Table 4.

Comparison of conventional and no-tillage cost and benefits for smallholder farmers’ maize and soybean production from 2010 to 2013 cropping seasons in Nyoli, Ghana.

	Maize		Soybean–maize
	monocropping		annual rotation
Costs	CT	NT	CT	NT
2010
Labor	60.54	58.48	112.69	112.69
Purchased inputs	318.54	242.18	103.20	4059
Total variable cost	379.09	300.66	215.89	153.29
Revenue (US$)	462.94	356.33	432.89	417.86
Gross margin (US$)	83.85	55.67	217.00	264.58
Benefit/cost ratio	0.22	0.19	1.01	1.73
Returns to labor	7.65	6.09	3.84	3.71
Labor productivity	21.57	16.60	20.17	19.47
2011
Labor	59.43	59.43	116.28	116.28
Purchased inputs	312.02	229.98	109.82	51.03
Total variable cost	371.45	289.41	226.10	167.31
Revenue (US$)	689.66	445.09	739.38	453.01
Gross margin (US$)	318.21	155.69	513.28	285.69
Benefit/cost ratio	0.86	0.54	2.27	1.71
Returns to labor	11.60	7.49	6.36	3.90
Labor productivity	32.95	21.67	34.68	21.25
2012
Labor	66.56	66.04	105.98	105.98
Purchased inputs	261.56	203.84	98.80	41.08
Total variable cost	328.12	269.88	204.78	147.06
Revenue (US$)	477.26	299.60	412.09	310.42
Gross margin (US$)	149.14	29.72	207.31	163.36
Benefit/cost ratio	0.45	0.11	1.01	1.11
Returns to labor	7.17	4.54	3.89	2.93
Labor productivity	29.42	18.47	25.40	19.13
2013
Labor	72.36	68.24	102.50	93.24
Purchased inputs	463.00	178.62	96.18	45.34
Total variable cost	535.36	246.86	198.68	138.68
Revenue (US$)	557.89	335.21	360.22	347.71
Gross margin (US$)	22.53	88.35	161.54	209.03
Benefit/cost ratio	0.04	0.36	0.81	1.51
Returns to labor	7.71	4.91	3.51	3.73
Labor productivity	31.23	18.77	20.17	19.47