Research
Analysis of Rainfall and Temperature Patterns on Yam Yield in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
Analysis of rainfall and temperature patterns on yam yield in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Variability is one of the serious environmental challenges that has received a lot of complaints. This study therefore sought to examine the effects of climate variants on yam yield, data were collected for a period of 15years from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) and the Nasarawa Agricultural development Project (NADP) in Lafia, capital of Nasarawa State. The data were analyzed using the Pearson correlations and linear regression analysis and the trends in temperature, rainfall on yam yields. The result of the study shows an increase in maximum and minimum temperature at 0.1680C and 0.4130C respectively, coupled with unreliable rainfall of 0.079 over the investigated period (2001-2015), while the standardized coefficient Beta was 0.075. The study indentified poor yield as the major effect of rainfall and temperature variations on yam yield. Maximum temperature had a weak (0.168) positively significant relationship on yam yield for the investigated period, minimum temperature had a weak (0.413) positive significant relationship on yam yield which is more advisable and rainfall had the weakest (0.079) positive significant relationship and it cannot be held responsible for higher crop yield, except if joined with other factors like soil fertility, soil moisture, soil pH, and so on for the 15 years period. It was recommended that crops like yam should be planted in the month of February due to enough heat absorption so it could rapidly grow when the first or early months of rains start, and that Agricultural Extension Officers should be deployed to guide famers through routine visits, sensitization programmes on variability in rainfall and temperature characteristics, use of farm inputs and monitoring of crop-climate relationships in the area in order to achieve improved crop yield.
Morphometric and Morphological Analysis of Gullies in Lafia LGA, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
This study assessed morphometric of gullies in Nasarawa State. Soil erosion is among the most endemic environmental problems of modern times. Both primary and secondary sources of data were used for this study. As ample of 36 gully sites were carried out in three Local Government Areas representing the study area for this research work. Information on gullies morphometric, morphology, soil particles size and the coordinate of each identified gullies site were taken from the field. Instruments such as hand auger, global position system. (GPS), photograph, Abeny level, linen tape, ranging poles, pegs and measuring tape and field observation methods were also adopted. The results generated from the field were subjected to statistical and laboratory analysis. The results of the findings revealed that 44.4% of the gullies in the study area are discontinuous gullies, 55.6% were continuous gullies, while gullies in the study are at their 5% and above development. 58.3% of the sampled gullies were at a stable state of development, while 41.7% of the gullies were at an unstable state of development. It was also revealed that 38.9% of the sampled gullies in the study area were long-narrow gullies, while 22.2% were linear shaped gullies.
