FUDMA Journal of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology

EFFECT OF INSECURITY ON SELECTED ARABLE CROPS OUTPUT IN DELTA STATE, NIGERIA.

J.E. OKPARA — 2025-08-11

This study examined the effect of insecurity on the output of arable crops by farmers in the rural area in Delta State, Nigeria. Particularly, it determined the effect of insecurity on agricultural enterprises and determined the output of major arable crops in the period of peak insecurity in 2023. Descriptive survey research design was adopted and data were obtained, using structured questionnaires, on 180 randomly selected respondents. The findings revealed that insecurity had far-reaching effects on all the farming processes and land preparation (mean = 2.8), planting, weeding and crop monitoring (mean = 2.6 for the three) were most affected. Crop output was also adversely affected, with cassava (mean = 4.16), yam (3.24), and maize (3.08) being most affected, while vegetables (2.41) and plantain (1.66) were less affected. ANOVA results showed significant difference (F = 96.308, p < 0.001) of the levels of output among the crops, a clear evidence that insecurity disproportionately affects arable crop outputs. The study warrants multi-stakeholder interventions as enhanced rural security, peace building activities, investment in infrastructure, and targeted post-insecurity support to resume productivity and increase farmers' resilience.

ASSESSMENT OF SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF SOME SOIL PROPERTIES AT CENTRE FOR DRYLAND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FARM BAYERO UNIVERSITY KANO.

M. J MAGAJI — 2025-08-14

The research was conducted at the Centre for Dryland Agricultural research farm with the aim of assessing the spatial variability of some soil properties and the degree of relationship between such properties. The boundary of the areas was delineated and georeferenced in ArcGIS environment, followed by digitization and creation of the shape file to represent the area. The fishnet of ArcToolbox was used to generate grid of 50 x 50 meter, and the centre of each grid was extracted and imported into Geographical Positioning System (GPS) to locate each of the sampling point. Composited soil samples were collected at the depth of 0-20cm, and the samples were prepared and analyzed based on the standard laboratory procedures. The results were subjected to descriptive statistic and geostatistics to generate the spatial representation of each parameter of the location. The result revealed that there was moderate variability in Clay, Iron and Cupper, while sand, silt, electrical conductivity, Zinc had a strong coefficient of variation (>75%). Highly Significant negative relationship was observed between sand, clay and silt, and highly significant positive relationship was also observed between clay and silt. Sand dominated all the mineral fractions and the content of micronutrient were rated moderate to high. Strong positive relationship was obtained between all micronutrient, except zinc and iron. Simple and ordinary krigging methods were used for the interpolation, with stable and exponential as best models for all the variables, except iron. Weak to moderate spatial autocorrelation was observed between all the parameters. Soil amendment should be used to improved the water holding capacity of the soil, and application of fertilizer bearing micronutrient should checked to reduced toxicity of these nutrients in the soil.

INFLUENCE OF WATER MANAGEMENT, RICE VARIETIES AND COW DUNG RATES ON PHYSICAL QUALITY INDICATORS OF A SANDY CLAY LOAM IN SOKOTO, NIGERIA

M.M SAUWA — 2025-08-14

Adoption of appropriate soil and water management practices is needed for enhancing or maintaining soil physical quality in savanna regions of northern Nigeria. It is against this background that this study was undertaken to assess the impact of four irrigation methods (AWD1, AWD2, AWD3 and CF), two rice varieties (FARO 44 and TOFA), and four cow dung rates (0, 5, 10 and 15 t ha^-1) on soil physical quality in northern Nigeria's savanna region. The treatments were arranged in a split-split plot design over two growing seasons (2020 and 2021). Results showed that water management and rice varieties had no significant impact on soil physical quality. However, cow dung rates notably affected bulk density, total porosity, and plant available water significantly. Rates of 5, 10, and 15 t ha^-1 cow dung improved soil physical quality compared to no cow dung application. The study therefore, concluded that specific irrigation methods (AWD1, AWD2, AWD3 or CF), rice varieties (FARO 44 or TOFA), and cow dung rates (5, 10 or 15 t ha^-1) are better management options in enhancing the soil physical quality. It is moreover suggesting that similar research should be extended to 3-4 years to evaluate their medium-term effects.Top of Form

PROTEIN AND GLUCOSE VARIATIONS IN ENDOCRINE FLUIDS IN RELATION TO TESTICULAR OUTPUT IN POST PUBERTAL MALE GOATS IN THE TROPICS ⃰

U.D OSAYANDE — 2025-08-14

The biochemical characteristics of cells and tissues are crucial for comprehending metabolic processes in animal organisms. This study evaluated sperm reserves and cerebral fluids in twelve bucks; six each from the West African Dwarf (WAD) and Sokoto Red (SR) breeds, weighing 7.5±0.61kg and 11.00±1.22kg, respectively. At 8weeks of observatory feeding, their reproductive tracts and brains were excised, homogenization, and biochemical assay conducted via standard procedures. Data was subjected to t-test analysis. There were no variation (p<0.05) in paired testis weight, daily sperm production, and sperm production efficiency between both breeds. Paired testis weight ranged from 6.83±0.51g to 7.53±0.45g, daily sperm production from 0.48±0.05 x 10⁷to 0.48±0.02 x 10⁷spermatozoa, and sperm production efficiency from 0.21±0.04 x 10⁷to 0.18±0.03 x 10⁷ spermatozoa in post-pubertal WAD and SR bucks respectively. However, significant differences (p<0.05) were evident in epididymal regions between the two breeds, particularly in caput, corpus, and cauda reserves. Protein concentration in cerebral fluids varied significantly (p<0.05) across cerebral cortex, medulla oblongata, amygdala, pons varolli, midbrain, and hippocampus regions for both breeds. Total glucose exhibited similarities (p>0.05) within most brain regions, except in the hypothalamus. Interestingly, the hypothalamus region demonstrated analogous protein and glucose values in both breeds, implying a notable correlation (p<0.05) between in-situ hormonal activity in the brain and reproductive tract. In conclusion, this study evaluated the biochemical assay in reproductive tract and brain regions of WAD and SR bucks, emphasizing the significance of understanding these variances in the context of reproductive physiology.