APPIAH JAMES

Crops: maize, pepper, plantain, cocoyam and garden eggs

Fields growing under conservation agriculture (CA) practices are more pest and weed resistant due to a combination of practices, including no-tillage and planting cover crops.

Appiah James is a 23-year-old farmer in the tropical region of Amanchia, Ghana. In the tropical climate, weed and pest control are a constant challenge for farmers using traditional practices. James has built a highly productive farm with diversified crops that he sells in the local market. James says, “Currently, I have maize, pepper, plantain, cocoyam and garden eggs.”

James relies on CA practices to reduce labor required to weed his fields and greatly prevent pest damage. “Before my training at the HGBF | CNTA, I spent most of my time on weeding the field, but now it has all reduced and I do less work on the field.”

CA farmers reduce their field labor by an average of 45% over time through improved weed control.*

The mulch he leaves on the land, which is a central no-till practice, deters weed growth and reduces labor investment in a significantly. The same mulch acts as a barrier to pests, deterring them from accessing the soil and plant roots. 

In addition to running this successful no-till operation, James teaches other farmers in his community about the benefits of CA adoption. “I began teaching others about no-till one day when I saw a car parked in front of my farm, and the driver asked me if I could follow him to his farm to show his guys how I farm. Today, I teach other farmers on my own farm and volunteer my time at the HGBF | CNTA.”

*Based on HGBF | CNTA Data, 2016