The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research–Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI) is supporting communities in Ghana's Upper East and Upper West Regions to restore degraded landscapes, strengthen climate resilience and create new livelihood opportunities through agroforestry.

Under the Sahelian Landscapes: A Land of Opportunities (LOGMe II) Project, CSIR-SARI has distributed 2,500 tree seedlings to 14 beneficiary communities across the two regions. The seedlings include 1,000 mango, 1,000 cashew and 500 moringa trees.

The initiative forms part of broader efforts to promote climate-smart agriculture, restore degraded agricultural lands, improve food security and help farming communities adapt to the increasing impacts of climate change.

According to Dr Iddrisu Yahaya, Head of Department at the CSIR-SARI Wa Office, the integration of trees into farming systems will play an important role in addressing land degradation while creating additional sources of food and income for rural households.

“Our forest cover in the Upper West and Upper East has depleted, and that has consequences on the amount of rainfall we receive. To restore our vegetation, we are encouraging agroforestry as a climate-smart and income-generating activity that will also contribute to food security,” Dr Yahaya explained.

Through the project, each of the 14 communities is expected to establish approximately one and a half acres of cashew-based agroforestry and at least one acre of mango plantations. This will result in about three acres of agroforestry per community and a cumulative coverage of at least 42 acres across the beneficiary communities.

The project is being implemented in seven communities in the Talensi and Builsa South districts of the Upper East Region and seven communities in the Sissala East Municipality and Jirapa Municipality of the Upper West Region.

In the Upper West Region, beneficiary communities include Ulkpong, Dogoh and Dazugri in the Jirapa Municipality, as well as Sakalu, Nanchalla, Pieng and Basisan in the Sissala East Municipality.

Beyond the distribution of seedlings, CSIR-SARI will continue to monitor and assess the tree-planting activities to support the successful establishment and growth of the agroforestry systems.

By integrating economically valuable trees such as mango, cashew and moringa into agricultural landscapes, the initiative is expected to contribute to improved soil health, reduced land degradation, increased vegetation cover and diversified household incomes.

The LOGMe II Project is being implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) across Ghana, Burkina Faso, Niger, Benin and Senegal. In Ghana, CSIR-SARI is part of a consortium of organisations implementing the project, with responsibility for activities in the Upper East and Upper West Regions.

The project is funded by the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security through the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Global Mechanism and seeks to restore degraded Sahelian landscapes while promoting sustainable and climate-resilient livelihoods.

Through initiatives such as LOGMe II, CSIR-SARI continues to work with communities to develop and promote practical, science-based solutions that respond to environmental challenges, strengthen agricultural production and improve livelihoods across northern Ghana.

A new study led by scientists from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research–Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI) in Ghana has identified promising cowpea genotypes with the potential to strengthen climate resilience and improve grain yield stability under recurrent drought conditions.

Unlike conventional drought studies that expose crops to a single prolonged period of water stress, the researchers simulated the stop-start drought conditions increasingly experienced by farmers. The experiment subjected cowpea plants to two ten-day water-withholding cycles during the critical flowering and podding stages, separated by a recovery period.

The results revealed significant differences in how the genotypes responded to water stress. While average grain yield declined by 13.2 percent under recurrent intermittent drought, some genotypes demonstrated remarkable resilience and even improved their performance under stress.

One genotype, IT17K-849-2-1, recorded a 10.4 percent increase in grain yield under drought conditions compared with its performance under well-watered conditions. The researchers linked this exceptional response to higher chlorophyll retention and lower canopy temperatures, suggesting that the genotype was able to maintain photosynthetic activity and efficient water use during periods of stress.

Another genotype, IT17K-1367-2-3, recorded the highest grain yield under drought conditions, producing 1,492.5 kilograms per hectare while experiencing only a 3.3 percent yield reduction compared with its performance under favourable water conditions.

The study also identified IT17K-1095-2-2 and UDS-CRs-F20-2 as highly stable genotypes across different environments. Their consistent performance is particularly important for smallholder farmers, who require crop varieties capable of producing reliable yields despite increasing climate variability.

