Agriculture

The energy-agriculture relationship is becoming very important in view of an increasing demand for food production to meet the pressure from an ever-increasing population. For these reasons, energy use pattern, energy efficiency, and energy inputs-output relationship were determined for Sesame in north central Nigeria. Data were collected from 120 farmers by using face to-face questionnaire method. The results indicated that total input energy use in sesame production was 2632.4 MJ, which was dominated by human labour energy (24.2%) and organic manure energy (21.1%). The output energy for sesame production was 13750.0MJ and the energy use efficiency ratio was 5.2. The proportion of renewable energy used (56.2%) in the surveyed Sesame farms was slightly higher than the non-renewable energy forms (44.8%), and sesame production in the study area is mainly depended on indirect energy forms. Organic manure was observed to be the most important energy input that influences the yield of Sesame in the study area.

The study examined the energy used for milling rice in Lafia rice mill. A sample of 50 randomly selected rice mills were used for the study. Simple descriptive statistics, production function analysis and correlation analysis were used for data analysis. The result shows that the average total energy used daily for rice milling was 2427.44MJ/mill with diesel energy having the largest share (54.66%) of the average total daily energy used. Furthermore, to mill a bag of paddy about 211.06MJ of energy was required. The energy productivity was 0.37MJ/mill. Diesel and paddy were the most significant inputs that influenced the output of milled rice. The elasticity value range from 0.19 to 7.37 for paddy and diesel respectively. Rice milling in the research area was observed to be dependent on direct and non renewable energy forms especially diesel. The study recommends development of cleaner and safer energy forms such as solar energy for rice milling in the study area.

Investigation was carried out to study the effect of the forward speed and tire inflation pressure of the farm tractor on gross power losses, and tractive efficiency. The studied variables are the equipment (moldboard plough, disk plough and disk harrow), tire inflation pressure (80, 140 and 160 kPa) and five different forward speeds (3.86, 4.18, 4.76, 5.82 and 7.21 km/h). The ploughing depths were (15-20 cm) and average soil moisture content (14.56 %). the soil texture was found to be a (Clay). The study was focus on the rate of drawbar pull, drawbar specific fuel consumption, travel redaction (slip), tractive efficiency and gross power losses. The experiment was carried out by using split-split plot with complete randomized block design in three replicates. The obtained results, for the range of tests, showed that the use of 80 kPa tire inflation pressure superposed the (140 and 160 kPa), in recording lowest rate of slip (6.31 %), and higher rate of drawbar pull (16.097 kN). The forward speed (3.86 km/h) superposed in recording lowest rate of gross power losses (5.29 kW), and higher rate of tractive efficiency (74.017 %) and drawbar specific fuel consumption (0.98 l/kW.h). While the fifth forward speed (7.21 km/h) was superior on other forward speed in recording higher rate of drawbar pull (17.12 kN), in the meantime the moldboard plough recorded higher rate of tractive efficiency (75.37 %) and drawbar pull (20.69 kN), While the use of disk harrow recording lowest rate of slip (4.898 %) and power losses (7.40 kW). The relationship fits the experimental data on studying the effect of tire inflation pressure (I.P) and forward speed (FS) on reduce of gross power losses (Lpower) by prediction regression equations.

Field trial was conducted during the rainy seasons of 2009 and 2010 to study the effects of nitrogen and intra row spacing on the growth and yield of sesame. The experiment consisted of three levels of nitrogen in the form of urea (0, 50, and 100 kg N ha-1) and three intra row spacing (7.5, 15 and 22.5cm). The nine treatment combinations were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Plant height, leaf area index, number of branches per plant, total dry matter per plant and days to 50% flowering were optimized at 100 kg N ha-1 and 22.5cm intra row spacing. Numbers of capsules per plant, capsule weight per plant, grain yield per plant and grain yield per hectare were optimized at 50 kg ha-1 of nitrogen. Maximum number capsules per plant, capsule weight per plant, grain yield per plant were recorded at 22.5cm intra row spacing while, maximum grain yield per hectare was recorded at 15cm intra row spacing. Application of 50 kg N ha-1 and planting at 15cm intra row spacing is therefore recommended for higher sesame yield in this area.

Field trials were conducted during the rainy seasons of 2005, 2006 and 2007 at the Research Farm of Institute for Agricultural Research Samaru  (11⁰ 11^/ N, 07⁰ 38^/E, and 686m above sea level) to study the yield and economic returns of sesame as influenced by poultry manure, nitrogen, and phosphorus. The experiment consisted of four rates of poultry manure (0, 5.0, 10.0, and 15.0 t ha^-1), three levels of nitrogen in the form of urea (0, 60, and 120 kg N ha^-1) and three levels of phosphorus in the form of single super phosphate (0, 13.2 and 26.4 kg P ha^-1). The thirty six treatment combinations were laid out in a split-plot design with three replications. The factorial combinations of N and P were assigned to the main plot while poultry manure was assigned to the sub-plot. Yield of sesame per unit area and economic returns were better at 5 t ha^-1, 60 kg N ha^-1 and 13.2 kg P ha^-1 of poultry manure, nitrogen and phosphorus respectively. Applications of 5 t ha^-1 of poultry manure, 60 kg ha^-1 of nitrogen and 13.2 kg ha^-1 of phosphorus seems to be the ideal rates for sesame production in this agro ecology and is therefore recommended.

