Ghana needs more plant pathologists to fight pests and diseases in crop production

The changing climate variables pose a threat to the control of pest and disease invasions.

These invasions, driven by global warming, have serious implications for agriculture and food security, according to scientists.

Ghana’s production and export of food and cash crops have in years past been hampered by pests and diseases, affecting productivity at the farm gates and foreign exchange earnings.

The export of fruits like mangoes, for instance, has been banned from major international markets due to the negative impact of fruit flies and other plant pests and diseases.

The situation is compounded as a result of the drastic variation in the weather, observed Dr. Mary Apetorgbor, a 2013 Fellow of the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD).

“As a result of the variations in temperatures and precipitation, we have increasing population of pests and diseases and this is affecting farmers; its having adverse effects on our plantations and then on our food crops,” she said.

Ghana records an annual 20–50 percent post harvest loss in agricultural production, a trend that stifles the growth of other sectors of the economy.

Actors in Ghana’s agricultural production are calling for an increase in the number of trained plant pathologists to support other agricultural scientists in prevention and control of pests and diseases in crop production.

“There is a lot of reduction in products during storage due to diseases and that is how plant pathologist comes in; if you are able to identify the right causes and be able to put in place phytosanitary measures, then we would be able to reduce the losses that we are having from storage of crops,” observed Dr. Stella Ennin, Chief Research Scientists at the Crops Research Institute (CRI) of the Council for Scientific an Industrial Research (CSIR).

 

Referring to the cassava brown streak disease which was effectively contained in Ghana, she acknowledged the few pathologists in the system have been useful in preventing disease outbreaks in plants.

Dr. Ennin however says there is the need to train more plant doctors to lead the management of emerging plant pests and diseases.

As part of the drive, students at the Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology at the KNUST have been engaged to explore opportunities in plant pathology as a career option.

The seminar was organized by the Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG) of the CSIR in collaboration with the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD).

Dr. Apetorgbor, who spoke on the topic: “Sick Plants: Who Cares?” reiterated the need for young plant doctors to help in climate change mitigation activities.

“We need young people to take up studies in plant diseases to help solve this problem; we need plant doctors to form plant clinics together with other experts to solve this problem that is arising as a result of climate change,” she said.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh