| Sumario: | In northern Ghana, smallholder farmers suffer low productivity because of low soil fertility, unpredictable rain and lack of adoption of improved practices. This study evaluated the combined benefit of site-specific fertilizer recommendations (SSF) and maize-cowpea intercropping in enhancing productivity and resilience. Demonstrations were conducted in ten communities in the Northern and Upper West regions. Two treatments were evaluated, maize-cowpea intercrop with SSF sand sole maize with farmer applied fertilizer rates. In each community, farmers were selected to replicate the maize-cowpea intercrop with SSFR on their own fields. The year 2024 had a long dry spell from mid-June to mid-August that affected many crops in many parts of the country including the study areas. However, the SSF + intercrop plots produced significantly higher maize grain yield (4,078 kg ha-1) than farmer practice (2,826 kg ha-1), showing some level of resilience against drought. Average yields from farmer replicated plots achieved 3,124 kg ha-1, higher than the regional average of 1,600 kg ha-1. The study shows that tailored fertilizer recommendations in combination with maize-cowpea intercropping can contribute to sustainable production and help bridge the yield gaps and improve food security in the Guinea savannah agroecological zone.
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