Rethinking ecological balance: An assessment of farmers' ecological knowledge and agrochemical use in the Sissala East Municipality, Ghana

Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa is central to livelihoods, but agrochemical use poses environmental risks. This study examined the links between farmers' ecological knowledge, agrochemical use and farm management practices through a mixed-methods design involving 382 household surveys, 17 key informant interviews and 5 focus group discussions. Quantitatively, data were analysed using chi-square tests, while qualitative data were thematically analysed. The findings revealed that farmers understood the ecological risks of fertilisers, herbicides, insecticides and fungicides, with management decisions significantly shaped by farmers education, extension service access and farming experience (p ≤ 0.05). Despite farmers awareness of sustainable farming practices such as agroforestry, climate-smart agriculture and manure application, adoption remained low. The study concludes that while farmers possess adequate ecological knowledge, a gap exists between awareness and practice. The study recommends empowering farmers with training, skills and decision-making support to enhance adoption of sustainable agroecological farming systems and reduce dependence on synthetic inputs.