By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Bolgatanga, Aug. 28, GNA – Striga, commonly known as witchweed, can cause up to 60 per cent losses in cereal crops in Northern Ghana, with severe infestations capable of wiping out entire farms.
Mr Sumaila Seidu Saaka, the Executive Director of the Forum for Natural Regeneration (FONAR), who gave the warning, said the parasitic weed posed a serious threat to food production in the region, particularly sorghum, millet, maize and upland rice, which were among the major crops affected.
“Striga starts destroying the crops underground before it comes up. In some cases, farmers can lose 100 per cent of their cereal crops because of Striga infestation,” he said.
Mr Saaka made the remarks at Damol-Tindongo in the Nabdam District during a Striga Control Awareness Campaign, organised to educate farmers on measures to control the spread of the parasitic weed.
The campaign was being funded by Awaken Trees Association of Austria under the Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration for Women’s Empowerment and Livelihoods Project (FMNR4WELIP).
The campaign also stemmed from the Trans-Sahara Project, which promotes Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus-based approaches to agroforestry management.
The three-year Trans-Sahara Project seeks to use agroforestry systems and nature-based interventions to support communities in Ghana and other African countries to build resilience against climate change.
Striga is a root plant parasite that attaches itself to the roots of host crops and siphons water, nutrients and photosynthates, thereby weakening the plants and reducing yields.
Mr Saaka explained that a single mature Striga plant could produce between 50,000 and 100,000 seeds, making the weed particularly difficult to control once it became established on farmlands.
He said the seeds could remain dormant in the soil for between 20 and 30 years, waiting for favourable conditions to germinate.
Mr Saaka said Striga was prevalent across all 15 districts of the region and had become a major challenge for farmers, especially in communities where cereal crops were cultivated continuously without adequate crop rotation or intercropping.
He therefore urged farmers to adopt integrated measures, including crop rotation, intercropping, improved soil fertility management and other sustainable farming practices to break the cycle of Striga infestation.
Mr Saaka said the Striga problem could not be treated in isolation because it was closely linked to declining soil fertility, food insecurity, pressure on natural resources and climate change.
He stated that the campaign was aimed at empowering farmers to take practical measures at the community level to control the weed and prevent it from spreading to new areas.
FONAR was working with the Department of Agriculture to build the capacity of agricultural extension agents so that they could continue providing technical advice and educating farmers on Striga control after the campaign, he said.
“We want to reach more farmers so that together we can continue to help farmers minimise poverty and eradicate the struggle and frustration in farming communities,” Mr Saaka said.
He indicated that FONAR’s approach therefore sought to integrate Striga control with Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR), soil fertility improvement and sustainable agroforestry practices to restore degraded farmlands.
Mr Kurubil Bugbil, a farmer and participant in the training, expressed gratitude to FONAR and its partners for the education, adding that Striga had consistently destroyed their crops over the years.
He expressed the hope that the education would help farmers reduce Striga infestation, improve cereal yields and strengthen food security in the region.
Mr Tii Wulug, another farmer, also indicated that he had learnt a lot and would share the knowledge with his fellow farmers to fight the canker.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/ Christabel Addo
Reporter: Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Email: [email protected]