This study was designed to ascertain the status of shea butter processing, acceptability and utilization as an edible fat/oil in Kainji lake area of Nigeria. 300 questionnaires were distributed and 282 retrieved. The generated data were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis in form of frequencies, percentages and totals. Processing and selling of sheanuts are flourishing businesses among the indigenes. Traditional manual method of processing shea butter vary from place to place, gives low yield and unpleasant aroma product with low acceptance as an edible fat/oil. Forty percent of the respondents, mainly indigenes, accepted shea butter as edible fat while 60% did not. Stew, soup, jollof rice and beans, moinmoin, indomie, akara and masa are some foods prepared using shea butter in the area.

Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas. It is caused primarily by human activities and climatic variations, It occurs because dry land ecosystems are extremely vulnerable to over exploitation and inappropriate use. Land degradation is a major obstacle militating sustainable use of land resources for agriculture. The relative role of climate, drought and human impact was discussed. This menace which manifested in the forms of soil erosion, desertification, salting of river and ponds, acidification and Stalinization, loss of soil fauna and flora e.t.c. is seriously militating productive parts of the soil, Poverty, political instability, deforestation over grazing and bad irrigation practices also undermine the land's fertility, thus, resulted in a negative effect on the socio-economic status of the inhabitants. These consequences can be properly addressed through the establishment of shelterbelts and woodlots, improvement of agricultural productivity, creation of awareness of the drought-hazard through provision of necessary resources for meteorological services in the area as well as legislation against indiscriminate felling of trees.

Six periods of English agriculture namely: prehistoric, historic, agricultural revolution, post agricultural revolution, green planet and post green planet were identified. Their previous and current land management practices were reviewed with reference to East Anglian Region (EAR), the food basket of the nation. The current land management practices at EAR with Writtle College Research and Teaching Farm as case study included: grassland on permanent pasture; one on 5 y ley to stocking, the other sown with red clover a y before stocking; the third treated with N fertilizer a y before stocking; the fourth on arable crop (barley); with pristine woodland as control. By aid of CENTURY 4.0 Model, simulation of soil carbon (C) storage was generated for the past, present and future (8050 yrs). The validity of the model was tested by fitting measured with simulated C. The closeness of data fit in deciduous woodland shows the accuracy of the prediction; while the variations in other sites show the effects of management. The assumed practices during different historical and future periods led to the following predictions and conclusions. All the current land management practices including woodland do not sequester enough C. Integrated approaches like agroforestry, silviculture are required. Nevertheless, given the current land management soil C sequestration will be moderate (0.02 ± 0.003 t ha-1 y-1) up to 2055 before impacts that will require other sustainable options will be noticed.

Life is a journey. The way time flies. Three decades of academics, research and charity packed life. From 1984 – 2014 the pedestal has been on to shape tropical agriculture, capture temperate agriculture, and serve humanity in all spheres of life. Most rewarding is the metamorphosis in academics and charity at local and cross-country levels. There can be no better tribute to my lecturers, supervisors, students, bosses, schools, colleges and universities than to review this personal three decades of experimentation in tropical Nigeria.

Nutrient status, availability, reachability are the basis of soil fertility studies in agricultural soils. The East Anglia experience evaluated soil nutrient dynamics from the following parameters: whole ecosystem and soil respiration, microbial carbon , soil total carbon, soil total nitrogen, soil C:N ratio, soil temperature and soil water filled pore spaces. The following land management practices were evaluated: grassland under permanent pasture on 5 y ley before stocking; grassland under permanent pasture sown with red clover a y before stocking; grassland under permanent pasture treated with N fertilizer a y before stocking; arable land under barley; with deciduous woodland as control. Each site was replicated four times and revisited at each time of sampling. Whole ecosystem respiration was measured once a day per month with portable environmental gas monitor. At the same time soil samples were collected for actual measurement of soil respiratory activity in the laboratory; together with soil water filled pore spaces. Significant differences were observed in whole ecosystem and soil respiration amongst land management practices with grassland under permanent pasture treated with N fertilizer a year before stocking giving the highest whole ecosystem and soil respiration, 67.8 and 33.9 mmol m-2 h-1 respectively. Respiratory activity was highest over the summer months and lowest over the winter months. Whole ecosystem and soil respiration were dependent on soil microbial C (R2 = 0.6 and 0.73 respectively). It pays to get it right when land management and nutrient dynamics are at stake.