Moor Journal of Agricultural Research

Revamping Challenges of Rural Dwellers in USAID Markets II Soybean Production Project in Benue State, Nigeria

C.T. Beeior — 2026-01-15

This study evaluated USAID MARKETS II Soybean Production Project in Benue
State, Nigeria. The study was carried out to investigate factors influencing farm
yields among project participants and examine the relationship between adoption of
new soybean production technologies and farmers' yields. A sample size of 150
soybean farmers was proportionally selected from a total population of 509 project
participants. This represents 30% of the farmers, randomly drawn from each of the
two soybean farmers’ associations across the eight Local Government Areas
(LGAs) designated for the study Data were collected using semi-structured
interview schedule while mean, multiple regression, and correlation analysis were
used for data analysis. Results showed that farming experience, education level,
extension contact, and quantity of fertilizer applied significantly influenced farmers'
yields at 5% level. A positive weak relationship (r = 0.091, p > 0.05) was found
between technology adoption and yield. The study recommended timely provision
of quality farming infrastructure to project participants to enhance adoption of new
soybean technologies and boost farm yields in order to enhance the wellbeing of the
rural farmers.

In vitro fermentation of shed leaves of selected trees as forage for ruminants

A.A. Mako — 2026-01-16

Shed leaves from deciduous plants are wastes which sometimes constitute
environmental pollution if not properly disposed of. The chemical composition, in
vitro gas production parameters and characteristics of shed leaves from browse
plants; Tamarindus indica (Ti), Terminalia catappa (Tc), Bambusa vulgaris (Bv),
Anacardium occidentale (Ao) and Cola nitida (Cn) were investigated. Shed leaves
of each plant were picked, cleaned and pulverized. Chemical composition and in
vitro gas production analyses were carried out. Results revealed that chemical
composition of shed leaves differed significantly (p<0.05). Dry matter ranged from
91.82 to 93.10%. Crude protein content was highest in Bv (10.90%) and lowest in
Tc (4.89%), ash content was highest in Tc (16.13%) and lowest in Bv (15.83%).
Neutral detergent fibre was highest in Tc (61.53%) and lowest in Ti (52.92%).
Calcium content ranged from 0.229 to 0.297 g/100g DM across the treatments. In
vitro gas production, metabolizable energy, organic matter digestibility, short-chain
fatty acids and methane gas of shed leaves 24 hours post-incubation ranged from
6.67 to 10.67 mL/200mg DM, 3.46 to 4.34 MJ/kg DM, 24.06 to 30.30%, 0.02 to
0.19 mmol and 2.5 to 4.5 mL/200mg DM, respectively. Bv leaves recorded the
highest values (10.00 and 10.67 mL/200mg DM) for the insoluble degradable
fraction (b) and potential degradability (a+b) respectively. The lowest (6.33 and
6.67 mL/200mg DM) values for ‘b’ and ‘a+b’ fractions were obtained in Tc leaves
respectively, while the rate of degradation ‘c’ was not significantly different across
all leaves. Conclusively, shed leaves can be used as dry season forage for ruminants.

Spatiotemporal analysis of land use dynamics and land surface temperature to detect environmental degradation in Ijebu-ode, Ogun State, Nigeria

O. H. Adedeji — 2026-01-15

In the face of escalating environmental challenges, the change in Land Use
dynamics emerges as critical and persistent significant threat, profoundly
impacting the stability of eco-biodiversity and food security challenges,
especially in developing nations. This study examines the effect of land use/land
cover changes (LULCCs) in Ijebu ode, Ogun State, Nigeria using Landsat
Thematic Mapper (TM) and Landsat Operational Land Images (OLI) captured
from United State Geological Survey repository. Herein, LULCCs maps for 2005,
2010, 2015, and 2020 including Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and
Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI) were examined to retrieve Land
surface temperature of the area through Single-channel algorithm (SCA) method
in order to detect the extent of degradation, contributing to the discourse on
environmental sustainability. The results revealed the quantitative and qualitative
environmental changes in the area, highlighting unprecedented built-up with an
increase of 150.25 % while the non-built-up areas decreased by -56.77 % during
the period of study. Undeniably, satellite remote-sensed data offers valuable tools
to provide ecological information for urban sustainability. This study underscores
the urgent attention from society, government, and stakeholders to manage
population growth and balance human needs for a sustainable environment,
thereby contributing to the broader goal of environmental sustainability.