Early Maturity and Physiological Resilience Key to Drought Adaptation

The findings further showed that early maturity plays an important role in helping cowpea plants escape drought. Genotypes that reached pod maturity earlier generally recorded higher yields under drought conditions.

However, the researchers found that drought adaptation is not determined by early maturity alone. The most resilient genotypes combined several important characteristics, including early maturity, chlorophyll retention, cooler canopy temperatures and efficient water-use dynamics.

The study therefore recommends the integration of physiological traits such as canopy temperature and chlorophyll retention into cowpea breeding programmes. These traits can be measured relatively quickly in the field and could help breeders identify drought-resilient materials at earlier stages of crop improvement.

Implications for Climate-Resilient Agriculture

The findings come at a critical time for agriculture in West and Central Africa, where climate change is increasing the frequency of erratic rainfall, prolonged dry spells and rising temperatures.

Cowpea remains one of Africa's most important grain legumes, providing food, income, livestock feed and soil fertility benefits for millions of smallholder farming households. However, recurrent drought continues to limit productivity across the dry savannas.

The researchers believe the elite genotypes identified in the study could serve as valuable parents in breeding programmes aimed at developing new climate-resilient cowpea varieties.

The research also demonstrates the importance of evaluating crops under realistic field conditions that reflect the multiple drought episodes farmers increasingly experience during a growing season.

Supported in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through the Accelerated Varietal Improvement and Seed Delivery of Legumes and Cereals in Africa project, the research involved collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and ICRISAT.

For African agricultural research and development, the findings provide encouraging evidence that valuable drought-resilience traits already exist within available cowpea germplasm. The next challenge will be to translate these scientific discoveries into improved varieties and deliver them to farmers across drought-prone production systems.

Article Reference:
Tengey, T. K., Alidu, S. M., & Senyabor, F. A. (2026). Grain yield stability and trait-based dissection of recurrent intermittent drought adaptation in cowpea under contrasting water regimes. BMC Plant Biology. DOI: 10.1186/s12870-026-09908-6.

Nyankpala, July 22, 2026 — Students and staff of the School of Agriculture of the Bolgatanga Technical University (BTU) have undertaken an educational visit to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research–Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI) to gain practical exposure to agricultural research, innovation and laboratory technologies.

The delegation, led by Dr. Aduguba Orlando Wilberforce, comprised students pursuing Ecological Agriculture, Food Processing Technology and Agribusiness. The visit formed part of the University's practical learning programme aimed at bridging classroom instruction with hands-on experience in agricultural research and technology development.

Upon arrival at the Institute, Dr. Aduguba Orlando Wilberforce paid a courtesy call on the Director of CSIR-SARI, Dr. Francis Kusi, who formally welcomed the delegation and expressed his appreciation for the visit. He commended the University for exposing its students to practical research environments and encouraged them to make the most of the learning opportunity.

The delegation later assembled at the Institute's Seminar Room, where the Deputy Director, Dr. Joseph Adjebeng-Danquah, introduced the scientists and staff who would facilitate the tour. He also provided an overview of CSIR-SARI's mandate, highlighting the Institute's role in developing agricultural technologies and innovations to improve productivity, strengthen food security and enhance livelihoods across northern Ghana.

Dr. Adjebeng-Danquah encouraged the students to actively engage with the researchers and ask questions that would deepen their understanding of agricultural science and innovation.

He explained that although the current farming season was at an early stage, the students would still have the opportunity to observe ongoing research activities and interact with scientists across several specialised units of the Institute.

Dr. Adjebeng-Danquah noted that the visit had been carefully structured to maximise the limited time available, allowing the students to rotate through the Institute's laboratories before proceeding to selected field facilities.

"We have functional laboratories and a Technology Park where many of the technologies developed by the Institute are showcased. Although the fields are more attractive later in the season when crops have fully matured, there are still ongoing experiments and demonstrations that will provide valuable learning experiences," he said.

The delegation subsequently toured the Institute's Technology Park, where they were introduced to improved crop varieties, climate-smart agricultural technologies and other innovations developed by CSIR-SARI.

The team also visited the Yam Improvement Programme, including its field, screenhouse and aeroponics facility, where they learned about rapid seed yam multiplication and ongoing research aimed at improving yam production.

