Volume 53 (2020): Issue 2 (June 2020)

Association among biometric traits and characterisation based on sexed-plumage colour of Nigerian locally adapted turkey were investigated using discriminant analysis. Eight morphometric traits were measured to study their phenotypic variations between two plumage colours (Lavender and White). The characters measured were body weight (BW) as well as body dimensions such as wing length (WL), wing span (WS), body length (BL), breast girth (BG), shank length (SL), thigh length (TL) and keel length (KL) taken at 12 weeks of age. The White male turkey was significantly (P < 0.05) heavier and had longer morphometric body traits than its female counterpart, but when compared with the Lavender male and female genotype, the traits did not differ significantly (P > 0.05). High positive and significant (P < 0.05) correlation coefficients were recorded among the various body traits. Coefficients of correlation in Lavender turkey ranged from 0.73 – 0.94, and 0.84 – 0.96 in the White turkey. The highest association with body weight in Lavender was body length (r = 0.80, P < 0.05), and the trio of BW, TL and KL had the stronger association for the White turkey (r = 0.91, P < 0.05). The first, second and third canonical variable or Fisher linear discriminant function explained 52.13 %, 37.48 % and 10.39 %, respectively, of the total variation. The distances between all pair wise were significant (P < 0.05). The greatest distance value (415.16) was between the White male and female turkeys, closely followed by the male White and female Lavender turkey (303.58), while the least distance was between the male and female Lavender. The distance between the populations was significant. It can be concluded that thigh length, breast girth, wing length, wing span and body length can serve as the most discriminating variables in distinguishing between White and Lavender populations.

The need to determine the minimum application rates of commonly used herbicides in Malete and the Guinea savanna of Nigeria for effective weed control and higher grain yield of maize, triggered this study. Therefore, field trials were conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of Kwara State University, Malete, to determine the weed control method that will be more effective in controlling weeds and give higher grain yield and cash returns in the production of maize. The experiment consisted of 9 treatments viz: primextra (metolachlor plus atrazine) + 2,4-D at 1.5 + 1.5 kg active ingredient (a.i.).ha⁻¹, primextra + 2,4-D at 2.0 + 2.0 kg a.i. ha⁻¹, primextra + 2,4-D at 2.5 + 2.5 kg ha⁻¹, primextra + nicosulfuron at 1.5 + 0.03 kg a.i. ha⁻¹, primextra + nicosulfuron at 2.0 + 0.05 kg a.i. ha⁻¹, primextra + niconsulfuron at 2.5 + 0.07 kg a.i. ha⁻¹, primextra at 1.5 kg a.i. ha⁻¹ + one Supplementary Hoe Weeding (SHW) at 6 Weeks After Sowing (WAS), two hand weeding at 3 and 6 Weeks After Sowing (WAS) and a weedy check. These treatments were laid out in randomised complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance using Statistical Analysis Software (SAS) package, after which means were separated using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (DMRT). Results showed that treatment combinations of primextra + one SHW at 6 WAS, two hoe weeding at 3 and 6 WAS, primextra + 2,4-D at 2.0 + 2.0 kg a.i. ha⁻¹ and primextra + nicosulfuron at 2.0+0.05 kg a.i. ha⁻¹ gave effective weed control, higher grain yield and cash returns. Therefore, primextra at 1.5 kg a.i. ha⁻¹ + one SHW at 6 WAS, primextra +2,4-D at 2.0 + 2.0 kg a.i. ha⁻¹ and primextra + nicosulfuron at 2.0 + 0.05 kg a.i. ha⁻¹ are recommended to farmers as alternative to two hoe weeding at 3 and 6 WAS.