Anti-oxidant and Anti-inflammatory Properties of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranean verde L.) Condiment Extract (BGNCE) in Castor oil-induced Diarrhoeal Rats

O.T. Olanipekun — 2026-01-15

Past works have established that bambara groundnut seeds are used in the treatment
and prevention of diarrhoea. The mechanism by which bambara-groundnut
condiment extract (BGNCE) prevents diarrhoea was studied by assessing the anti
inflammatory as well as anti-oxidant properties of BGNCE (in- vivo). Two trials were
carried out and each trial had 5 groups of rats (n=6). Diarrhoea was induced in rats
using castor-oil. Rats with diarrhoea received the following treatment for seven days:
the initial trial involved group 1 rats which received 2 mg loperamide (Lpr) per
KGBW; while the second trial comprised group 1 rats which received 100 mg vitamin
C per KGBW. In both trials, group 2 rats received 100 mg BGNCE per KGBW, group
3 rats received 250 mg BGNCE per KGBW, group 4 rats received 500 mg BGNCE
per KGBW and rats in group 5 received distilled water. Group 1 was the control-group
for each trial. After the trials, rats were bled into plain bottles, and serum was obtained
from whole blood. From the first trial, inflammatory-indicators like TNF-alpha, NFK
beta and LDH (Lactate dehydrogenase) were assessed from serum. The activity of
four anti-oxidants: superoxide-dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), reduced-glutathione
(GSH), and glutathione-peroxidase (GPx) were assessed in the liver and serum for the
second trial. The data was analysed using SPSS (version 20. BGNCE treatment
lowered the levels of TNF-alpha, NFK-beta, and LDH in the serum of diarrhoeal-rats
by 25.82–45.37%, 8.54–60.48%, and 8.63–21.06%, respectively. Also, treatment of
diarrhoeal-rats with BGNCE up-regulated the activities of the monitored antioxidants
in a dose dependent-manner. This work established that BGNCE plays its anti
diarrhoeal role through its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.

Role of Food Scientists in Agricultural Research, Innovation, Capacity Building for Food Security, Nutrition, Safety, Income and Sustainable Development in Nigeria

S.B. Fasoyiro — 2026-01-16

Food Science and Technology plays key roles in reducing postharvest losses, enhancing
value through agricultural value addition and ensuring quality and safety in the value
chain of food crops. The Sustainable Development Agenda are a set of 17 interlinked
objectives that the world leaders have committed to since 2015 in closing various gaps
by the year 2030. They are designed as shared 5Ps blueprint for Peace and Prosperity for
People and the Planet, now and Partnership in the future. They are designed as shared
blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and in the future. The
objective of this paper is to highlight the roles food scientists play in Agricultural
Research and Development through capacity building. This covers the efforts in ensuring
food security which is becoming a pressing problem in the country, through product
optimization. It also discusses Food Science and innovations, collaborative work in the
agricultural value chain, donor agencies role in enhancing agricultural research, food
scientists involvement in policy formulation, their activities in capacity building
programmes through training, teaching, mentoring younger scientists and in role
modelling events in encouraging the future generation and in advocacy and advisory
roles for sustainability in the field. Their expertise is crucial in addressing the country's
complex challenges related to food security, nutrition, addressing unemployment through
entrepreneurship which contributes to national economic growth.

Effects of Climate Change Anomalies on Plantain Production in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria

K.O. Ogunjinmi — 2026-01-16

Plantains have a propensity to retain water, but their production is significantly
impacted by climate change. This study examined the effects of climate change
anomalies on plantain production in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo
State, Nigeria. Using a questionnaire survey, a two-stage sampling procedure was
used to collect data from 120 plantain farmers. The data were then analysed and
presented using frequency, Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC), while
multiple linear regression was employed to predict the determinants of farmers’
observation of climatic indicators and perception of climate change. The results of
the study show that during the previous five years (2019-2023), the respondents
experienced a temperature rise (x̄=1.79), prolonged drought (x̄=1.46) and
decreasing rainfall (x̄=1.24). As a result, most respondents (84.1%) indicated that
the climate was changing. Furthermore, decreased yield (x̄=2.68), drooping/wilting
(x̄=2.45) and lodging and bending (x̄=2.40) were the primary effects of climate
change on plantain production. Furthermore, planting of heat-resistant and early
maturing varieties and, mixed cropping were the common adaptation measures
consistently used by the respondents. Statistically, a significant relationship was
discovered between average annual income (r = -0.325, p = 0.001) and farm size (r
= 0.213, p = 0.021) and the possibility of perceiving the consequences of climate
change. The strongest predictors of farmers' perception and observation of climate
change indicators were education (t=-1.968, p<0.05) and membership of farmers'
associations (t=-2.647, p<0.05), respectively. The investigation concluded that
climate change has a major effect on plantain production in the study area. The
study suggested that the use of irrigation to guarantee sustainable plantain
production.

Inheritance of Pod Length in Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.)

