Soil Scientists call Presidential Initiative for soil pally on fertilizer

Professor Chude, President, Soil Science Society of Nigeria; Professor Kolawole Salako, the Awardee and Mrs. Mabel Salako during the SSSN 2018 conference in

·       Oyo Gov. demands  soil test equipment for farmers

The President of the Soil Science Society of Nigeria (SSCN) Prof. Victor Chude has emphasized the need for the Presidential Initiative on fertilizer constituted by President Mohammadu Buhari to partner with his association so as to be able to achieve soil specific micro nutrients for crops increased yield, soil management and sustainability to ensuring commercialization through fertilizers supply to farmers.

Speaking at the 42^nd annual conference of the society held at IAR&T, Ibadan, Prof. Chude stressed that the Presidential Initiative committee on fertilizer must avoid the use of blanket fertilizer towards attainment of soil nutrient for crops improved yield, but rather to imbibe the idea of combined or a balanced nutrient for the healthy living of the plants through partnership with SSCN.

He buttressed his argument on the need why the two groups should work together saying  “ despite the use of fertilizers, cereal yields have stagnated between 0.75 Mt/ha and 1.70 Mt/ha during the period of 1961 to 2013 in Nigeria as compared with global trend of between 1.5 Mt /ha and 3.95 Mt/ha during the same period in the majority of the countries in the developed world where balanced fertilizers are used” adding that low fertility of Nigerian soil is the major constraint in the achieving high productivity goal.

Also the current system of planket fertilizer use results in the colossal waste of scarce fertilizer investment because the soil is not well prepared to take the nutrients for root interception within its short life span of arable cropping. The cost implication of this to the average poor farmers is enormous” said Prof. Chude.

In his goodwill message, the Vice Chancellor, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Prof. Felix Kolawole Salako said “ if we must unleash the full potentials of Agriculture as much-talked about panacea for economic growth and development, then sustainable soil and water resources management must be critically considered” added that there must be a paradigm shift from traditional management practices to a research-based modern management techniques thereby following a knowledge-propelled soil quality approaches for the best agricultural global practice for commercialization.

Prof. Salako stressed that “ we must come up with plausible modern ways of mitigating adverse effects of climate change through “ climate-smart agriculture” pointed that “ if we must unleash the full potentials of Agriculture as much talked about panacea for economic growth and development, the sustainable measures that will combat the menace of climate change on agricultural productivity in order to alleviate food insecurity and meet the food and fibre needs of ever increasing human population’’ must not be overruled.

However, the Executive Governor, Oyo state ably represented by his Special Adviser, Prof. Olusegun Adekunle admonished soil scientists to intensify effort towards policy statement that would help in the management of soil for high productivity of agricultural crops stressed the need for making avaliable improved land clearing and technology that farmers can personally handle to test the viability of the soil to production before embarking on cultivation.

The conference was able to have the following resolutions as part of the communiqué which included the followings

1.      That fertilizer blends being made available to farmers should be crop and site specific and should include secondary and micronutrient elements.

       2.   Detailed soil surveys and land evaluation should be conducted as a basis for developing evidence-based and scientific soil management strategies for sustainable soil use.

       3. There should be a paradigm shift from traditional soil and water conservation and management practices to evidence-based management techniques.

4. There is the dire need for sustainable solutions to combat the adverse effects of climate change on agricultural activities. Consequently, there is the need to re-vitalize the River Basin Development Authorities and irrigation facilities across the nation, and extend same to other areas of need to promote year round food production and security.

5. There is the need to support research on decision support tools that integrate soil, water and atmosphere variables to develop climate-smart solutions to address climate change variability and renewable of fresh water supply and quality, and restore degraded soils and ecosystems and advance food security.

6.  There is urgent need to conserve the nation’s soils and reclaim those that have been degraded physically, chemically and biologically through the adoption of suitable technologies tailored towards sustainable soil conservation and management, and climate change adaptation and mitigation.

 The opening ceremony which took place at Prof. E. A. Adebowale Training Hall of the Institute was chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University, and the Chairman, Governing Board of IAR&T, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede. Dignitaries who attended the occasion included the Governor of Oyo State, Senator Isiaq Abiola Ajimobi, who was represented by Professor Olusegun Adekunle;the Governor of Lagos state, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Agric Ministry, Dr. Olayiwole Onasanya;the Honorable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbe; the Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Professor Felix K. Salako; the Vice-Chancellor, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Professor Ibrahim Saminu Abdulrahman; and the Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT-Minna), Professor Abdulahi Bala, who was represented by Professor A. O.Osunde.  Others were MD, Indorama Eleme Fertilizer and Chemicals Ltd, Dr. Balbir Singh; MD OCP Nigeria, Dr. Babasola Ajiboye; Director, Agricultural Land and Climate Change Management, Engr. S. O. Edibo, who was represented by Mr. Abimbola, and FAO Nigeria represented by Ms. Tonia Umeh.