Climate-Smart maize initiative: Boosting productivity and sustainability in Ghana with high-impact R-Leaf® technology

Innovation to transform maize crop nutrition

Project Partners: Crop Intellect Limited, Indigo Agriculture, the University of Ghana (Institute of Applied Science & Technology) and the UK Agri-Tech Centre 

The R-Leaf® for Climate-Smart Agriculture project is a collaborative effort to transform maize production in Ghana through innovative crop nutrition and environmental management technologies.  

A consortium of leading partners including Crop Intellect Limited (UK), IndigoAg (Brazil), the UK Agri-Tech Centre and the IAST at the University of Ghana (Ghana) will assess and optimize the use of R-Leaf®, a ground-breaking patented technology designed to convert atmospheric nitrogen oxides into plant-available nitrogen.  

Boosting crop yields and reducing greenhouse gases

Maize is a staple crop in Ghana, vital for food security, rural employment, and economic stability. However, production is limited by low yields, poor soil fertility, rising fertiliser costs and lack of advanced farming technologies. R-Leaf® offers an innovative solution by providing a consistent, affordable, and sustainable nitrogen source. As well as boosting crop yields, the technology can also reduce farmers’ dependency on synthetic fertilisers, helping them to cut input costs, improve soil health and farm profitability. Beyond agronomic benefits, R-Leaf® critically contributes to environmental sustainability by permanently removing nitrous oxide (N₂O), a potent greenhouse gas.  

This makes the technology ideal for mitigating climate change. The project will quantify the environmental benefits of N₂O removal, enabling farmers to generate revenue through carbon markets or access to premium contracts. The project’s design leverages both scientific expertise and local knowledge, ensuring relevance to Ghana’s agricultural context. The project benefits from promising first results from trials in Zimbabwe, conducted in 2023-24. These trials assessed the use of R-Leaf® combined with reduced side-dressing rates on maize. The results demonstrated significant yield improvements, with the highest gains observed in treatments with 60% side-dressing combined with R-Leaf® applied twice, showing an increase in maize yield by up to 34.7% compared to the standard fertilisation programme. The project will also involve field trials in both Ghana and Brazil, comparing R-Leaf®’s performance under different climatic conditions and the data obtained will drive application protocols’ optimisations and technology refinements to suit local growing conditions.  

Collaboration roles

The University of Ghana will lead Ghana-based trials, engaging local farmers and ensuring R-Leaf® is tailored to the region’s agricultural practices. IndigoAg will lead Brazilian trials, focusing on R-Leaf®’s environmental benefits and assisting in carbon quantification. The project aims to provide a scalable, cost-effective solution for maize production that aligns with global sustainability goals. By integrating R-Leaf® into maize farming systems, the project will help Ghanaian farmers increase crop productivity and incomes, improve crop resilience, and contribute to climate change mitigation. 

For more information

For more information on this project, contact us, or view all projects funded under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Partnership programme.

Innovate UK Climate-Smart Agriculture Partnership: UK-Brazil-Africa brings together innovative people and organisations to promote climate-smart agriculture in Africa.