AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE
MEANING OF ANIMAL REPRODUCTION
Reproduction is the ability in animal to give birth to young ones. The purpose of reproduction is to ensure continuity of life. The reproductive system includes all the organs and tissues concerned with reproduction in animals. Farm animals reproduce sexually…
COMMON WEEDS FOUND ON FARMS
Common weeds found on farms including their common names and botanical names are shown below: Guinea grass (Panicum maximum). Bahama grass (Cynodon dactylon). Carpet grass (Axonopus compressus). Sensitive plant (Mimosa pundica). Spear grass (Imperiata cylindrica). Wire grass (Aspilia africana). Centro…
MEANING OF WEEDS
Weed is any plant that grows in a place where it is not expected to grow or a plant which grows out of place. Weed can also be defined as a plant that grows where it is not desired in…
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION OFFICER OR AGENT OR WORKER
An agricultural extension officer or worker is a person who is involved in the dissemination of new ideas and techniques from the research institutes to farmers. He acts as an intermediary between researchers and farmers. Qualities of a Good…
AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION PROGRAMMES IN NIGERIA
Agricultural extension programmes are the media or channels through which new ideas and techniques are disseminated to rural farmers. In other words, they are bodies or agencies which have extension service units that can teach and train extension workers on…
METHODS OF DISSEMINATING NEW IDEAS AND TECHNIQUES TO FARMERS
There are three main extension teaching methods. That is, methods used in disseminating new ideas and techniques to farmers are grouped into three classes: Individual method. Group method. Mass method. a) Individual Method: The individual method includes farm and…
MEANING OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION
Agricultural extension can be defined in any of the following ways: It is a process whereby modern farming techniques and research findings are taken to the farmers through extension workers and problems of the farmers are taken to research institutions…
FACTORS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION
Production refers to all economic activities which result in the creation of goods and services. In other words, production is the process of making or manufacturing goods as well as the process of providing services. For goods and services to…
RANGE LAND MANAGEMENT
A Rangeland is an extensive area of land which contains forage grasses and legumes and other herbage plants where animals like cattle, sheep and goat can graze. The forage plants such as the grasses and legumes used for grazing by…
PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF MECHANISATION
Farm mechanisation is the application of engineering principles and technology in agricultural production, storage and processing on the farm. Farm mechanisation is applicable to land preparation, planting, fertilizer application, weeding and crop harvesting, rearing, caring and feeding of animals as…
AGRICULTURAL INSURANCE
Agricultural producers have series of risks affecting the income and welfare of their households. These are mainly production risks in relation to: weather conditions, pests and diseases and market conditions. Consequently, the income stability of agricultural stakeholders can be affected.…
MARKETING OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE
Agricultural marketing are the activities involved in the flow of goods and services from the producers (farmers) to the final consumers. In other words, agricultural marketing involves all the activities required to move farm produce from the producers (farmers) to…
PASTURE AND FORAGE CROPS
Pasture is a piece of land on which forage crops or grasses or mixture of grasses and legumes grow. In other words, it refers to an area of land covered with forage crops which are usually grasses and legumes that…
RUBBER (Hevea braziliensis)
Rubber is the only popular latex crop which produces white sticky liquid used in plastic industries. It belongs to the plant family, euphorbiaceae. Land preparation: The land is cleared, stumping is done and the land may be levelled or…
GROUNDNUT (Arachis hypogea)
Groundnut is a dual-purpose crop. It can be cultivated as an oil crop as well as a protein or a pulse or leguminous crop. Although it is a leguminous crop, it is mainly grown for its oil. The seed called…
OIL PALM (Elaeis guineensis)
The oil palm belongs to the plant family called palmea or palm family. On commercial basis, both the oil and the kernel are important. The oil is obtained from the mesocarp and the kernel from the endocarp. The fruit is…
PEPPER (Capsicum spp)
