Date of Graduation

5-2014

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Biological and Agricultural Engineering

Advisor/Mentor

Matlock, Marty D

Committee Member/Reader

Carrier, Danielle Julie, 1959-

Committee Member/Second Reader

Costello, Thomas A.

Abstract

For agricultural outputs to rise with population, more sustainable and productive methods must be identified. Watershed modeling is a way to relatively quickly compare possible impacts of large scale agricultural practice changes. The goal of this project was to develop a watershed model for the Pra River basin in southern Ghana, a cocoa growing region, that could be used for future impact studies of land management practice options. The model was developed using the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and calibrated using the best daily stream flow data that could be readily located. With an R2 value of 0.57 and a Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency coefficient (NSE) of -0.43, the model is not yet accurate enough to be used in predictive studies for land management practices changes. The project is moving in the right direction though and more time should see the model become a useful tool for making decisions concerning the sustainability of different practices of cocoa agriculture in the region.

Keywords

Soil Water Assessment Tool, Ghana, cocoa, land management

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