Evaluation of GEM Experimental Crosses for Starch Amylose

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Doe Adovor.
Dr. Michael Seipel, Faculty Mentor.

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Agriculture in most of West Africa is subsistent and heavily influenced by the cultures in which it is practiced. This project is a case study examining the socio-cultural and socio-economic make up of Siko, a rural community in the Volta region of Ghana, West Africa. In this community, power rests in the hands of the Queen mother, the Chief, and the community's spiritual leaders. These leaders designate some days as working days and others as forbidden, thereby controlling agriculture and other economic activities. Siko has very little stratification in terms of economic, occupation, and social classes. The most common economic activities in Siko are fishing and farming which are performed on a small, labor-intensive scale. Major crops are cassava, sweet potatoes, maize, and cocoyam. Small-scale, free-range livestock and poultry industries are also practiced. This presentation will examine the role of social stratification and leadership in the agricultural development of rural Ghana using Siko as a typical example.