Examining the potential of growing frafra potatoes in polypropylene sacs as a food security strategy in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region, Ghana.

In the Bolgatanga Municipality of Ghana's Upper East Region, where urban populations struggle with limited arable land, researchers investigated using sac farming as a solution to improve food security. The study compared the performance of various frafra potato varieties grown in polypropylene sacs filled with nutrient-rich soil, employing a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with six treatments and three replications for each.

The research determined that certain frafra potato varieties, such as MAL, WAP, MAM, NAT, and NUP, showed different growth metrics and yields in 2021 and 2022. For instance, the MAL variety had the largest leaf area in 2021 and the highest number of leaves in 2022, while the WAP variety produced the most leaves in 2021 but the MAM variety yielded the most tubers in 2022. The MAM strain was the longest in terms of vine length in 2021, while the NAT variety had the longest vines in 2022.

In terms of yield, the MAL variety topped the charts in both years, with 5.56 (0.23) tonnes per hectare in 2021 and 1.91 (0.40) tonnes per hectare in 2022. Conversely, the LOV and WAP strains had the lowest yields, at 1.59 (1.27) and 0.87 (0.50) tonnes per hectare respectively. The study concluded that cultivating frafra potatoes on polypropylene sacs is feasible, as all varieties demonstrated significant growth in vegetative organ biomass and root tubers.

Further research is needed to make definitive recommendations, but these findings suggest that MAL, NAT, and NUP varieties may be suitable for food production on polypropylene sacs, benefiting both human and livestock consumption.