Dr James Asibuo, of the CRI, said this was critical to providing farmers with a one-stop shop on critical information on crop production, market prizes, farm mechanisation and micro-irrigation in local languages.

 This was also to give farmers a better bargaining power and make them better placed to take decisions about the sale of produce and the best know-how available to them to improve crop yield.

Dr Asibuo, who was addressing the opening session of a two-day workshop on affordable smartphone phenotyping for crop production at Fumesua in the Ejisu Municipality, said it was appropriate for farmers to apply information technology in their activities.

 The programme, organised by the CRI, discussed topics, including “Breeding and Farming in Ghana”, “Smart Application for Field Phenotyping”, “Root Phenotyping – Improving Cassava Production” and “Field Phenotyping – Quantifying Plant Traits for Crops Where They Grow Today and in the Future”.

 The participants, including farmers, plant breeders, agricultural researchers and scientists, were taken through field activities on phenotyping and sterile tissue culture.The programme was designed to build the capacity of the attendees to use smartphone application for determining plant biomass and diseases.

 The motive is to keep the participants abreast of the modern trends in agro practices, using the best available technology to enhance the living conditions of stakeholders along the agricultural value chain.

Dr Asibuo pointed out that the use of technology and innovation like improved quality seed and biotech tools had the potential to boost agricultural production. He encouraged private entities to work alongside large companies in out-grower scheme in order to come out with a large portion of innovations being imported and adapted to suit the African agriculture market and conditions.

Dr. Mark Muller-Linow, Plant Scientist at the Institute of Bio and Geo Sciences (IBG) - Research Centre, Germany, noted that researchers had developed a ‘leaf pathometry app’, a new portal application for qualifying plant disease severity.

This is to enhance the selection of colours indicating healthy and non-healthy leaf.  

By Stephen Asante/Dorothy Frances Ward, GNA