Faculty and students of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) and Delaware State University (DSU) recently traveled to the West African country of Ghana to promote opportunities in aquaculture and fisheries in the country. Over the course of two weeks, they conducted experiential learning activities at Valley View University in Techiman, Ghana, provided Extension and outreach services to local farmers and participated in educational cultural activities.
UAPB program participants included Dr. Rebecca Lochmann, professor of aquaculture and fisheries, Dr. Dayan Perera, Extension aquaculture specialist, and Hannah Knuckles, a graduate student of aquaculture and fisheries. They were joined by Dr. Gulnihal Ozbay, DSU professor and Extension specialist in natural resources, as well as DSU undergraduate students Kevin Knight and Elijah Attley, and Juan Ramos, a DSU graduate student and undergraduate alumnus of the UAPB Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries.
“This program had two overarching goals,” Dr. Perera said. “First, we wanted to provide educational training in aquaculture and fisheries to students and staff at Valley View University. Secondly, we wanted to train our students to become teachers through experiential learning. This was an opportunity for them to learn how to interact with another culture and gain a global perspective that they can incorporate in their ongoing teaching, research and Extension activities.”
Providing educational training to university partners
As the aquaculture industry begins to grow in Ghana, those working in the field need practical skills in water quality, fish diets and nutrition and disease diagnostics, Dr. Lochmann said. She and the other program participants aimed to impart some of these skills to the Valley View University faculty and students during workshops and training sessions.
Dr. Ozbay hosted workshops on measuring water quality and conducting field testing for water quality; Dr. Perera worked with participants on building aquaponics systems to raise fish and vegetables simultaneously; and Dr. Lochmann taught about nutrition principles and diets for fish production.
During one workshop, Dr. Lochmann showed participants how they can use readily available ingredients such as fish and vegetables from the local market to prepare practical diets for tilapia production.
“We tried to keep the procedure as low-tech as possible – we were just using a meat grinder, mixer and a pellet maker,” she said. “First, we had the ingredients milled – then participants mixed the ingredients by hand to make a sort of dough, which they later turned into pellets. The participants all listened carefully and were eager to learn the correct way to make the formula. When the fish feed pellets were ready, they took pictures and couldn’t wait to feed the fish.”
Dr. Perera worked with Valley View University faculty and students two years ago when he conducted workshops on aquaponics, the combined farming of fish and plants. At the time, the participants were not able to produce fish because of problems with aeration and a lack of air pumps, so he showed them ways to construct simple but efficient aeration systems. When he returned to Ghana this summer to work with the same people, Dr. Perera was shocked to see the progress they had made in two years.
“I was able to see the fruits of their labor immediately,” he said. “These non-traditional students have built aquaponic systems in their homes, and several have even started businesses. Some students invited me out to their farms and showed me the aquaculture systems they have built. These are people who started out with two fish in a barrel, but now have around 1,200 or 1,400 fish. The scale to which they have grown in two years truly exceeded my expectations.”
Dr. Perera said the dedication of the students was so tremendous that he admits he was a bit confused during the closing ceremony of this year’s exchange program. After weeks of working with his Ghanian colleagues on constructing feed and aeration systems, he noticed that some of his most inquisitive and engaged participants were not present at the farewell dinner event.
“As it turned out, the students were at home making their own feed and aeration systems, putting into practice what they had just learned a couple hours ago,” he said. “Their enthusiasm and dedication are really inspiring to me. Some of the participants had traveled over nine hours by bus to take part in these workshops.”
Dr. Perera said the exchange between UAPB and Valley View University is an Extension success story. As an 1890 land-grant university, UAPB is charged with providing technical advice and services to farmers around Arkansas, the nation and the world. The goal is for small farmers to be able to provide for themselves and also grow the communities in which they live.
“In the case of the aquaculture exchange program, UAPB has been teaching its Ghanian partners practical techniques to develop the aquaculture and fisheries industry,” he said. “Not only did they immediately put these techniques into practice, but now they are educating others in their own communities. Several of the participants have hosted public aquaculture workshops, while others have started providing the fish they raise to local elementary schools.”
According to Dr. Pamela Moore, associate dean for global engagement for the Office of International Programs and Studies, the program was supported by a grant from the 1890 Center of Excellence for International Engagement and Development, funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
“This particular grant was designed to enable the three academic departments of the UAPB School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences to ‘jump-start’ signature study abroad programs for students in their degree programs. The idea is for our school and university to produce globally competitive graduates.”
Moore said she was pleased to learn that Dr. Perera received the Chancellor’s Award for Global Engagement earlier this year. She said he is truly deserving of the honor.
A student gains invaluable experience
Dr. Perera is Knuckles’ graduate advisor. He said he was very proud of her for being a part of the study abroad program and sharing her research with peers at Valley View University.
“Last year, Hannah participated in the Association of 1890 Research Directors Conference – it was her first time outside of the state of Arkansas,” he said. “Her busy year of graduate studies ultimately culminated in her first trip abroad, to Ghana.”
Dr. Lochmann said Knuckles was a “natural” at presenting her research and providing instruction to her Ghanian peers.
“Hannah had just taken a course on fish nutrition and recently gave a presentation on the diets of goldfish broodstock,” she said. “She gave the same presentation at Valley View University, and the students were all very interested. They seemed enthusiastic about listening to and interacting with an American in the same career stage they were in.”
Knuckles said she returned home from the study abroad program with invaluable skills that will be useful in her graduate research on aquaponics.
“I have a newfound appreciation for research and Extension and how they support limited resource and underserved farmers worldwide,” she said. “I also gained a better understanding of the importance of sustainable agriculture to mitigate food insecurities globally.”
Knuckles said agricultural resources commonly found in the U.S. were limited or expensive in Ghana. However, the Ghanaian researchers she met were very resourceful and found other ways to conduct the research necessary to carry out their projects.
“I hope my current aquaponics research will lead to technologies that could be transferred to farmers in Ghana,” she said. “One example is using different media in aquaponic grow beds. The use of locally available materials in Ghana for growing media would significantly reduce the setup cost for Ghanian farmers.”
Knuckles transferred to UAPB from Southeast Arkansas College in her junior year after meeting with Dr. Mike Eggleton, undergraduate coordinator of UAPB’s aquaculture and fisheries program.
“After speaking with Dr. Eggleton, I decided that UAPB sounded like the right place for me,” she said. “Later, Dr. Perera and my undergraduate advisor, Scott Jones, inspired me to complete a master’s degree in my field. I am grateful to them for having faith in me and helping me see my potential to continue my education.”
As she completes her master’s degree, Knuckles is trying to gain experience in as many different research categories as possible to broaden her career prospects.
“I am lucky that the professors in the aquaculture and fisheries program are always eager to teach students, even if they aren’t personally advising them,” she said. “Dr. Perera has been an inspiration to me and has contributed greatly to helping me develop independence and critical thinking skills.”
Dr. Moore said she agrees with the praise Knuckles has received from her professors.
“She is a real trooper, persevering two years throughout the COVID pandemic, helping my office recruit students and working hard to raise funds to participate in this program,” she said. “I also wish to thank the UAPB Foundation Fund and Vice Chancellor George Cotton’s leadership in providing financial support to Knuckles.”
