FUDMA Journal of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology

ASSESSING YOUTH INVOLVEMENT IN AGRICULTURE IN YOLA-NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ADAMAWA STATE

A.S. ONWUAROH — 2024-10-16

The study examined youth involvement in agriculture in Yola-North Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria. Data were collected from 230 farmers using a well-structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results show that the most (52.61%) of respondents were male, with an average age of 21 years. Most respondents (55.22%) were single with an average household size of 4 persons. Educationally, 2.61% had primary education, 7.39% had secondary education, 52.61% had diploma, and 37.39% had HND/Degree, indicating that all the respondents were educated. Additionally, most respondents earned between N40,000 and N200,000 annually. Factors influencing youth participation in agriculture revealed that age and sex were positive and significant at 1% level (P<0.01), while educational level was negative but significant at 10% level (P<0.1). Constraints identified included lack of government assistance, insufficient capital, poor road access, inadequate feed supply, poor extension services, and poor marketing prices. Sex (male) and age were positively associated with youth participation in agriculture, whereas the lack of government support was a significant barrier preventing youth from engaging in agricultural activities. The study recommends that inputs such as agrochemicals and credit should be made available on time and at subsidized rates by both governmental and non-governmental organizations to make agriculture more appealing to youths. Furthermore, the government or relevant institutions should strictly monitor and supervise any development or empowerment initiatives to prevent mismanagement by involved dignitaries.

ASSESSING FOOD SAFETY AWARENESS AND PRACTICES AMONG STREET FOOD VENDORS IN KATSINA STATE, NORTH WESTERN NIGERIA

H.Y. IBRAHIM — 2024-10-16

Food safety is a critical global issue, with contaminated food posing serious health risks, particularly to vulnerable populations such as children under five, the elderly, and the sick. This study examined food safety practices among street food vendors in major towns of Katsina State. Using structured questionnaires and a multi-stage sampling technique, data were collected from a total of 316 street food vendors to assess vendors' awareness and adoption of food safety measures. Descriptive statistics and traffic light model were used to analyse the data. While vendors demonstrated high awareness of basic hygiene practices like washing utensils and avoiding work when ill, the adoption of other crucial practices, such as using hand gloves and maintaining clean selling locations, was found to be low. This gap between awareness and practice highlights the need for targeted interventions, including training programs and public awareness campaigns, to bridge the knowledge-behaviour gap. The traffic light model categorized food safety risk to levels, revealing that many vendors operate at high to moderate risk levels. These findings underscore the importance of continuous monitoring, feedback, and enforcement of food safety regulations. Recommendations include enhancing access to resources, providing incentives for good practices, and implementing regular health and safety audits. This can significantly reduce foodborne illnesses, ensuring safer food consumption, and supporting national health and economic development through safer trade and tourism activities. This study contributes to the on-going discourse on food safety in developing regions and highlights critical areas for policy and practical interventions to safeguard public health.

OCCURRENCE OF GASTROINTESTINAL PARASITE IN SILVER CATFISH (Bagrus bajad, FORSSKALL, 1775) IN ZOBE RESERVOIR, KATSINA STATE NIGERIA

Y.B. HADIZA — 2024-12-17

A study of Bagrus bajad of Zobe artificial lake was conducted between October and December, 2023 to determine the presence of gastrointestinal parasitic worms infestation in Bagrus bajad. A total of 108 live fish samples of Bagrus bajad were collected from fishermen at the investigation places, fish samples were randomly collected weekly from three (3) selection locations from fish men using various fishing gears (Long line, nets and Traps). Out of 108 fish samples from Zobe, 29 were male and 79 were female. Female fish samples had a comparatively greater number of infected 49 whereas the male fish samples documented 21. Fish parasites recovered and their prevalence among Bagrus bajad obtained from Zobe reservoir includes; Asiostrema spp21 (30.00%), Metacercarriae spp17(24.29%), Ascaris spp 21(30.00%) and Acanthosentis tilapia 11 (15.71%). Bagrus bajad sampled obtained from Zobe indicated among the silver catfish experimented from Zobe Reservoir, the intestine were the most infected 40 (57.14%) of tissues examined, followed by the stomach with 30 (42.86). Fishes such as B. bajad, S. mystus, C. gariepinus and C. Zilli from the Zobe reservoir should be cooked properly or be on fire before eating to shun health threat due to consumption of the fish parasitic worms.

EFFECT OF LEAF EXTRACT POWDER FROM NITROGEN FIXING TREE SPECIES ON SEEDLING GROWTH OF Tamarindus indica Linnaeus

A.A. OGUNBELA — 2024-12-17

Tamarind cultivation faces challenges due to marginal land use, soil erosion, nutrient depletion and suboptimal fertilization practices, impacting productivity and quality. A study assessed nitrogen-fixing tree leaf powder's effect on Tamarindus indica seedling growth, employing a Complete Randomized Design with four treatments (Bauhinia racemosa, Tamarindus. indica, Siamese cassia and control) and ten replications. Results showed no significant differences at 0.05 probability level, yet Bauhinia racemosa supported branch length, stem diameter and leaf production, outperforming other treatments. Siamese cassia exhibited highest shoot height, while control promoted leaf production. Bauhinia racemosa proved optimal for T. indica growth. Innovative strategies, such as examining leguminous leaves, breeding and bio-engineering, can enhance tamarind's slow growth, ensuring sustainable production and utilization.