Other stops included the Vegetables and Horticulture Programme, as well as the Institute's specialised laboratories comprising the Food Science Laboratory, Molecular Biology Laboratory, and Soil Science Laboratory. Scientists and laboratory managers explained the research activities undertaken in each facility and demonstrated how modern scientific tools are applied to improve agricultural productivity, food quality and environmental sustainability.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Dr. Aduguba Orlando Wilberforce said the visit was intended to provide students with practical exposure to advanced agricultural research facilities and technologies.

He noted that the students were eager to interact with CSIR-SARI scientists, observe modern laboratory techniques and gain insights that would complement their academic training.

Dr. Wilberforce also expressed interest in strengthening collaboration between Bolgatanga Technical University and CSIR-SARI, particularly in the areas of industrial attachment, student internships and research support.

Responding to the request, Dr. Adjebeng-Danquah said CSIR-SARI has a long-standing tradition of hosting students from tertiary institutions across the country for industrial attachment, research projects and postgraduate studies.

He explained that students undertaking attachment or research at the Institute are supervised by experienced scientists to ensure they acquire practical skills while contributing meaningfully to ongoing research activities. He added that the Institute's laboratories are also available to support students and researchers who require specialised laboratory analyses for academic projects, subject to established institutional procedures.

He reaffirmed CSIR-SARI's commitment to strengthening partnerships with universities and technical institutions to build the next generation of agricultural scientists and innovators.

The educational visit forms part of CSIR-SARI's broader mandate of promoting knowledge sharing, technology dissemination and capacity building to advance agricultural development in Ghana.

Nyankpala (N/R), June 17 – The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research - Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI) has hosted the annual review meeting and project steering committee session for the Scaling up Climate-Resilient Rice Production in West Africa (RICOWAS) project at its headquarters in Nyankpala near Tamale.

The high-level meeting brought together project implementers, researchers, regional zone coordinators, and partners to review achievements from 2025, assess challenges, and outline strategic implementation measures for the 2026 project year. The four-year initiative, supported by the Adaptation Fund through the Sahara and Sahel Observatory, is being implemented across 13 West African countries to improve the climate resilience of smallholder rice systems by promoting the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and other climate-smart practices.

The event was attended by prominent dignitaries, including Dr. Mathias Fosu, the CSIR-SARI Board Chairman, and Dr. Francis Kusi, the Director of CSIR-SARI, who delivered the welcome address. The national project management team was led by the National Coordinator, Dr. Issah Sugri, with technical support from Mr. Alex Yeboah, the Northern Zone Coordinator and the Acting Head of the CSIR-SARI Rice Section, and Dr. Stephen Yeboah from the CSIR-Crops Research Institute (CRI) and the Southern Zone Coordinator.

Dr. Francis Kusi, the Director of CSIR-SARI, expressed the institute's continuous commitment to impactful research, noting that the results from the project's interventions across the country had been highly encouraging.

"As an institute, our mandate is to develop and transfer technologies that directly address the vulnerabilities of our agricultural sector. The RICOWAS project represents a critical pillar in our regional strategy to build a climate-resilient economy, and CSIR-SARI will continue to provide the necessary institutional and scientific backing to ensure these sustainable models are scaled up across all ecological zones to increase domestic rice production, reduce food inflation, and enhance national food security," Dr. Kusi stated.

In Ghana, the project spans 22 districts across seven regions, including the Northern, Upper East, Oti, Volta, and Bono East regions, with the ultimate target of scaling up SRI practices to benefit 13,173 rice farmers. National Coordinator Dr. Issah Sugri revealed that significant progress has already been achieved nationwide, directly increasing rice production and strengthening food security.

"We are seeing highly encouraging data from our field implementations. More than 3,700 rice farmers have already been trained under the project, while 84 demonstration fields have been established across the country," Dr. Sugri noted. "Furthermore, we have successfully trained two national master trainers and 50 master trainers, who are expected to transfer these SRI and Climate-Resilient Rice Production technologies to an additional 5,000 farmers. While significant progress has been achieved, challenges relating to mechanization, access to equipment, and the scaling up of technologies remain key concerns that require our immediate attention."

