Scientists admonish farmers, others on soil management

• Ask FG to pursue great green wall project

Two soil science professors have advised farmers, Government and international donors to embrace soil and fertilizers application management to achieve high food production in view of unabated population growth in Nigeria and Africa.


This was said during the zoom conference jointly organized yesterday by the Faculty of Agriculture, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) and Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) Zaria.

The guest speakers, Professors Bitrus Dawi Tarfa and Ishaku Y. Amapu stressed among many other things that soil and fertilizer management on farm spaces are very essential to increasing crops production in view of limited land availability occasioned by population growth, adding  there is need for farmers to embrace Integrated Soil Fertilizer Management (ISFM) in order to ensure nutrients and water retention in soil against climate change impacts.

In his presentation, the IAR, Assistant Director, Prof. Tarfa described a scenario of minimal attention being given to soil management by farmers saying that ‘’ investment in land development are rare in Nigeria and Africa. Stakeholders invest more in what is produced by soil than its management to produce more’’

 Tarfa pointed that the sustainability of land use was at stake due to increasing population, increasing food requirement, pressure on land, soil degradation, low use of inputs, declining yields and low food production which has resulted to vicious circle of poverty that can only be reversed through the use of best agronomics practices of nutrients and water conservation in the farmland soils towards achieving higher food productivity.

He said farmers in Nigeria and African countries should embrace  ISFM technology to promote recycling of nutrients  within the farm and household system, saying  ISFM as an agricultural  practice adapted to local conditions to maximize the efficiency of nutrients and water uses to improve agriculture productivity.

The soil expert explained further that the return of  farm wastages to replenish the soil nutrients with animal manures are essential tools to soil nutrients recycling back into the farmland, added that farmers should endeavours to excavate and construct small pit for decomposition of waste and water harvest for required moisture in the farms.

Prof. Tarfa stressed that the current system of farm management cannot sustain our soils to produce enough food for the teaming  population in Nigeria, as he suggested the intensification of investment in sound nutrient and water management practices that will enhance food productivity in view of limited land for cultivation and increasing population.

He suggested as alternative the use of hydroponics technology to be able to produce enough food saying rain drops impact  called for soil cover no matter how small to reduce degradation of land, using intercropping to control erosion.

In his paper presentation on ‘’ Fertilizer Best Management Practices’’ Prof. Ishaku Y. Amapu identified drought, late rain, flooding, lack of credit, scarcity of seeds and inappropriate fertilizers  blend as part of many challenges confronting farmers in their crave for sufficient food production in Nigeria and Africa, added that while several other  factors affecting crops production are controllable, there are others, especially the climate change vagaries like temperature, solar radiation, strong winds, flood, rainfall, carbon dioxide and altitude that are beyond farmers’ capacity.

Prof. Amapu, with specialization on soil fertility and system with local and international exposures emphasised on the need for farmers to embrace decomposition method that would ensure recycling of waste back to the soil with adequate nitrogen gases to the crops, saying that hardly do you see farm with excavated pits where  wastages are decomposed for the management of soil, just as he encouraged the use of crushing machines for millet, maize and sorghum for the purpose of decomposition on the same soil for nutrient retention.

He emphasised on the need to decompose poultry manure before application to reduce its high content of nitrogen gases that could be apply to crops unlike cow dung manure with less nitrogen gases.

Amapu, a former Provost, College of Agriculture, Kabba, stressed the need for farmers to understand the best management and application of organic and inorganic fertilizers, saying the inputs must be properly kept to retain its potency and efficiency as much wastage have occurred due to less management skill.

Responding to the question on desert reclamation to boost food productivity,  both speakers agreed that Federal Government  Great Green Wall project being domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Environment would help to solve the challenge if well deployed in terms of trees planting.