The Crops Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-CRI) has established trial fields to test the efficacy of ComCat, a bio-stimulant, on the performance of rice, maize, soybean and tomato.
The trials will also help the research institution to validate and test the efficiency of ComCat, which is about to be introduce in Ghana, in sustainable crop production.
It will also help facilitate broader dissemination, adoption, and scaling of the results of the bio-stimulant in crop production in Ghana.
Additionally, the field study will incorporate the use of NPK and Triple Superphosphate fertilizers (TSP), which have both been tested as sole soil enhancement applications, and integrate treatment regimens to determine whether the bio-stimulant can complement conventional fertilizers to optimize crop performance.
The ongoing research is being conducted at three key sites in the Ashanti Region: Fumesua (maize and soybean), Ejisu Donaso (rice), and Kwadaso (tomato).
These sites were strategically selected as they represent major production areas and provide opportunities to engage diverse farming communities and farmer groups.
Professor Maxwell Darko Asante, Director for CSIR-CRI speaking to the Ghana News Agency, during a farmers’ field visit to the trial sites, explained that, the research institution wanted to validate the product before it was sold on Ghanaian market, although it was being used already in other countries across the globe.
He pointed out that bio-stimulants stirred the uptake of nutrients from the soil by serving as a natural plant extract that was absorbed through both the leaves and the roots of plants.
Again, it helped plants to use fertilizer more efficiently, supporting cutting down about 50 to 60 percent of fertilizer use which was beneficial to the environment as well.
Bio-stimulants, he noted, enabled the improvement of natural plant’s own defense mechanisms against abiotic stress factors, enhancing metabolism and allowing for optimal crop growth.
Prof Asante stressed that, with the effects of greenhouse gases, farmers were encouraged to embrace climate smart agriculture, adding that such research on performance of bio-stimulants could help cut down on the use of inorganic fertilizers.
He also called on farmers to invest in modern agricultural technologies to maximize their profits.
The field day was used to introduce ComCat bio-stimulants to farmers, showcase the performance of the product crop productivity, and also educate participants on the application and benefits.