Robert K. Owusu
conducted research in solar blanching of vegetables prior to drying. I have designed, constructed and tested a high capacity (> 200 kg) free convection greenhouse dryer which is currently being used by several women processing FBO to dry pepper , groundnut and cassava chips.
I have trained a lot of rice producing FBOs in Northern and Upper East Regions in rice harvesting, threshing and drying in order to maintain the quality for straight milling. I have also trained a number of rice processing (parboiling) FBOs in the theory of rice processing
TECHNOLOGIES/INNOVATIONS DEVELOPED AND MAKING IMPACT ON LIVES AT VARIOUS SOCIETAL OR SOCIAL LEVEL
(i) Solar blanching - which is helping especially pepper farmers to blanch their produce prior to drying
(ii) Free convection greenhouse dryer - which is helping women processors to dry pepper, cassava chips, etc
IMPACT OF RESEARCH ON COMMUNITIES
Currently, over 80 women in four FBOs in two Gonja Districts are using the free convection greenhouse dryer for drying their cassava chips. Prior to that, over 200 farmers in three communities in the Tolon Kumbungu District benefited from the dryer when it was first tested in their community
PUBLICATIONS AND MANUALS
Rice Harvesting. AGRA Quality Rice Development Project. CSIR-SARI/PG_R/2014/008
Rice Drying. AGRA Quality Rice Development Project. CSIR-SARI/PG_R/2014/009
Rice Storage. AGRA Quality Rice Development Project. CSIR-SARI/PG_R/2014/010
Rice Milling and Quality. AGRA Quality Rice Development Project. CSIR-SARI/PG_R/2014/011
Rice Parboiling. AGRA Quality Rice Development Project. CSIR-SARI/PG_R/2014/012
PUBLICATIONS AND JOURNALS
- Dogbe, S. O. Abebrese, R. Owusu, B. Inusah, A. Danaa (2016) Performance of eleven introduced improved rice varieties in the northern savanna zones of Ghana. Afr J. Agric. Res. 11:5 324-329
Kusi F., Asante S. K., Adjebeng-Danquah J., Nutsugah S. K., Buah S. S. J., Owusu R. K., Wiredu A. N., Sugri I. and Zakaria M. (2013). Participatory integrated pest management strategy for improving shelf-life of yam (Dioscorea spp). International Journal of Advance Agricultural Research. 1: 124-132.
- Kusi, S. K. Asante, J. Adjebeng-Danquah, S. K. Nutsugah, S. S. J. Buah, R. K. Owusu, A. N. Wiredu, I. Sugri and M. Zakaria, 2013. Participatory integrated pest management strategy for improving shelf-life of yam (Dioscorea spp.) International Journal of Advanced Agricultural Research 1 124-132
Prince M. Etwire, Wilson Dogbe, Alexander N. Wiredu, Edward Martey, Eunice Etwire, Robert K. Owusu and Esther Wahaga, 2013. Factors Influencing Farmer’s Participation in Agricultural Projects: the case of the Agricultural Value Chain Mentorship Project in the Northern Region of Ghana. Journal of