districts for the benefit of agriculture in the region.
DANIEL ODURO-STEWART
(AG. MUNICIPAL INFO. OFFICER)
THE REGIONAL OFFICER
ISD-TECHIMAN
Cc: THE DIRECTOR
ISD-ACCRA
