Adoption potential of climate-smart varieties, intercrops and fertilization strategies in Northern Ghana

Agricultural productivity in northern Ghana continues to be constrained by declining soil fertility, erratic rainfall, and labour-intensive field operations. To address these challenges, demonstration plots were established across Bullu, Bussie, and Limo communities in Northern and Upper West regions to test climate-smart maize varieties, grain legumes, mechanization tools, and machine-learning-generated fertilizer recommendations. Field days were organized at planting, second fertilizer application and harvesting stages to enable farmer observation and direct engagement with researchers. A total of 108 respondents participated in a participatory evaluation comprising farmers and extension agents, of which 52.78% were female and 47.22% male. Overall, farmers showed strong preference for improved varieties and diversified cropping systems. The maize variety Wang Basig was rated very good or good by 98.2% of respondents, with 82.4% confirming it performs better than their own varieties. The cowpea variety Padi Tuya was perceived as superior by 89.8%, while 97.2% preferred the Sari Nut groundnut variety over what they typically cultivated. Intercropping was favoured, with 45% selecting maize–cowpea systems for cowpea yield and soil-cover benefits. Notably, awareness of fertilizer application stood at 27% whereas 93% of the respondents were willing to adopt the practice following the demonstration. Findings indicate strong farmer interest in adopting climate-smart varieties, intercropping and fertilizer application technologies, demonstrating high potential for scaling sustainable intensification technologies in the Guinea Savannah region.