Mr. John Kormla Nyameasem
Senior Research Scientist

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Degrees: B. Ed. (UCC, Ghana), M. Sc. (KNUST, Ghana)

RESEARCH

Research Interest
  • Yield and feed quality modelling employing dynamic models.
  • Benefits of secondary plant compounds in ruminant farming to reduce negative environmental influences.
  • Optimization of grass/legume mixtures.
  • Greenhouse gas balances.
  • Modelling of soil carbon and nitrogen cycles.


    • Current Research
    Livestock production is major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, the global demand for meat and milk is increasing; and is estimated to double by 2050. Moreover, dairy production is faced with increasing competition between grasslands as its major input resource and crop production. Meeting the demand for animal product in the face of limited grasslands through sustainable intensification is one solution. This implies the production of more food, feed, fibre and fuel on the same, or even less, area of land while at the same time reducing environmental impacts. My current research aims at identifying practices that can enhance ecological efficiency of low-input and high-input feed production systems for ruminant production by farm level assessments. Two main field studies are being conducted in the grasslands of southern Ghana and northern Germany. In southern Ghana, my research activities involve the evaluation of the impact of different long-term land-use scenarios on soil carbon storage and ascertain the impact of condensed tannins and soil chemical properties on soil C dynamics. In northern Germany, in collaboration with the Grassland and Forage Science/Organic Agriculture research group of University of Kiel, I am investigating the impact of three diverse mixed-pastures on greenhouse gas emissions from cow dung and urine patches.

    BRIEF PROFILE

    Mr. John Kormla Nyameasem is a Senior Research Scientist at the CSIR - Animal Research Institute. He holds a bachelors in Agriculture from the University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast and a Master of Science degree in Animal Nutrition from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. Mr. Nyameasem has expertise in herbivore nutritional science, feed production technology, smart livestock agriculture and data analyses. He joined CSIR-Animal Research Institute in 2012, where he worked as a research scientist with oversight responsibility for the Grasscutter Research Unit. Mr Nyameasem served on the Intellectual Property Committee and also, as deputy coordinator for the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPPII). He has conducted a number of studies, particularly in the area of nutrition and reproduction of the grasscutter and guinea fowl. Mr Nyameasem has also participated in a number of donor-funded projects including World Bank and DFID. He was a member/leader of several proposal-writing teams some of which won grants for research and development activities. Some of the grants came from Competitive Agricultural Research Grant scheme (CARGS) for the “Participatory approaches in strategic dry season feeding of ruminants in the Greater Accra Region project”; WAAPP for the adoption and dissemination of Multi-Nutritional Feed Block Technology in Ghana and CSIR-TDTC for the development and transfer of pelleted feed technology for grasscutter feeding. Mr Nyameasem has participated in many ‘training of trainers’ activities regarding grasscutter production, guinea fowl production and multi-feed block production techniques across Ghana. He serves as a reviewer for the Tropical Animal Health and Production Journal (Springer)and Ghanaian Journal of Agricultural Science. Currently, Mr J. K. Nyameasem in collaboration with the Grassland and Forage Science Research Group of the University of Kiel - Germany is focusing on improving the ecological efficiency of low-input livestock systems for a Ph. D.

    PUBLICATIONS

    List of current publications
    (Peer-reviewed)
    1. Nitrous oxide emissions from mixed temperate pastures rotationally grazed by dairy cows. Grassland and fodder production working group of the Society for Crop Science (Gesellschaft für Pflanzenbauwissenschaften e.V.). Grass and clover-grass services on arable land and grassland. 62nd Annual Meeting of the AGGF in Kiel, Germany. 30. August – 01. September 2018.

    2. The potential of dairy production in sub-Sahara African countries. Grassland and fodder production working group of the Society for Crop Science (Gesellschaft für Pflanzenbauwissenschaften e.V.). Grass and clover-grass services on arable land and grassland. 62nd Annual Meeting of the AGGF in Kiel, Germany. 30. August – 01. September 2018.

    3. Impact of forage production and conversion of coastal grasslands of Ghana on soil carbon stock and soil quality. Book of Abstracts (Eds), Claudia Heidecke, Hayden Montgomery, Hartmut Stalb, Lini Wollenberg. International Conference on Agricultural GHG Emissions and Food Security– Connecting research to policy and practice –September 10 – 13, 2018. Berlin, Germany. Thünen Working Paper 103.

    Refereed Journal Papers
    1. Amoah, K. O., Nyameasem, J. K., Asiedu, P., Adu-Aboagye, G. A., Wallace, P., Ahiagbe, K. M. J. and Rhule, S. W. A. (2018). Protein and energy requirements for indigenous guinea keets ( Numida meleagris ) in southern Ghana. Ghana Jnl Agric.Sci.; 52, 105–111.

