Ofosu-Budu Kwabena Godfred (PhD (Japan))
Academic Qualifications
Hiroshima University, Japan. Ph.D. 1993
Professional Membership
- Ghana Science Association
- Ghana Institute of Horticulturist
Research Interest
Low soil fertility is a major constraint to food production to meet increasing demands of increasing population in Ghana. The use of inorganic fertilizer to supply nutrients to plants is constrained by high prices, distribution challenges. Therefore, the use of inorganic fertilizers in food production is very low approx. 10 kg/ha, among the lowest in developing countries. Agricultural activities generate plant and animal wastes that contain plant nutrients which can be recycled to compost/biochar to improve soil fertility. The use of compost and biochar as a means of promoting sustainability in food production and the nursery, under field conditions in mitigating GHG emissions in cereal crops production is under study.
The release of nutrients under organic farming or integrated fertility management system is different from inorganic fertilizer alone. Nutrient release is mediated by microbes under organic systems. It is important to have considerable knowledge of nutrient especially N availability from different organic amendments when applied to different soil types to enable the synchronization of nutrient release and especially N supply and crop N demand. It is therefore important to characterize the organic resources and predict their nutrient release potentials in different soils and for different crops for effective use in crop production.
Current Research Project
Low soil fertility is a major constraint to food production to meet increasing demands of increasing population in Ghana. The use of inorganic fertilizer to supply nutrients to plants is constrained by high prices, distribution challenges. Agricultural activities generate plant and animal wastes that contain plant nutrients which can be recycled to compost/biochar to improve soil fertility. The major agricultural wastes generated in the forest region include empty fruit bunch, cocoa pod husk and rice husk, while in the coastal savanna, cow dung were identified, under a participatory rapid appraisal study. Together with local farmers, research scientists conducted a rapid appraisal to identify major agricultural waste that are generated in the areas. Selected areas were Kade in the Eastern region representing the forest zone and Sege in the Greater Accra representing the Coastal savanna zone.
The chemical contents of these organic resources have been analysed. Based on the recommendations from literature and staff of the ministry of food and Agriculture (MOFA), different combinations of conventional (inorganic fertilizer only), integrated (inorganic and organic resources and organic resources) are being examined to attain the 90 kgN/ha; 60 kgP/ha and 60 kg K/ha. At both the Kade and Sege sites, maize and sorghum as a testing crop respectively, have been cultivated for four cropping seasons (major and minor) at both on station and on farm sites. Similarly, at the Sege site, matured and fresh cowdung are being used as organic sources and also supplemented by inorganic fertilizers to achieve the MOFA recommendations. The study is monitoring the treatment effects on grain yield, nutrient uptake, nutrient releasing patterns of the various treatments, soil microbial activity, soil organic matter build-up among others. The name of the project is Farmer-driven organic resource management to build soil fertility and improve food security, and is funded by Swiss Agency for Development Co-operation SDC, Switzerland and coordinated by FiBL in Switzerland. Similar projects is been established in three other African countries; Kenya, Zambia and Mali.
Past Research Projects
Ghana Compost Project (Four years Funded by Swiss Agency for Development Co-operation SDC, Switzerland; Productivity, Profitability and Sustainability of Organic and Conventional Farming Systems (ProEcoAfrica and OFSA) (2013 to 2019). Funded by Mercator Foundation Switzerland; Dutch Humanist Institute for Cooperation, (Hivos), Netherlands, Swiss Agency for Development Co-operation SDC, Switzerland.
Recent Publications
1. Lemuel Ohemeng Mintah, Godfred Kwabena Ofosu-Budu, Nana Oduro Osei-Bonsu (2018). Genotypic Variation in Yield and Yield Components of Plantain (Musa spp.) in Response to Containerized Planting Material and Mulching (2018). Agricultural Sciences, 2018, 9, 416-425
2. E. A. Ewusie, P. K. Kwapong, G. Ofosu-Budu, C. Sandrock, A. Akumah, E. Nartey5, C. Teye-Gaga, S. K. Agyarkwah and N. Adamtey (2018) Development of Black Soldier Fly, Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) in Selected Organic Market Waste Fractions in Accra, Ghana. Asian Journal of Biotechnology and Bioresource Technology 4(1): 1-16, 2018
3. E.A. Ewusie, P.K. Kwapong, G. Ofosu-Budu, C. Sandrock, A.M. Akumah, E.K. Nertey, C. Teye-Gaga, S.K. Agyakwah 2019. The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae): Trapping and culturing of wild colonies in Ghana. Scientific African 5 (2019) 1-11