This study analyzed relationships between soil properties and food crop production in Ebonyi State of southeast Nigeria. Free survey was conducted after three zones (Agbaja, Akaeze and Ikwo) in the state were purposel...This study analyzed relationships between soil properties and food crop production in Ebonyi State of southeast Nigeria. Free survey was conducted after three zones (Agbaja, Akaeze and Ikwo) in the state were purposely selected for representation of the soil sampling. Two types of sampling were conducted;Auger sampling at 0 - 20 and 20 - 40 cm depths and soil profile sampling. Annual crop yield data on maize and cassava for the state from 1988 to 2017 were collected from Agriculture Development Program. Variations in properties among soil horizons were obtained using coefficient of variations while soil parameters were regressed against crop yields to establish their relationships. Results showed that fine sand, total sand, bulk density, total porosity, soil pH, and available phosphorus significantly (p = 0.05) differ from 0 - 20 cm and 20 - 40 cm depths. Also, cassava yield correlated negatively with base saturation, and organic matter at 0.05 probability level;with exchangeable Ca and Na at 0.01 probabilities level but correlated positively with bulk density and available water capacity at 0.01 and 0.05 probability levels, respectively. Similarly, maize yield correlated negatively with available phosphorus and total nitrogen at 0.05 probability level;and with total porosity and exchangeable Ca at 0.01 probability level;and then correlated positively with available water capacity, and bulk density, at 0.01 probability level;with coarse sand at 0.05 probability level. However, soils of Ebonyi State are fertile but some of the chemical properties are still low, therefore, it is paramount to improve the quality of the soil to achieve improved food security in the state.展开更多
Climate variation generally occurs at local scale, regional scale, national scale and global scale. Having established that the global climate has varied slowly over the past millennia, centuries, and decades and it i...Climate variation generally occurs at local scale, regional scale, national scale and global scale. Having established that the global climate has varied slowly over the past millennia, centuries, and decades and it is expected to continue to vary in future. Like the climate change, variability may be due to, national internal processes within the climate （internal variability）, or variations in natural or anthropogenic external forces （external variability）. Evidence of climate variations is now well documented, and the implications are becoming increasingly clear as data accumulates and data and climate models become increasingly sophisticated. The fluctuations in rainfall and temperature regimes are the atmospheric driving forces that are responsible for the climate variations over the southeastern Nigeria including Imo State as the case in other parts of the world. It is on this premise that this study examined the evidence of climate variability in Imo State of the southeastern Nigeria. The study employed the holistic use of real meteorological data from Nigerian Meteorological Department on two weather parameters （temperature and rainfall）, for 30 years （1980-2009）. Results indicated fluctuations in temperature and rainfall regimes within the period under study, which were the reasons for the variations in climate of the region. Apparently, evidence of climate variability are indicated by increasing surface air temperature, increasing heat waves which enhances disease vectors, communicable diseases and epidemics, sea level rise and associated coastal erosion, flooding, increased evaporation that dry up streams and rivers etc..展开更多
文摘This study analyzed relationships between soil properties and food crop production in Ebonyi State of southeast Nigeria. Free survey was conducted after three zones (Agbaja, Akaeze and Ikwo) in the state were purposely selected for representation of the soil sampling. Two types of sampling were conducted;Auger sampling at 0 - 20 and 20 - 40 cm depths and soil profile sampling. Annual crop yield data on maize and cassava for the state from 1988 to 2017 were collected from Agriculture Development Program. Variations in properties among soil horizons were obtained using coefficient of variations while soil parameters were regressed against crop yields to establish their relationships. Results showed that fine sand, total sand, bulk density, total porosity, soil pH, and available phosphorus significantly (p = 0.05) differ from 0 - 20 cm and 20 - 40 cm depths. Also, cassava yield correlated negatively with base saturation, and organic matter at 0.05 probability level;with exchangeable Ca and Na at 0.01 probabilities level but correlated positively with bulk density and available water capacity at 0.01 and 0.05 probability levels, respectively. Similarly, maize yield correlated negatively with available phosphorus and total nitrogen at 0.05 probability level;and with total porosity and exchangeable Ca at 0.01 probability level;and then correlated positively with available water capacity, and bulk density, at 0.01 probability level;with coarse sand at 0.05 probability level. However, soils of Ebonyi State are fertile but some of the chemical properties are still low, therefore, it is paramount to improve the quality of the soil to achieve improved food security in the state.
文摘Climate variation generally occurs at local scale, regional scale, national scale and global scale. Having established that the global climate has varied slowly over the past millennia, centuries, and decades and it is expected to continue to vary in future. Like the climate change, variability may be due to, national internal processes within the climate （internal variability）, or variations in natural or anthropogenic external forces （external variability）. Evidence of climate variations is now well documented, and the implications are becoming increasingly clear as data accumulates and data and climate models become increasingly sophisticated. The fluctuations in rainfall and temperature regimes are the atmospheric driving forces that are responsible for the climate variations over the southeastern Nigeria including Imo State as the case in other parts of the world. It is on this premise that this study examined the evidence of climate variability in Imo State of the southeastern Nigeria. The study employed the holistic use of real meteorological data from Nigerian Meteorological Department on two weather parameters （temperature and rainfall）, for 30 years （1980-2009）. Results indicated fluctuations in temperature and rainfall regimes within the period under study, which were the reasons for the variations in climate of the region. Apparently, evidence of climate variability are indicated by increasing surface air temperature, increasing heat waves which enhances disease vectors, communicable diseases and epidemics, sea level rise and associated coastal erosion, flooding, increased evaporation that dry up streams and rivers etc..
