Volume 3 Issue 4 August 2024
Impact of Kogi Appeals Project on the Livelihood Status of Beneficiaries (Cassava Value Chain Farmers) Across the State
ABSTRACT
The urgent need to address the challenges militating against Agribusiness ventures & swift action to revamp
the depleting livelihood conditions of rural farmers and SME’s in Nigeria and by extension Kogi State, was part
of the Project Development Objectives (PDO’s) of APPEALS Project Kogi State towards enhancing rural
Agricultural productivity, processing and improve rural livelihood status through sustainable capacity building,
provision of input, infrastructural and technical support programs. Therefore, this research investigates the
impact of Kogi APPEALS Project on livelihood status of registered cassava farmers under the intervention
programs in Kogi State. A multi-stage sampling technique was adopted to select 301 participants in Kogi State,
44.18%of respondents were drawn from Kogi East Senatorial District, 36.54% were drawn from Kogi West
Senatorial district while 19.26% were drawn from Kogi Central Senatorial district. A total of 301 respondents
who are farmers were interviewed with the aid of structured questionnaire. Data was obtained via both primary
and secondary sources and subjected to descriptive Analysis. The profitability of cassava sales in (tons) was
evaluated in relation to current market prices and per capita income of the state which is 4593usd as against
N925 to a dollar exchange rate as at 08/09/2023 for the state. Results shows that 67.44% of the total
respondents were males while 32.56% were females within the age range of 18 – 70years. All the respondents
maintained uniform farm sizes of 2ha under APPEALS Project and about 11.30% were single, 55.15 %
married,11.63% Divorced, 21.59% widowed and 0.33 % separated. Almost all of the respondents received
support in terms of inputs supply (fertilizer,seeds and pesticides), farm mechanizations (ploughing, Harrowing
and Ridging), Capacity Building Training and Development/Workshop and Rural Infrastructural Rehabilitation
support which were evident from the descriptive model. The result of this study also indicated that farmers
yields increased from an average value of 13.2t/ha (33.0% of recommended yield) before APPEALS project
intervention to 30.23 t/ha (75.58% of recommended yield) after APPEALS Project intervention. This yield
increase showed that continuous Agricultural support program aimed at addressing food security and rural
poverty alleviation through APPEALS project Kogi State will impact positively and sustainably on the rural
livelihood of Cassava farmers and steer overall Economic growth in the State and Nigeria at large.
Physiological Drought Stress Tolerance of Two Local Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, Poaceae] Varieties and Their Agronomic Attributes
Odindo Oscar1, John Maina Nyongesa1*, Yuelin Li2 , Otieno Dennis1
ABSTRACT
This study examined water stress in two new Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, Poaceae] varieties that
have been developed by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT-Nairobi)
for arid and semi-arid lands. Water stress response through morphological and physiological attributes that
promote productivity were examined. Complete randomized block design (CRBD) in a split plot way with three
replications involving two varieties and three levels of water stress (Field capacity, Ambient, and Stress) was
adopted. Data was collected on morphological traits such as plant height, leave length, biomass, and yield.
Physiological parameters (Transpiration (Tr) and Stomata conductance (gs) were also measured during the
growing period. The data collected was subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) using SPSS version 25.
Fisher’s LSD test at 5% was used to separate the treatment means. Morphological traits varied based on
sorghum variety, timing, and severity of drought stress. All morphological traits were significantly (P<0.05)
higher in the Seredo variety compared to Gadam and the yield components followed the watering regimes
where field capacity>ambient>stress. Grain yield was affected by both the timing and the severity of the stress.
Water stress reduced yield by ~35% in Seredo and 60% in the Gadam variety. Variation in yield was associated
with variation in total dry matter rather than gas exchange, which was only reduced when stress occurred at
the flowering stage since the crop requires more water for grain development at this stage. The Gadam variety
was found to be more tolerant than the Seredo variety to water stress but recorded a lower yield. This study is
important for the farmer’s choice in deciding on water use and yield components in Sorghum production and
food security.
Weed Control in Oil Palm with an Herbicide Formulation of Imazapyr Plus Safeners
Ekhator F.1 and Ikuenobe C.E.2
ABSTRACT
Weed control is very crucial to oil palm cultivation and some herbicides mainly used for weed control in oil palm
are toxic to the palm thereby retarding the growth of the palm. In view of this, a formulation of Imazapyr plus
safeners was assessed for weed control in oil palm at the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR).
Treatments consisted of glufosinate ammonia (basta) applied at 0.5 kg a.i ha-1, imazapyr at 0.5 kg a.i ha-1,
imazapyr +safener “A” (mefenpyr-diethyl) at 0.5 kg a.i. ha-1, imazapyr +safener “B” (mefenpyr-diethyl (S1-1))
at 0.5 kg a.i. ha-1 and a reference weedy plot as control. The result showed that dicots particularly perennial
were the dominant weed species at the experimental site. All the herbicide treatments significantly reduced
weed incidence, but imazapyr plus safener “B” (Mefenpyr-diethyl (S1-1) at 0.5 kg a.i. ha-1 had significantly
reduced weed incidence and weed biomass over control by 72.25 % and 71 % respectively at 20 weeks after
treatment than any other herbicide treatment. However, palms in plots treated with imazapyr plus safener “B”
at 0.5 kg a.i. ha-1 were healthy and had no toxicity damage. This result concluded that imazapyr plus safener “B”
at 0.5 kg a.i. ha-1 will be adequate and safe for weed control in oil palm.