Pepper is a spice crop which adds flavours to stew and soup. It can be used when green or red. It is rich in vitamins and minerals. It belongs to the plant family, Solanaceae. Land Preparation: The bush is…
COCOA (Theobroma cacao)
Cocoa is a beverage crop used in the preparation of many food drinks like Ovaltine, Bournvita, Pronto, etc in Nigeria. It belongs to the plant family called Sterculiaceae. The fruit is called cocoa pod. Land Preparation Select well-drained deep…
BANANA (Musa spp)
Land Preparation: Clearing of the land which is followed by stumping and making of ridges or heaps. It can also be done mechanically through ploughing, harrowing and ridging. Varieties/Cultivars: Gross Michel; cavendish (dwarf); red banana; canary banana. Climatic…
ORANGE (Citrus sinensis)
Orange is a fruit crop which belongs to the citrus family. The fruit of orange called berry is succulent, fleshy and juicy and it is rich in vitamins and minerals. Land Preparation: The land is cleared with cutlass and…
OKRA (Abelmoscus esculentus)
Okra is also a vegetable crop commonly grown by local farmers in West Africa. The fruits called capsule. When young, they are harvested with knife and used in soup preparation. Land preparation: The bush is cleared with cutlass while…
TOMATO (Lycopersicon esculentum)
Tomato is a vegetable crop commonly grown by peasant farmers in West Africa. The fruit called berry when ripe can be eaten raw, used for soup or stew preparation, or in preparing vegetable salad and other food. Land preparation…
COTTON (Gossypium spp)
Cotton is a fibre crop and belongs to the plant family called Malvaceae. It produces cotton lint, a white fibre used in textile industries. Land Preparation: The land is cleared with cutlass or mechanically ploughed and harrowed to make…
COWPEA (Vigna unguiculata)
The cowpea is a member of the pulses or legumes. It belongs to the family called Leguminosae. It is rich in proteins and is commonly fed on by man. The fruit of cowpea is called pod. Land Preparation The…
CASSAVA (Manihot spp)
Cassava just like yam, is a root and tuber crop. It has underground roots which can be consumed by man and livestock animals after processing. It has other advantages over yam, in that it can grow in relatively poor soil…
YAM (Dioscorea spp)
Yam belongs to the family Dioscoreaceae. It is a root and tuber crop popularly grown in West Africa and it is rich in carbohydrates. Land Preparation Cutlass is used to clear the bush or vegetation and heaps, ridges or…
RICE (Oryza sativa)
Rice is another popular cereal crop grown and consumed by nearly half of the world’s population. It is also a member of the grass family (Gramineae). The seed/fruit of rice is a caryopsis, i.e ., it has its epicarp fused…
SOME CULTURAL PRACTICES IN CROP PRODUCTION
1) Transplanting The transfer of seedlings from nursery beds to their permanent positions in the field. The tools used for transplanting are handtrowel, digger, hoe or cutlass. Plant is removed with a ball of soil around its roots. Mostly done…
CLASSIFICATION OF CROPS
Crops can be classified based on: Uses. Life Cycle. Morphology. CLASSIFICATION OF CROPS BASED ON THEIR USES In this classification, crops are divided into the following categories: Cereal crops: These crops belong to the grass family and they provide…
SOURCES OF FARM POWER
DEFINITION OF POWER Power is defined as the rate of doing work or the rate of expenditure of energy. Farm power can be obtained from the following sources: Human power. Animal power. Mechanical power. Electrical power. Solar power. Wind power.…
EFFECTS OF SOME FARMING PRACTICES ON THE SOIL
FARMING PRACTICES The following farming practices by farmers have various consequences or effects on the soil. a) Bush Burning: This involves the setting of fire on the bush to clear out the vegetation. Merits It releases minerals like potassium…
FUNCTIONS AND PROBLEMS OF FARM MANAGER
In agriculture, the farm manager is usually regarded as the entrepreneur whose duties include the organisation, administration, production and marketing of produce from the farm. The reward for management is profit. FUNCTIONS OFA FARM MANAGER The functions of a…
ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY
Environmental physiology refers to the effects of the environment on the growth and performance of farm animals. Normal growth and performance are enhanced when climatic factors like temperature, rainfall, wind, relative humidity, sunlight, etc are moderate. Excess or lack of…
TYPES AND CLASSIFICATION OF FARM ANIMALS
Farm animals refers to as a group of animals which are reared in the farm either for food or for commercial purposes. The various types of farm animals include Poultry (fowls). Pig. Cattle. Sheep. Goat. Rabbit. Snail. Ducks. Turkey…
APICULTURE OR BEE-KEEPING
