Integrated Soil Fertility Management in Ghana: challenges and opportunities

Abstract

Soil fertility remains a challenge in Ghana and other sub-Saharan African countries. Most nutrient balances on farmers' fields are  negative due to nutrient mining resulting from continuous cultivation of farmers' fields. The major farming systems in the region are  characteristically lowinput and rely heavily on resident soil organic matter, which is very low due to environmental and socioeconomic  factors. Ghana has one of the lowest fertiliser application rates in the sub-region as a result of the inability of farmers to afford this input.  The introduction of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) practices, which is premised on combining organic resources and inorganic fertilisers to combat soil fertility decline in combination with appropriate germplasm is being introduced as one possible  technology that can reduce soil infertility. This review takes a critical look at the implementation of ISFM in Ghana with particular  emphasis on challenges to adoption and implementation. Results indicate that most of the successes of this technology occurred in the  northern parts of the country; however, proper implementation will require more effort to address challenges such as information flows  in the value chain. The other solution is a need for a policy shift towards implementing the technology in addition to infrastructure     development and the development of fertiliser markets.