Development of Visual Extension Material for a Striga Control Programme in Northern Ghana through Action Research.
Abstract In the last two decades, research has developed techniques to control the parasitic weed Striga sp. (Scrophulariaceae), one of the worst pests in the West African Sahel. Yet, some of the control measures are economically not viable, at least not in the short-run, others cure part of the problem only, while some require changes of the entire farming system. The complexity of the problem demands an integrated control approach with solutions that are flexible enough to match the diversity and variability of the farming systems. A better understanding of the parasite's biology by farmers will encourage them to appreciate the current complex and time-consuming Striga control measures. Such an approach calls for close collaboration between researchers, extensionists and farmers. Through action research, a picture supported group extension programme was developed, which was characterised by a shift from a teaching-centred to a learner-centred extension approach in Northern Ghana. The cost for developing...
Characterizing the constraints for the adoption of a Callopogonium mucunoides improved fallow in rice production systems in northern Ghana
Abstract In northern Ghana, rice ( Oryza sativa ) production is limited by nitrogen deficiency. Farmers cultivate rice fields almost continuously with little or no nutrient inputs. The traditional natural fallow periods are too short to restore soil fertility and farmers cannot afford or access chemical fertilizers. Results from some studies suggest that incorporating leguminous cover crops into short duration fallows can improve subsequent crop productivity. The objective of this study was to compare an improved fallow of a leguminous species, Callopogonium mucunoides , with traditional practices of natural bush fallow and continuous rice cropping on rice yields, profits and risk efficiency in the Tolon-Kumbungu district of northern Ghana. The C. mucunoides improved fallow proved superior to the two other cropping practices but the superiority diminished after 2 years of cultivation suggesting a 2-year cropping cycle in line with the existing system. An ex-ante assessment of the adoption of the improved fallow system by farmers identified crop residue incorporation and cost of inputs as major constraints. This suggests the identification and use of an alternative cover crop with similar soil amelioration properties as C. mucunoides but less demanding on labor for incorporation.
Capitalising on Subjectivity: The ‘New Model Worker’ and the Importance of Being Useful
The ever-new buzz words for the ideal worker, such as ‘intrapreneur’ or ‘self-manager’, can be seen as management rhetoric and fashions without major consequences for the labour process. But it can also be maintained that these notions and images shed light on the processes of social construction of the ‘model worker’, that is, the historically variable ideal of workers’ subjectivity and behaviour. It is, for example, quite surprising that few demands are evident for the traditional virtues of work, such as reliability, performance of one’s duties or obedience, in current managerial discourses, although these have been the cornerstones of the work ethic in capitalist societies. Instead, ‘responsible decision makers’, ‘intrapreneurs’, ‘self-managers’ and ‘self-developers’ have entered the scene. In contrast to conventional wisdom, such labels are not reserved for managers or workers in financial services and the like. The discourse embraces virtually every industry and occupation, blurring the differences, in socio-psychological terms, between the board of directors and the shop floor.