Onfarm evaluation of maize varieties in the transitional and savannah zones of Ghana: determinants of farmer preferences

Abstract

Maize is one of the most important food crops in Ghana even though its production has not reached self sufficiency levels. Drought and striga infestation are among the most important production constraints of maize in Ghana. Promising high yielding, drought and striga tolerant maize varieties are being evaluated by CSIR and IITA in participatory on-farm trials and demonstrations. These varieties however need to meet farmers’ varietal preferences in order for them to adopt. This study therefore sought to assess farmers’ preference for the different drought tolerant maize varieties, and determine factors that influence their choices. Kendall’s coefficient of concordance was used to test the level of agreement between farmers on their preferences. The ordered logistic regression was used to estimate the determinants of farmer’s preference using cross-sectional observations from 120 maize farmers in the Transitional and Savannah zones of Ghana. Results indicate that maize varieties that are early maturing (2.38) and drought tolerant (2.45) were most preferred by farmers. Area under maize cultivation, fertilizer usage and family size are the factors that were found to influence farmers’ preference for improved maize varieties. These factors should therefore be considered in varietal promotion.