Bee keeping (or apiculture, from latin apis, bee) is the maintenance of honey bee colonies, commonly in hives, by humans for the purpose of producing honey and wax. In other words, bee-keeping is the art and science of domesticating bees…
AGRO-FORESTRY PRACTICES IN NIGERIA
Agro-forestry is a collective name for land use system where woody perennial (trees, shrubs and palms) are deliberately planted on the same land management units as agricultural crops and or animals in some form of spatial arrangement or temporal sequence.…
FLORICULTURE
Floriculture is simply defined as the production and management of ornamental plants such as trees, shrubs and flowers. In other words, floriculture involves the growth, care, uses and marketing of some flowering plants, trees and shrubs. Beautiful trees or flowering…
DRAINAGE
Drainage is a process whereby excess water in the soil is removed artificially to promote good farming activities. In other words, drainage is the withdrawal of excess water from the soil while at the same time retaining adequate reserves to…
IRRIGATION
Irrigation is defined as the artificial or manmade application of water to soil or land for farming purposes. In other words, irrigation is the artificial application of water to the soil to supplement insufficient rainfall. Irrigation is mainly practised in…
EDAPHIC FACTORS AFFECTING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION
1) Soil pH It affects the growth of plants. It also affects the availability of soil nutrients to plants. It affects the presence of soil microorganisms. It causes toxicity to plants and animals in the soil. 2) Soil Texture…
INTER-RELATIONSHIP AMONG LIVING THINGS
There are inter-relationship among living things in a particular environment. These inter-relationship include the following: 1) Competition Competition involves the interactions among two organisms of the same or different species in which one outgrows the other and survives while…
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AFFECTING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION
MEANING AND ELEMENTS/FACTORS OF CLIMATE Climate is defined as the average weather condition of a place, measured over a long period of time (over 35 years). Factors of Climate Factors or elements of climate include: Rainfall. Temperature. Wind. Relative…
AGRO-ALLIED OR AGRO-BASED INDUSTRIES
Agro-allied industries also called Agrobased industries are industries which depend on agriculture for their raw materials in order to operate successfully. In other words, agro-based industries require the supply of agricultural raw materials in order to provide some finished products…
AGRICULTURAL ECOLOGY
Agricultural ecology can simply be defined as the study of crop plants and farm animals in relation to their environment. Ecology is derived from a Greek word Oikos which means home or dwelling place. In other words, agricultural ecology can…
GOVERNMENT LAWS ON LAND USE IN NIGERIA
As a result of the problems and inadequacies of the land tenure system, the Federal Government of Nigeria, in 1978, during the reign of General Olusegun Obasanjo, promulgated a decree on land use in Nigeria. The decree was known as…
LAND TENURE SYSTEM IN NIGERIA
Land tenure is defined as the system of land ownership or acquisition by individual, family, community or government agency either for temporary or permanent use. The land tenure system in West Africa varies with tribes, communities and states. It can…
ROLES OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS IN AGRICULTURE
Meaning and characteristics of NonGovernmental Organisations in Agriculture. They are established by private agencies or corporate bodies concerned with the development of agriculture all over the world. They are not owned or controlled by the government. They are privately –…
ROLES OF GOVERNMENT IN AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
Government plays an important role in the development of agriculture in Nigeria. This has helped to solve the numerous problems which resulted in the poor development of agriculture. The roles of government in agricultural development include: 1) Provision of Financial…
SUBSISTENCE AND COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE
SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE Subsistence agriculture is defined as the type of agriculture which is concerned with the production of food by a farmer to feed himself and his family. In other words, subsistence agriculture is a system of farming whereby a…
PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS OF AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN WEST AFRICA
Many developing countries in West Africa including Nigeria are faced with numerous problems which militate against the development of agriculture. Some of these problems are: (1) Inadequate Land or Land Tenure System Land cannot be pledged, sold or used as…
