APNI Annual Report 2022 - Towards Transformation

FRAME COCOA PROJECT for GHANA
This project is aimed at contributing to yield improvement in smallholder cocoa farms in Ghana
by developing a remote sensing supported research framework for site-specific agronomic
management.
Initial diagnostic surveys evaluated obstacles to farmer adoption of fertilizer recommendations
and assessed supply and demand perspectives. Site-specific agronomic platforms were designed to
begin to assess the impact of crop management, soil fertility, soil moisture, and micro-climate on
cocoa yield.
PROJECT
TIMEFRAME
DESIGN PHASE (2021)
IMPLEMENTATION (2022)
?
CURRENT RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. Can integrated satellite, climate, soil, tree canopy data guide nutrient management
practices?
2. What are the barriers/opportunities for adoption of site-specific nutrient use?
3. Which value chain partnership models can support adoption of site-specific nutrient
recommendations?
COMPLETION (2024)
PARTNERS
CSIR-Soil Research Institute
Kwame Nkrumah
University of
Science and Technology
SUPPORTED BY
AFRICAN
PLANT NUTRITION
RESEARCH FUND
KEY MOMENTS
2022
24
Diagnostic
surveys
conducted
Site selection
completed
Multi-stakeholders’
workshop
Soil Health for Improved Livelihoods - Tree Crop Systems R&D Initiative
Business model
developed to couple
remote sensing &
site-specific nutrient
management
practices towards
improved fertilizer
recommendation in
cocoa systems
Ph.D. student,
Bright Laboan,
engaged to work on
site-specific nutrient
management for
sustainable cocoa
intensification in
Ghana under joint
supervision of
APNI, Soil Research
Institute, & Cranfield
University (UK).