This graph illustrates the ties/relationships which exist in farmer-herder conflicts in southern Ghana. Contrary to what is often said the Fulani herders are not always those who cause conflict. They also develop strong ties with local associations, opinion leaders and represent an important workforce for large livestock owners. The density of relations does not end only with these relations above described, but it also involves the security agents and officials of the Ghanaian government who most often intervene in the resolution of conflicts.

MOFA regional retail and wholesale prices on popular crops (2007-2010): - rice - tomato - chili - maize - millet and others

This data is the result of collecting opinions of stakeholders on how they decide to use their land use products for generating benefits (food provision, fodder provision, energy provision, construction material provision and market value provision).

This study revealed that local agro-pastoralists were quite aware of their own actions that could influence the changing abundance of the natural forage resources. Moreover, the local informants suggested means through which their rich LEK in the traditional management and regulation of plant resources including forage plants could be applied. This is necessary for them to tackle negative effects of the ecological drivers to changing forage plants communities especially crops. One of the topmost suggestions made by local agro-pastoralists was that cutting down of trees for charcoal production and fuel wood should be stopped, while afforestation of useful trees should be encouraged by fellow farmers to increase the frequency of rainfall incidences and increase soil fertility.

Fibremass (lint mass) of conventional upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) was significantly higher after outcross pollination than after selfing. Hence, outcross pollination (e.g.transfer of pollen from flowers of one individual to another individual of the same species by bees) enhances fruit quality and hence the income of the smallholders.

The data set contains the applications to the WASCAL Farmer Innovation Contest. The contest took place in the years 2012-2015, respectively, in the Upper East Region in Ghana. Eligible to partake in the contest were local small-scale farmers form the region. Their agricultural innovations could be either of technical, institutional or organisational kind. A broad range of innovation themes were covered, such as animal husbandry, crop management or storage innovations. The table provides information about the applicants, e.g. basic demographics, and their innovations, e.g. theme of innovation, problem addressed, or obstacles and costs in applying the innovations. The data was collected in questionnaires that served as the application to the contest. Local extension officers assisted in the application process. In the final step, a jury of experts evaluated the innovations and determined the contest winners. Winners of the contest were awarded with material or monetary prices. Additionally, the data set provides basic descriptive statistics for all contest runs, e.g. share of pest or disease related innovations of total innovations.

In the Sudan Savanna region of West Africa, smallholder agricultural production is almost entirely rain-fed. Some of the major constraints to crop production are low soil fertility and high intra- and inter-annual rainfall variability. The above constraints motivated us to investigate the impact of climate change and different soil and water conservation techniques, for both high and low intensity nitrogen fertilization on yield and yield stability of key crops namely, maize, cotton and sorghum in the Sudan Savanna of Ghana (Vea), Benin (Dassari) and Burkina Faso (Dano). In the empirical studies, we evaluated the effect of tillage practices (contour and reduced tillage), nitrogen fertilizer rates (no nitrogen-N0, recommended nitrogen-NREC and high nitrogen-N2REC) and residue management (improved and standard) on the yield of maize, sorghum and cotton, for two landscape positions (upslope and footslope) in an on-farm researcher managed experiment. The 3 locations each with 3 growing seasons (2012, 2013 and 2014) were analyzed as 9 contrasting or site-seasons. Over all site-seasons, crops planted at the footslope had 31% higher relative yields and 18% higher relative aboveground biomass than those planted at the upslope. Generally, the use of contour ridging in combination with improved residue management and recommended N fertilizer was justified regardless of site-seasons and landscape position. The experimental data from short season maize (Dorke SR) was used to parameterize and evaluate the cropping system model, Decision System for Agro technology Transfer (DSSAT V 4.6) CERES-Maize. The simulated effects of climate change and adaptation options to reduce negative effect of climate change on maize were assessed. Daily climatic data for the period 2040-2060 under the scenarios RCP 4.5 and 8.5 were obtained from Regional Climate Model version 4 (RegCM4). Both scenarios show an increase in mean temperature of 0.7, 1.5 and 1.7oC for Dano, Vea and Dassari respectively as compared to baseline 1985-2004. Precipitation is projected to increase by 40, 44 and 47% in Dano, Vea and Dassari respectively by 2050 under the two scenarios. Assessment of climate impacts on maize grain yield suggest a reduction in yield of 72, 42 and 41% for Dano , Vea and Dassari for no N fertilizer and a reduction in yield of 53, 37 and 11% for Dano, Vea and Dassari respectively under recommended N fertilizer. Analysis of adaptation measures (recommended nitrogen fertilizer, contour ridges and improved residues management as adaptation No 1 (NREC) and high nitrogen, contour ridges and improved residue management as adaptation No 2 (N2REC) with both adaptations tested under single and split dose of nitrogen application) indicated substantial reduction of negative impacts of climate change on maize grain yield as compared to the current practice by farmers (without adaptation). N2REC and NREC were able to reduce the negative impact of climate change on current maize production in the Sudan Savanna by 75 and 45% respectively. On the two methods of N fertilizer application, model estimated 64% for split and 56% for single nitrogen fertilizer application in reducing negative impact of climate change across the three sites relative to the current farmers’ practices. The biggest benefit of reducing the effect of climate change on maize in this study will be the replacement of short season Dorke SR with long duration high temperature tolerant maize cultivar with high thermal requirements. This cultivar will develop under more favorable thermal and rainfall conditions, increasing the duration of vegetative phase, which intend will lead to increased yield. Policy makers should therefore create the enabling environment for farmers to afford credits to change crop and agronomic strategies in response to negative impact of climate change. Additionally improving the knowledge and skills of the few extension agents in the Sudan Savanna region on climate change and adaptation strategies is crucial in successful adaptation program to combat climate change.

Amount of irrigation water diverted to farms measured at farm inlet. The are data collected based on current practice by farmers in the Bongo Irrigation Scheme and the Vea Irrigation Schemes for the 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 dry seasons.