UG develops technology to boost rice production
The University of Ghana’s Technology Development and Transfer Centre has developed a technology aimed at developing low lands in the country into suitable spots for rice production.
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Through this technology, many farmers have been able to set up farms in low land areas by recreating the land and putting in an irrigation system to grow rice.
This was announced when the centre organised a one-day exhibition to showcase technologies, including artifacts, products and services developed by the institute’s faculty and students.
The lecturer in charge of the development of the technology, Dr Joseph Ofori told the Daily Graphic after the exhibition that low lands were very suitable for rice production due to their good soil moisture conditions.
He said these low lands were made of inland valleys and flood places but had their problems due to the petrography which was somehow undulating.
“There is always erosion from run water which makes rice activities very difficult, especially the growth and yield,” he stated.
He said what the technology, therefore, sought to do was to put structures in the valleys or flood places to prevent erosion and at the same time conserve water for rice production.
He added that it did that by using bonding along the contours. “We bond the fields into smaller plots in order to maintain level field and at the same time prevent erosion and conserve water within the plot.”
By so doing, he said the farmers would be able to indulge in lots of farming activities on the land.
“Ghana is endowed with about 800,000 hectares of low lands which can be used effectively for rice production when we put in the appropriate structures to prevent erosion and also preserve water,” he noted.
Impact of the technology
Dr Ofori pointed out that its experience with the technology indicated that farmers could get up to six tonnes per hectare as against the 1.5 tonnes they normally got.
“And with this 800,000 hectares of low lands in the country, even if we are able to develop one-third of them, we will be able to produce more than we need,” he said.
He disclosed that in some parts of the Ashanti Region where the technology was tested, some of the farmers even realised about seven tonnes of rice per hectare.
“Currently, we are ,therefore, trying to transfer the technology to some parts of the Volta Region where we have vast low lands which could be cultivated for rice production”.
“The good thing about this is we use very simple machinery,” he added.
Exhibition
The University of Ghana’s Technology Development and Transfer Centre organised a one-day exhibition to showcase 18 technologies designed by students and lecturers of the institution.
The exhibition was aimed at strengthening the co-operation and linkages with the private sector, civil society and public sector research users.
The technologies that were showcased included publications of UG faculty, irrigated sawah technology, electroporcelain insulators, edible picture cake, oyster mushroom biscuits, quick shuttle mobile app, and a record digitisation and a preservation system.
The Head of Department of Operations and Management Information Systems at the University of Ghana Business School, Professor Richard Boateng said the aim of the exhibition was to enable faculty and students package and, disseminate research results and technologies developed in the UG to industry.
He said it was also meant to enable the university to learn of the needs/expectations of industry regarding research and teaching outputs.
According to him, there was also the need to publicise research works conducted in the university.
Don’t do research and keep it. Beyond publicising it, make it available and usable by the industry. Find a target market and make it available for them to access it,” he said.
He said the maiden event was made possible following a grant from the World Bank through the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology two years ago.