The review session continued with detailed regional field reports to capture localized progress. Mr. Alex Yeboah presented the Northern Zone progress report, revealing that the initiative has reached more than 30 communities across six districts since inception, training about 1,380 farmers on SRI technologies. He added that 12 field days had been organized, drawing more than 1,150 participants, while strategic partnerships have been established with private sector actors to support mechanization and technology dissemination.

Mr. Alex Yeboah underscored that the SRI cultivation method, which involves utilizing younger seedlings, improved water management, compost application, and optimal plant spacing, has proven highly effective at optimizing resource use, reducing water consumption, and increasing farm-level productivity.

Dr. Stephen Yeboah subsequently presented the Southern Zone progress report. He stated that project activities in the southern sector had expanded significantly from four regions at inception in 2023 to five regions, covering more than 20 districts and 25 communities. Over 2,400 farmers have been actively engaged under the project in the zone, with women making up more than half of the participants.

"The cumulative impact of the project from 2023 to 2025 shows massive improvements in farmer participation, technology adoption, and rice productivity across our communities," Dr. Stephen Yeboah explained. He detailed that interventions in the zone have focused heavily on promoting SRI technologies, distributing improved rice seed, conducting participatory variety selection activities, and strengthening farmers’ overall knowledge of climate-smart agricultural practices.

The morning sessions also featured regional updates from Mr. Yemyolya for the Savanna Zone and Dr. Salim Lamini for the Upper East Zone, followed by a joint technical presentation on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) frameworks and capacity need assessments led by Dr. Fati Aruna Akoriko and Dr. Joyce A. S. Haleegoah.

The review forum concluded with an afternoon Project Steering Committee meeting presided over by the Chairman, where the Project Management Unit (PMU) coordinated a synthesis of the zone reports to formalize strategic action points for the upcoming 2026 implementation year.

Nyankpala, Ghana — January 15, 2026

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI) has hosted Members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Environment, Science and Technology at its headquarters in Nyankpala, Northern Region, as part of efforts to deepen Parliament’s understanding of the Institute’s work and explore avenues for strengthened institutional support.

The visit provided the Committee with first-hand insight into CSIR-SARI’s ongoing research and technology development initiatives. Members toured key facilities, including the Institute’s new yam breeding technology site and the rice seed warehouse, where improved seed stocks are prepared to support farmers during the planting season.

Presenting an overview of the Institute’s operations, achievements, and challenges, the Director of CSIR-SARI, Dr. Francis Kusi, highlighted the Institute’s long-standing contribution to national food security through the development and release of improved crop varieties such as rice, maize, soybean, groundnut, and yam. He noted that CSIR-SARI continues to play a pivotal role in delivering climate-smart and productivity-enhancing technologies to farming communities across northern Ghana and beyond.

Dr. Kusi, however, drew attention to critical challenges confronting the Institute, including limited funding, high staff attrition, and the recent withdrawal of donor support, which has affected several ongoing research projects. He appealed to Members of the Committee to use their influence to help address these constraints and strengthen CSIR-SARI’s capacity to deliver on its national mandate.

Members of the Parliamentary Select Committee expressed admiration for the Institute’s work and acknowledged its strategic importance to Ghana’s agricultural transformation agenda. The Ranking Member of the Committee, Professor Adam Hamza, described the current budgetary allocation to CSIR as inadequate and indicated that the Committee would consider policy and legislative measures to secure more sustainable funding for the Institute. He also emphasized the need for improved conditions of service to attract and retain scientific talent.

The Vice Chairman of the Committee, Mr. John Darko, reaffirmed Parliament’s commitment to advocating for increased government investment in CSIR-SARI’s operations, noting that the Institute’s work remains essential to improving national food security. He further expressed optimism that planned recruitment of scientists into the public research sector could help address staffing gaps at the Institute.

The engagement concluded with a shared commitment between CSIR-SARI and the Parliamentary Select Committee to strengthen collaboration in advancing agricultural research, innovation, and technology delivery for sustainable livelihoods and food security in Ghana.

— CSIR-SARI Communications Unit

Source: Select Committee on Environment, Science, Technology visits CSIR-SARI https://gna.org.gh/2026/01/select-committee-on-environment-science-technology-visits-csir-sari/