Weed infestation is one of the major factors attributed for the poor yield of cowpea in Nigeria and other parts of sub-Sahara Africa (SSA). Field trials were therefore conducted to evaluate the effect of row spacing and different weeding levels on weed control, growth and yield of cowpea during the early and late wet seasons of 2009. In both seasons, the use of 60 cm row spacing resulted in significant (P < 0.05) reduction in weed density by 18 – 39% and weed biomass by 17 – 27% with subsequent increase in cowpea growth and grain yield than 75 and 90 cm row spacing. Cowpea grain yield increased by 67 – 109% in the early season and 24 – 56% in the late season at 60 compared to 75 and 90 cm row spacing. Hoe weeding reduced weed growth significantly in both seasons with the lowest weed density and biomass recorded in plots weeded thrice. However, this was not significantly different from weed density and biomass recorded with two weedings in both seasons. Hoe weeding twice resulted in optimum growth and grain yield of cowpea. An additional weeding, however, did not improve cowpea growth and yield in both seasons. The results of this study showed that narrow (60 cm) inter-row spacing and two hoe weedings at 3 and 6 weeks after sowing (WAS) will improve weed control and productivity of cowpea. Additional weeding is considered superfluous.

Sugarcane is an energy crop with great economic potentials. Information on soil evaluation for sugarcane in central Nigeria is very scanty. This study was carried out to evaluate the suitability of some soils of the floodplains in central Nigeria for sugarcane cultivation. A semi-detailed soil survey was carried out on 18,500 hectares of land straddling the floodplains of Rivers Niger and Benue in Korton-Karfe Local Government Area of Kogi State. Land resource survey was carried out using a 500 m×500 m grid pattern. Identified soil types were further examined with standard soil profiles. Samples were collected from the soil genetic horizons as well as surface (0–30 cm) soils at selected sampling points for fertility analysis. Parametric and non-parametric suitability evaluation methods were used to relate land qualities with land use requirements for commercial sugarcane cultivation. Relationships between evaluation methods were assessed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients. Nine soil mapping units were identified in the study areas which were mainly Inceptisols (55.4%) and Alfisols (22.5%) which correlates with Fluvisols (40.4%), Cambisols (15.1%) and Lixisols (22.5%) in the World Reference Base (WRB) classification system. The evaluation methods used revealed that 0%, 4.95%, 49.48%, 23.55% of the soils were highly suitable (S1), moderately suitable (S2), marginally suitable (S3) and not suitable (N) for sugarcane cultivation, respectively. Potentially, 0%, 9.52%, 44.91% and 23.55% of the soils were found to be highly suitable (S1), moderately suitable (S2), marginally suitable (S3) and not suitable (N) for sugarcane cultivation, respectively. The soils were strongly limited by low soil nutrient availability, soil acidity and flood hazard. Soil management practices such as application of organic manures, fertiliser and liming could be adopted to ameliorate the soil acidity and supply deficient nutrients while land development strategies such as drainage, flood control and possibly sub-soiling would mitigate other major limitations to sugarcane cultivation.

Helping conflict-affected persons requires an understanding of conflict impacts on their livelihoods. Hence, effects of farmers-herdsmen land-use conflict on livelihoods of farming households in Benue State were investigated. Data were collected from 110 farming households in Guma and Logo Local Government Areas (LGA) using interview schedule and focus group discussion. Most (56.4%) respondents were male, aged 51.6 ± 1.6 years, cultivated 9.14 ± 5.75 acres of farm size and had been involved in farming for 27.7 ± 14.16 years. The majority (>90%) experienced high degree of exposure to conflict incidences such as destruction of properties, homelessness and poor access to market. The respondents indicated a high effect of land-use conflict on farming households’ livelihoods (81.8%) and land availability/use (>50%) following conflict regime induced by climate change. All respondents perceived the anti-open grazing prohibition law as a right step to reducing conflict occurrence. There was no significant difference in the effects of farmers-herdsmen land-use conflict on livelihood of farming households in Guma and Logo LGA (t = 0.051). Farming households were highly vulnerable to the effects of farmers-herders conflict and are supportive of the current local authority’s prohibition of open grazing. A concerted effort involving religious institutions, government and non-governmental organisations including persuasion of herders to consider other options of livestock production such as ranching or settlement scheme would add impetus to the on-going efforts to resolve the conflict.