Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
ranging from 30.5 mg/100 g ( gun-gonsalli ) to 6.3 mg/100 g ( baayeri ). All
these values are far in excess of the values reported by Tindal (1983).
Erosion of yam types
Table 8.5 outlines the factors that, reportedly, lead to erosion of the yam types.
The erosion of yam types might be accelerated by social, cultural, and economic
factors. For example, farmers believe that the baamuyegu yam type has spiritual
powers and is thus the leader of all yam types. It is believed that it leads the other
yam types spiritually during the night (to drink water). When this type of yam
increases on a farm, there will be a struggle for “leadership” among the yams, and
the farmers will lose all other yam types. Thus, only experienced farmers keep the
baamuyegu type of yam on their farms.
Table 8.6 indicates the yam types maintained by farmers and the reasons why
they are kept. The most common yam types kept are goenyeni , kpuringa , laabako ,
kpuno , and baayeri . Prosperous farmers are those with large farms of Laabako
and Kpuno yam types. There is a competition among the farmers to cultivate these
yam types.
Table 8.5 Factors leading to erosion of some yam types in a PLEC demonstration site
in northern Ghana
Factor
Type of yam
Declining soil fertility
Liilya, chamba, zong, kukulga, bombe-tingye
Spiritual
Baamuyegu
Drought
Nkanfu, kan-gbaringa
Difficult to store
Manchisi, gun-goansalli, mogni-nyuga
Labour intensive
Digi , dakpani
Source: PLEC field survey, 2001
Table 8.6 Factors leading to maintenance of some yam types in a PLEC demonstration site
in northern Ghana
Factors
Yam type
Cash source
Laabako, kpuno, friginli, baayeri
Festivals and funerals
Chenchito, kpuringa, friginli
Hunger crop
Kpuringa, goenyeni, zuglanbo, fugla
Sacrifice (yam festival)
Laabako
Easy preparation
Laabako, kpuno
Source: PLEC field survey, 2001
Search WWH ::




Custom Search