    2. Nyameasem, J. K., Akoloh, M., and Adu, E. K. (2018). Effects of protein content on feed intake and performance of grasscutters fed diets containing forage meal. Animal Production Science. 10.1071/AN15889

    3. Nyameasem, J. K., Affedzie-Obresi, S. and Adu, E. K. (2018). Time of feeding and predictability of dry matter and water intake of grasscutters fed on grass and supplements containing varying levels of dietary fiber. Tropical Animal Health and Production. 10.1007/s11250-018-1573-z

    4. Wallace, P. A., Nyameasem, J. K., Aboagye, G. A., Nkegbe, K., Murray, .F, Botchway, V., Karbo, N., Leschen, W., Maquart, P-O. and Clottey, V. (2018). Effects of replacing fishmeal with black soldier fly larval meal in the diets of grower-finishing guinea fowls reared under tropical conditions. Tropical Animal Health and Production. 10.1007/s11250-018-1588-5

    5. Wallace, P. A., Nyameasem, J. K., Adu-Aboagye, G. A., Affedzie-Obresi, S., Nkegbe, E. K., Karbo, N., Murray ,F., Leschen, W., Maquart, P-O. (2017). Impact of black soldier fly larval meal on growth performance, apparent digestibility, haematological and blood chemistry indices of guinea fowl starter keets under tropical conditions. Tropical Animal Health and Production; 49(6):1163-1169

    6. Adu, E. K., Asafu-Adjaye, A., Hagan, B. A., Nyameasem, J. K. (2017). The grasscutter: an untapped resource of Africa's grasslands. Livestock Research for Rural Development. 29(47), http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd29/3/jnya29047.htm

    7. Nyameasem, J. K., Amoah, K. O., Wallace, P. A. and Adu, E. K. (2017). Nitrogen partitioning and growth in grasscutters fed freshly cut Panicum maximum alone or supplemented with Leucaena lecocephala treated with 0, 1 or 2 per cent saline solution. Livestock Research for Rural Development. 29(24): http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd29/2/nyam29024.html

    8. Nyameasem, J. K., Adu, E. K., Amoah, K. O., Hagan, B. A. (2016). The effect of male proximity on vagina patency, oestrus cycle length and feed intake of female grasscutters. Tropical Animal Health and Production. 48, 445-449, 10.1007/s11250-015-0972-7

    9. Hagan, B. A., Nyameasem, J. K., Asafu-Adjaye, A. and Daffour-Oduro, K. A. (2016). Predicting live weight of grasscutters using their linear body measurements. Livestock Research for Rural Development; 28(143): http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd28/8/haga28143.html

    10. Hagan B. A., Nyameasem, J. K., Asafu-Adjaye, A. and Duncan, J. L. (2014). Effects of non-genetic factors on the birth weight, litter size and pre-weaning survivability of West African Dwarf goats in the Accra Plains. Livestock Research for Rural Development. 26(13): http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd26/1/haga26013.htm

    11. Nyameasem, J. K. and Borketey-La, E. B. (2014). Effect of formulated diets on growth and reproductive performance of the West African giant snail (Achatina achatina). ARPN Journal of Agricultural and Biological Science. 9(1), 1-6, http://www.arpnjournals.com/jabs/research_papers/rp_2014/jabs_0114_626.pdf

    12. Nyameasem, J. K. and Borketey-La, E. B. (2014). Pest incidence, mortality, aestivation, feed intake and growth in West African giant snails (Achatina achatina) reared under different housing systems. International Journal of Science and Technology. 3(5); 314-320 http://www.journalofsciences-technology.org/archive/2014/may_vol_3_no_5/8281611386264334
      13. .pdf
    13. Karikari, P. K. and Nyameasem, J. K. (2009). Productive performance and Carcass Characteristics of Captive Thryonomys swinderianus fed Concentrate diets containing varying levels of Panicum maximum. World Applied Sciences Journal. 6(4), 557-563, https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/5c69/5daf44fcb7c85cd2210c04bf90cc0eef12e6.pdf


    Manuals
    1. Ahiagbe, A., Karbo, N., Avornyo, F., Nyameasem, J. K., Adu-Aboagye, G., Amoah, K. O., Affedzie-Obresi, S., Beckley, C. S. K. and Duncan, J. L. Improving guinea fowl keet survivability in Ghana: A manual for keet brooding management. Published by Animal Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), guinea Fowl Resource Centre, Ghana. ISBN 978—9988-2-4128-5

    Newsletters
    1. Improving quality protein intake in Ghana – A case for the domestic cavy (Cavia porcellus). GSAP NEWSLETTER - Volume 12 Issue 5 – May, 2014
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