Influence of Different Animal Manure on the Performance of Eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum L.)
AbdulAzeez, S.A1.; Odulate, L.O.2, Quadri, S.A.1, Salako, Y. A.2, Oludipe, B.B.2 and Folahan, T.E.1
ABSTRACT
The performance of eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum L.) can be greatly affected by the type of animal manure
used. Animal manures (Goat dung, poultry droppings, pig dung and cow dung) used for the study were sourced
from Yaba College of Technology and her environment. The test crop was an eggplant (Kibibi F1) variety
sourced from the National Institute of Horticultural Research (NIHORT). Animal manures at different inclusions
release nutrients for the growth and development of eggplant. Animal manure influenced the soil by reducing
its acidity from pH 5.64 to pH 6.2. However, goat manure was found to have a significant impact on the size
and quality of eggplant. For reproductive growth and development, parameters in number of flowers, number
of fruits and weight of fruits of eggplants were taken with 10ton/ha inclusion of goat dung showing great
significant difference and 10tons/ha inclusion of poultry droppings producing the highest values in yield for
number of flowers and number of fruits. Based on these findings, farmers are advised to adopt the use of
either 10ton/ha of poultry droppings or goat dung for the production of eggplants for both vegetative growth
and optimum yield respectively thereby attaining zero hunger in Africa.
Physico-Chemical Properties of Soils in Flooded and Upland Forest Areas of Yola-North and Yola-South Local Government Areas, Adamawa State, Nigeria
Umar, M.R.
ABSTRACT
This study examined the Physicochemical properties of soils in flooded and upland forest areas of Yola-North
and Yola-South Local Government Areas. Composite soil samples were collected from three selected points in
two locations of both flooded and upland areas of the two LGAs. These were Jambutu and Runde in Yola-North
and Yolde-Pate and Ngurore in Yola-South LGA. The depths of collection of soil samples in each point were 0
30, 31-60 and 61-90cm using hand auger. Laboratory analysis showed that the physical properties of the soil
samples in Yola-North; sand, silt, clay, Bulk density and porosity had values ranging from 37-70%, 11-16.67%,
19-46%, 1.28-1.53gcm-3 and 37-51.67% while the chemical properties of soil, pH, EC, OC, TN, AV-P, Ca, Mg,
Na, K, TEB, TEA, ECEC and PBS had values ranging from 6.57-6.75, 1.01-1.09dS/m, 6.20-7.63g/Kg,1.50-1.57g/Kg,
7.68-9.34mg/Kg, 7.27-12.00Cmol/Kg, 1.82-3.10Cmol/Kg, 0.11-0.39Cmol/Kg, 0.09-0.51Cmol/Kg, 5.13
8.01Cmol/Kg, 1.28-2.23Cmol/Kg, 10.46-18.45Cmol/Kg and 72.70-79.33% in the LGA. Similarly, results from the
physical properties of the soil samples in Yola-South; sand, silt, clay, Bulk density and porosity had values
ranging from 40-51%, 14.67-20.60%, 32-39%, 1.29-1.40gcm-3 and 36.83-50.33% while the chemical properties
of soil, pH, EC, OC, TN, AV-P, Ca, Mg, Na, K, TEB, TEA, ECEC and PBS had values ranging from 6.57-6.72, 1
1.08dS/m, 6.70-7.70g/Kg, 1.55-1.70g/Kg, 7.80-9.30mg/Kg, 8.50-12.70Cmol/Kg, 1.90-3.61Cmol/Kg, 0.1
0.25Cmol/Kg, 0.11-0.52Cmol/Kg, 5.30-8.01Cmol/Kg,1.6-2.10Cmol/Kg, 12.41-18.45Cmol/Kg and 71.93-78.14%.
Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) and Pearson Product Moment Correlation were used to test for
significant differences in the physical and chemical properties of soils from the two LGAs. The mean separation
of nutrient values was done using the Duncan Multiple Range Test. The results showed that all the physical
properties except bulk density showed significant differences at P≤ 0.05 between upland and flooded soils.
The assessment of the Chemical properties of the soil samples showed significant differences at OC, AV-P, Ca,
K+ and TEB while there were no significant differences at P≤ 0.05 in the other properties. The R-values of
correlation ranged from -0.01 and 0.97 in both the physical properties of the two LGAs. Similarly, the r-value
ranged from -0.02 and 0.98 in both the chemical properties of the two LGAs. Thus it is concluded that some
nutrients are leached during flooding; some are added as deposits while some are unaffected by flood. Further
research could be geared towards identifying flood-tolerant tree species in the study area for forest
conservation.