UNU-INRA Seminar: “Green Technology for Land and Water Conservation in Farmers’ Fields”
Soil and water conservation by vetiver grass is a cost-effective green technology that can address African farmers’ ecological problems through protecting farmlands on steep slopes. This is particularly important as more slopes are converted to agricultural lands due to increase in population density and poverty.
This seminar introduces a study that focuses on soil erosion as one of the main deterrents of agricultural productivity, hence food security. Unlike other technologies, vetiver grass contributes to livelihood of the farmers by providing raw material for house thatching, handicrafts and fodder for livestock during lean seasons. The research investigated the contribution of vetiver grass to enhancing soil productivity by examining the desired width of planting area between the strips of the grasses. Desired output is to find optimal strip width for increases in soil productivity and farmers’ preferences for space management.
This seminar is the 13th of the UNU-INRA Academic and Research Seminar Series for the 2012/2013 academic year. Effiom Oku, a soil physicist will present his initial ideas about a project to be implemented in the eastern Ghana.
About the Presenter
Effiom Oku has a PhD in Soil Physics from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He is a research fellow at UNU-INRA. He has 12 years of graduate level teaching experience in applied soil physics. His main research is on land degradation and amelioration.
The seminar will be in English. Admission is free.
Second Floor
International House, Annie Jaigge Road
University of Ghana
Legon, Accra, Ghana
+233-54-490-5484
oku@inra.unu.edu
United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources Africa (UNU-INRA)
Second Floor
International House, Annie Jaigge Road
University of Ghana
Legon, Accra, Ghana
Private Mail Bag
Kotoka International Airport
Accra, Ghana
Email: inra@unu.edu or unuinra@gmail.com
Website: http://www.inra.unu.edu