African Rice (Oryza glaberrima Steud) and its Wild Progenitor (Oryza barthii A.Chev. & Roehr) under Threat in the Volta Region of Ghana

Abstract

A study was conducted to assess the status of African rice (Oryza glaberrima Steud) and its wild progenitor (Oryza barthii A. Chev. & Roehr) in the Volta Region of Ghana. Surveys were undertaken in more than thirty rice fields in five districts of the Volta Region known to grow African rice. Accessions of African rice were, however, found in less than 50% of fields surveyed. Soil analyses data confirmed the ability of African rice to survive in nutrient-poor soils, but field observations revealed that it has been largely replaced by Asian rice (Oryza sativa Linn.) in farmers’ fields. Of the seven accessions believed to be O. glaberrima at the time of sampling, only three were confirmed after agro-morphological characterization. Farmers cited low grain yield, low consumer demand and difficulty in de-husking of seeds as some of the factors underlying the reduced cultivation of O. glaberrima. Nevertheless, for the people of Likpe Bakwa, O. glaberrima remains the preferred rice for specific socio-cultural practices (e.g. marriage ceremony) due to its peculiar grain colour and flavour. O. glaberrima also has desirable traits which can be harnessed in breeding programs (e.g. pest and disease resistance, drought tolerance, and longer shelf-life of cooked grain). The wild rice species, O. barthii, was not found in the rice fields because farmers regard it as a weed and therefore tend to destroy it. It was found along a river bank in the Adaklu-Anyigbe District, where it is threatened by dependence of the community on the river water as well as increased human traffic across the river to neighbouring farms. Thus, agricultural expansion and increased demand for the higher yielding Asian rice pose severe threats to African rice and its wild progenitor in the Volta Region and attempts must be made towards their conservation.