Agroforestry Systems in Nigeria: Review of Concepts and Practices

The paper reviews agroforestry systems, highlighting their potential and significance with the aim of improving its adoption. Cultivating trees and agricultural crops in intimate combination with one another is an ancient practice that farmers have used throughout the world. Agroforestry can be viewed as a societal response, primarily born out of a need to fulfill immediate basic human needs of food, fuel, fodder, shelter, protection etc. Effort to define Agroforestry began in the mid 1970s and evolved rapidly as studies began on the diversity and scope of Agroforestry practices. There are three basic types of Agroforestry systems viz: Agrisilviculture (Crops + trees), silvopastoral (Pasture/animal + trees); and Agrosilvopastoral (crops + pasture + trees). Other specified Agroforestry can also be defined e.g. apiculture (bees with trees), aquaculture (fishes with trees and shrubs) and multipurpose tree lots). Agroforetry is becoming recognized as a land use system which is capable of yielding both wood and food while at the same time conserving and rehabilitating ecosystems. There is therefore the dire need for an aggressive Agroforestry extension to convince farmers to adopt this farming system, most of which is fast disappearing at the former places it was earlier practiced

Variations in the Fibre Length of Rubber Wood (Hevea Brasiliensis (Kunth) Muel Arg) Grown in South Eastern Nigeria

Variations in the fibre length of rubber wood were investigated to determine suitability of the wood fibres for some industrial utilization. The fibre lengths were sampled according to main effects such as plantations effects, bud classes effects, trees effects, discs effects, cardinal directions effects and ring-blocks (radii) effects to determine variations in composition, based on the fixed effects model of a nested design. Macerated wood samples obtained at parallel positions to the grain were magnified on a visopan microscope and investigated in order of the sampled main effects. The plantations and bud classes effects were not significant (p>0.05), while the trees effects was highly significant (p<0.01). The effects of disc (position along the bole) and ring blocks (radii) were not significant (p> 0.05) on the fibre length composition. The cardinal directions effects was highly significant (p<0.01). The effects of factor interactions on fibre lengths were also investigated but not of practical importance. The mean fibre length value of sample trees was 1.59mm making it suitable for pulp and paper production

Preparation and use of plant medicines for farmers' health in Southwest Nigeria: socio-cultural, magico-religious and economic aspects

Agrarian rural dwellers in Nigeria produce about 95% of locally grown food commodities. The low accessibility to and affordability of orthodox medicine by rural dwellers and their need to keep healthy to be economically productive, have led to their dependence on traditional medicine. This paper posits an increasing acceptance of traditional medicine country-wide and advanced reasons for this trend. The fact that traditional medicine practitioners' concept of disease is on a wider plane vis-à-vis orthodox medicine practitioners' has culminated in some socio-cultural and magico-religious practices observed in preparation and use of plant medicines for farmers' health management. Possible scientific reasons were advanced for some of these practices to show the nexus between traditional medicine and orthodox medicine. The paper concludes that the psychological aspect of traditional medicine are reflected in its socio-cultural and magico-religious practices and suggests that government should fund research into traditional medicine to identify components of it that can be integrated into the national health system

A Survey of Wood Protection Chemicals, Tree Killers and Sprayers in Agrochemical Stores within Makurdi Metropolis, Benue State, Nigeria

There is dearth of information on the variety and action spectrum of most agro-chemicals used in wood protection (preservation) within Makurdi metropolis. A purposive, non-random sampling was undertaken in Makurdi metropolis to identify wood protection chemicals/tree-killers available in agrochemical stores, to document the active ingredients and prices of the chemicals as well as the types and prices of sprayers obtainable in the stores. A total of thirty -two contact and systemic agrochemicals were identified. The chemical preservatives severally had single or multiple avicidal, herbicjdal, insecticidal, nematicidal or rodenticidal effects. The selling prices of the wood protection chemicals ranged from N1200 to N2000 per litre for Cyberforce and Daksh respectively. One kilogramme of the granular/wettable powders of the preservatives sold at between N600 to N10, 000 for Furadan and Commando, respectively. Twenty types of sprayers were documented. Prices of sprayers ranged from N300 (for the handy sprayer) to N120, 000 (for the motorised Swan sprayer). Prices of both sprayers and inorganic wood preservatives varied seasonally from 0-20% during the dry and wet seasons, with prices being generally higher during the rainy season. Selection of chemicals for use in wood preservation should necessarily be preceded by risk assessments concerning the physical and biological environmental effects of the chemicals on land, water, atmosphere, humans and non-target flora and fauna populations.Key words: Survey, wood protection, agrochemicals, environment

Behavioural Patterns of a Troop of Olive Baboons (Papio Anubis) Foraging on Maize Crops at the Borders of Gashaka Gumti National Park Nigeria

Olive baboons forage viciously on agricultural crops causing huge losses of farm produce to farmers. In this study, behavioural pattern of a troop of crop raiding olive baboons, Papio anubis which dwell at the periphery of Gashaka Gumti National Park and forage on crops were studied as they raided maize farms. Successful raids were significantly higher than unsuccessful raids (t = 4.54, df = 3, P = 0.02), and increased from early morning hours to peak between 1200-1500hours. The same behavioural activities of the troop differed significantly while raiding maize crops from when not raiding the crops (χ2 = 17.66, df = 5, P = 0.003). The adult male olive baboon was the most successful member of the troop that raided maize crops, while the infant baboon was the least successful member of the raiding party. Farmers guarded their farms, and yelled at the baboons, threw stones and chased the baboons as they attempted to raid maize crops, but 73.74 ± 7.43 % of attempted raids were successful indicating that farmers could not prevent the olive baboons from raiding their crops. It was suggested that in order to prevent these raids, farmers should coordinate their activities while guarding farms by constantly moving in groups and communicating with nearby groups, informing them in advance of the direction in which the raiding party is heading; also farms should not be cultivated close to wildlife refuge in the park. KEYWORDS: Olive Baboons, Troop, Raids, Maize Crop