PRODUCTIVITY OF MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.) AS INFLUENCED BY FERTILIZER RATES AND INTRA-ROW SPACING IN SAMARU NORTHERN GUINEA SAVANNA

H. MANI — 2024-12-17

Field trials were carried out in 2017 and 2018 wet seasons at Institute for Agricultural Research Farm, Ahmadu Bello University to examine the impact of intra-row spacings and NPK fertilizer rates. Three intra-row spacings (30, 40 and 50 cm) and three NPK fertilizer rates (60-30-30, 90-45-45, and 120-60-60 kg/ha) were used. The treatments were arranged and replicated three times in a Randomized Completely Block Design. All recommended agronomic practices were followed. Plant and ear height, days to 50% tasseling, grain yield, and 100-grain weight were among the variables measured. According to the results, every increase in NPK fertilizer resulted in a notable improvement in the crop's growth and yield metrics. Increased inter-row distance increased the 100-grain weight. However, lower intra-row spacing resulted in much taller plants, but took longer days to reach 50% tasseling. Based on the outcomes in this study, it could be concluded that utilizing a 30 cm intra-row spacing and application of 120-60-60 NPK fertilizer rate resulted in good maize growth and output in the research location and is hereby recommended.

PRODUCTIVITY OF WATERMELON (CITRULLUS LANATUS (THUNBERG) M.) AS INFLUENCED BY DIFFERENT FERTILIZATION, IRRIGATION METHODS, AND INTRA-ROW SPACINGS AT SAMARU, NORTHERN GUINEA SAVANNA

H. MANI — 2024-12-17

An experiment comprised of three fertilizations (NPK 100-50-50, 5 tons (t) Poultry Manure (PM); NPK 50-25-25 + 2.5 t PM ha^-1, two irrigation methods (Furrow and Border) and three levels of intra-row spacing (1 m x 1 m, 1 m x 2 m and 1.5 m x 1.5 m) was carried out during 2021 and 2022 dry seasons. The experiment was carried out in the Teaching and Research Farm of the Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, latitude 11° 11' N and longitude 07° 38' E, 686 meters above sea level. The treatments were arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design in a split-plot arrangement and replicated three times. Data measured were on vine length, number of branches plant^-1, days to 50% flowering, number of fruits plants^-1, fruits yield plot^-1(g), and yield ha^-1 (kg ha^-1). All the required agronomic practices were duly observed. The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SAS version 9.0. Significant means were separated using Duncan Multiple Range Test at 5% probability. The results obtained from the study revealed that the application of 50-25-25 NPK + 2.5-ton PM ha^-1, using border irrigation and closer intra-row spacing of 1 m x 1 m appeared the best combination for good growth performance and optimum yield of watermelon in the northern Guinea ecological zone of Nigeria. Therefore, farmers are recommended to apply 50-25-25 NPK + 2.5 PM hectare^-1 using border irrigation method and to plant watermelon at an intra-row spacing of 1 m x 1 m for good productivity of watermelon at Samaru, northern Guinea savanna.

MORPHOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF Balanities eagyptica (Linnaeus) Del. SEEDLINGS: UNVEILING THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN PHYSICAL FACTORS AND SEEDLINGS ARCHITECTURE

K.D. SALAMI — 2024-12-17

aegyptiacais an extremely important tree species in the development of the rural economy in Northern Nigeria and no specific study has been carried out to establish its productivity potentials and conservation strategies of B. aegyptiaca. Therefore, the study was conducted to investigate the morphological responses of Balanities eagyptiacaas influenced by soil forms, watering regime and light intensity on the early growth performance of Balanites aegyptiaca A total of one hundred and ninety nine seeds (199) were sown in 1m by 1m seed bed after pre-treatment with cold water for seventy-two hours. The experiment was arranged in 3 x 3 x 3 factorial in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with twenty-seven treatments combination and three replicates. The experiment was carried out for sixteen (16) weeks and five growth parameters were measured. Data collected were subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA and descriptive statistics. Treatment combination of C3T1W3 (Sandy x 50% of light x watering three times in a week) showed the highest performance followed by C1T3W3 (Clay x 100% of light intensity x watering three times in a week). Light intensity had significant different on shoot height and leaf production while watering regime had significant differences on leaf area and stem diameter at 0.05 probability level. Also, sandy soil had significance differences on leaf area at 0.05 probability level. Watering three times in a week and light intensity between 50 to 100 % are required for the growth of the species. Sandy soil supported the growth of the species and there must be application of specific insecticide at early stage.