Agriculture is a vital sector for the growth and development of every nation. In the field of crop production, diverse food and economic crops are produced to serve man and animals.
The Department of Crop Production, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jos, is a training ground where students are groomed on the proper production process. Members of the department gave insights during their harvest and threshing of food crops.
Speaking with Mr Isaac Izang, the farm manager of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jos, he emphasized that man cannot live without food, and as such, the production of food crops is paramount. The department is designed to train students and scholars on how to properly grow crops year round. Crop production has many areas for land cultivation to harvesting of diverse crops, vegetable production, annual cropping, arable farming, and legumes among others.
Students are divided into all these areas to know the climate conditions in which each of these crops are better suited. “With this training, students get to know which crop best suits a geopolitical zone and geopolitical region of Nigeria.” Mr Isaac said.
He also noted some of the challenges facing crop production within the region like soil fertility, degrade in biotic activities, slow decomposition of organisms due to temperature, variety of pests and diseases.
He said “This year, the department planted maize crop on the faculty farm where bio students did the planting, harvesting and threshing and were able to obtain about twenty bags of maize, which would be sold in the market, although it is just about one and a half hectares of land that was cultivated.”
Mr Isaac further explained that new innovations are coming into place to ensure food security with the use of plant sources for fertilizer. For example, “the use of neem leaf and seeds and other plants in organic matters to carry out scholastic research. There is also the breeding of high yielding seeds so that the initial quality per unit area would increase, depending on the species with current modification of the colour, fruits, and taste through breeding and gene manipulation.”
Mr Isaac also advised farmers to go into new trends to better their farming and productivity while some students shared insights on the agricultural sector.
Miss Kachollom Shut, a 400-level student of the department explained that they have gone into the production of different varieties of crops, but this year, their focus was on maize, and they tried to look at the different varieties, health benefits and how it can be used to serve different purposes.
The break in rainfall in August that lasted for about three weeks was also identified as a leading factor that contributed to their inability to produce some other crops.
“Indeed many of us in the department look forward to graduating and beginning our own farms. I personally intend to go into cowpea farming.” Lachollom explained. She applauded the department for giving students the opportunity to know what crop to produce, when and where it should be produced, and how it can be used for growth of the economy.
“Some of the challenges we faced as students of crop production during their practice on the faculty farm are quite disturbing.” Ayimodu Sharon lamented.
She added that “one of which is the absence of planters which would have been programmed to plant three seeds per three centimetre per hole. Because students had to do the planting, not all of them followed the procedure. As such, some seeds grew longer than the required length a ridge should carry and fell off, while some seeds did not grow because they were planted too deep. Harvesters were also not made available, therefore removing the seeds from the cobs was difficult.”
On sustainability and environmental friendliness of crops, Philip Madaki, a 300-level student explained that crop production can be made more sustainable by enlightening people on the prospects in agriculture, especially within the field of crop production.
“This is important seeing that people are bankrupt of the knowledge of the current development in the agricultural field today, as the knowledge should lead to sustainability and economical bloom.” He said.
He also emphasized that crop production can be made environmentally friendly by the use of environmentally friendly materials, discouragement of bush burning after harvest, and encouraging people to use manure instead of chemical fertilizers which can pose threat to the environment and even aquatic life.
Victor Reuben Aniezie, a 300- level student noted that climate change is equal to change in the quantity of food production, citing Plateau state as an example. He mentioned the crops that grow maximally due to the cold and humid nature of the environment no longer produce as it should be because the climate no longer gives adequate support as it used to due to environmental hazard and ozone layer depletion.
“Agriculture is no longer that which requires too much man power.” Victor added. According to him, machines can now perform these functions as well, as the use of drones, electric solar and bio-generic activities can be done to enhance crop production. He expressed that this should not be underemphasized since it can foster export and income.
Since agriculture can no longer be under emphasized due to its recent growth and advancement, it is therefore important that individuals venture into the fast growing crop production process embracing its importance and ensuring availability of food all year round as well as provision of by-products from the produced food crops.
Pictorial Excerpts
Reports and Photos by Abimiku Christiana Danlami (Agric Correspondent) (1/5)
Edited by Isama Anayole Peace
