TITLE:
Assessment of Irrigation Dynamics on Vegetable Production Safety in the Accra Metropolis
AUTHORS:
Sylvester Achio, Felix Kutsanedzie, Edmund Ameko
KEYWORDS:
Coliforms, Microbiological, Demographic, Physic-Chemical, Vegetables
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.2 No.9,
September
24,
2015
ABSTRACT:
This work assessed modes of irrigation on vegetable production in fifty
(50) vegetable gardens from ten (10) sampled areas in the Accra Metropolis.
Irrigation water sources include: pipe, segment, gutter, dug-well, dam, river,
and drains. Demographic survey, nature of the surrounding of the water bodies,
physico-chemical and microbiological analysis of irrigation waters were carried
out and contrasted with standard values. The analysis of the parameters of
various water samples was within the accepted standard values, except the Chemical
Oxygen Demand (COD) value for the irrigation water from Opeibea (3020) and
Kasoa (340), which were relatively high compared to standard value of 250. The
faecal coliform counts for irrigation water at Abossey-Okai are also high (1150/100
ml) compared to the standard values of 1000/100 ml irrigation water. The vegetable
farming was found to be a male dominated activity (86%), mostly practised by 21
- 30 year age group (69%). However the education levels of farmers are low; 70%
either do not have formal education or only up to primary education levels. A
greater percentage (68%) of the water used for irrigation was waste water,
mostly from gutters and segments. Proper management practices of effluent are
recommended for vegetable production.