NAN-AE-10
Crop
By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko
Ibadan, Dec. 7, 2016 (NAN) Prof. James Adediran, the Executive Director of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, has advocated the use of Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) to boost crop production.
Adediran spoke in Ibadan on Wednesday at the 2016 stakeholders’ consultative meeting on ISFM held under the aegis of the Nigeria Soil Health Consortium.
The director said improved agricultural production could be achieved through deploying ISFM techniques.
The soil, according to him, remained an important factor in crop production and must be accorded adequate attention, especially in terms of boosting agricultural production.
Adediran noted that decline in soil fertility in the country had resulted in low crop yield and low productivity of farmers.
He also said that the management techniques presently being used by farmers was limited and could not support sustainable crop production.
“The Nigeria Soil Health Consortium is set to promote ISFM to improve crop production with healthy environment and reduce poverty.
“We are now in the era of global warming where climate change has negatively impacted on agricultural production.
“The use of ISFM in improving agricultural production is in the right direction, we must therefore do our best to promote it in our farming systems.
“I therefore charge you all to maximise the opportunity given to us by the consortium,’’ he said.
The Coordinator, West Africa Soil Health Consortium, Dr Funmilayo Ande, said the consortium project was aimed at promoting ISFM in order to boost crop production.
She noted that ISFM provides solutions for crop productivity on farmlands, adding that yields of cereals and legumes under farmers’ management could be doubled using ISFM technologies.
“Today we want to evaluate the project and brainstorm with stakeholders on ways to move forward.
“We want to also advocate for ISFM, get policy support, make policy recommendations and promote investment in ISFM.
“In ISFM, we have fertiliser technology, intercropping, crop rotation technology and many others.
“ The technologies must yield soil health, fertility and boost agricultural productivity,’’ Ande said. (NAN)
CC/MOL/OJO
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(Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Mufutau Ojo)
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