A.S. Oladejo — 2026-02-05

Confirming the contestable genes that control a trait of interest is indispensable
for developing crop varieties. This underscores the importance of studying the
mode of inheritance of pod length in cowpea. The objectives of this study were to
estimate the gene numbers controlling pod length, its broad-sense heritability and
its nature of dominance in cowpea. Three cowpea lines (Ife Brown, TVNu699 and
TVu2723) were used to generate two crosses (Ife Brown x TVNu699 and
TVu2723 x TVNu699) in the screenhouse. Four generations (P1, P2, F1 and F2)
were evaluated in a randomized complete block design in 3, 3 and 4 replications
for parents (P1 and P2), F1 and F2 respectively. Data on pod length and seed weight
were subjected to statistical analyses. Additive variance (a) was higher than the
dominance variance (d) in both crosses. Crosses: Ife Brown x TVNu699 with a =
2.82 and d = 0.43 and TVu2723 x TVNu699 with a = 3.49 and d = 1.69. The
numbers of effective factors were estimated to be three and four in the two
crosses; while the degrees of dominance were 15.2% and 42.9%, respectively.
The broad-sense heritability estimates for pod length were 82.6% in the cross
TVu2723 x TVNu699 and 71.2% in the cross Ife Brown x TVNu699. It was
inferred that pod length in cowpea is controlled by multiple gene pairs, with
additive gene action playing a significant role over dominance, and high values
of the heritability estimates confirmed that the trait is transferable, indicating
strong potential for selection.

Influence of organic and inorganic fertilizer on agronomic traits and salt tolerance of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.)

H.T. Sheu — 2026-02-05

Salt stress is one of major abiotic threats to crop productivity globally. The effect
of Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF), NPK and Compost on salt tolerance of
tomato at 100 mM was investigated. The study aimed at improving tomato growth
and yield under continuous irrigation system, this was done by applying NPK (16
g), compost (150 g) and AMF (20 g). the growth data collected on agronomic trait
were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis
(PCA) and correlation. The results obtained revealed that compost only had the
highest yield of 101.80 g in non-saline condition, followed by the combination of
compost and NPK with yield of 91.99 g under saline condition, while saline
solution only had the lowest yield (2.25 g). The relative discriminating power of
the PCA as revealed by Eigen value was 4.19, 1.40 and 1.00 for PC1, PC2 and
PC3, respectively with corresponding contribution of 52.38%, 18.43% and
11.98%, respectively. The first three PCs accounted for 83.79% of the total
variation. PC1 was associated with number of leaves, plant height, stem girth and
number of fruits. PC2 was linked with fruit and shoot fresh weight with negative
loading and root fresh weight with positive loading, while PC3 was responsible
for the number of fruits with negative loading and number of flowers with positive
loading. Fruit fresh weight showed a strong positive correlation with all
agronomic traits assessed, except for the root fresh weight. Therefore, identified
traits can be useful in tomato improvement programs for indirect selection of yield
improvement. Also, combination of compost/AMF with NPK fertilizer can
enhance performance of tomato plants and serve as buffer to withstand salt stress
for more productivity.

Evaluation of Inert and Permethrin Powders against Cylas puncticollis Boheman (Coleoptera: Brentidae) on Stored Sweet Potato

S.K. Asiwaju-Bello — 2026-01-15

The sweet potato weevil Cylas puncticollis is one of the insect pests of stored sweet
potato in Africa. Due to its perishable nature, infested tubers cannot be stored for
long period. Laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of
two inert powders namely Insecto® Diatomaceous Earth (DE) and Oil Palm
Inflorescence Ash (OPIA), and a permethrin powder against C. puncticollis on
white-fleshed sweet potato tubers. Each treatment was applied at 0, 0.3, 0.9 and
1.5 g per 30 g sweet potato, and then infested with ten unsexed adults of C.
puncticollis in glass jars. The set up was arranged in a completely randomised
design with each treatment replicated three times and maintained at 70±5%
relative humidity and 28±2°C. Data was collected on adult mortality daily (up to
7 days) while progeny emergence and weevil damage (perforated tubers) were
recorded after 28 days. Adult mortality was dose-dependent of insecticide and
exposure time, and there were significant differences among all the tested
insecticides. Permethrin induced 100% mortality and total progeny suppression
against C. puncticollis. At the highest dose, DE and OPIA were less effective
causing 67.2% and 54.7% mortality, and below 78% progeny suppression,
respectively. All powders significantly caused lower weevil damage on tuber
compared to control which recorded 37.3%. Permethrin proved the most effective
against C. puncticollis, followed by DE and OPIA. However, more research is
required to explore how these inert powders can provide additive effect with other
bio-pesticides against sweet potato weevils.