Improvement of annual forage and seed production in the sub-humid zone of Nigeria through supplement irrigation

A two-year study was conducted at Shika in the Northern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria to evaluate several perennial and annual forage species for seasonal and total annual herbage and/or seed production. Over the entire experimental period, total dry matter (DM) yields for grasses, perennial and hay-suited annual legumes varied from 27.5 to 79.1, 18.8 to 40.3 and 40.5 to 50.5 t/ha, to which irrigation contributed 48 to 66, 50 to 57 and 56 % respectively. Irrigated grass crude protein (CP) contents averaged 5.3 and 9.9 %; and legume CP contents 16.1 and 18.8 % for the May and December harvests while rainfed grass CP contents ranged from 7.7 % (August) to 10.9 % (October), the corresponding legume values being 18.7 and 20.9 %. Irrigated cropping accounted for 55 to 56 % of the 9 207 to 12 461 kg/ha seed yield recorded in dual purpose legumes. It was inferred that on the basis of total herbage yield, distribution of yield and responsiveness to irrigation Pennisetum purpureum, Brachiaria decumbens, Cajanus cajan Acc UQ 50 or 3D 8104 and S. guianensis cv Cook proved to be promising; reasonable seed yield levels were obtained from C. cajan 3D 8104, Glycine max Acc. 49-14 and M 216 and Vigna unguiculata Acc Ivu 1283, whether irrigated or rainfed. The potential of irrigation is discussed in relation to feed, food and livestock production

Activity analysis as a method for information systems development: general introduction and experiments from Nigeria and Finland

This paper investigates if the Activity-Theoretical methods of work development used by Engeström and others can be transformed into a day-to-day methodology for information systems practitioners. We first present and justify our theoretical framework of Activity Analysis and Development fairly extensively. In the second part we compare work development with information systems development and argue that in its less technological areas, the latter can potentially use the same methodologies as the former. In the third part, small experiments on using Activity Analysis during the earliest phases of information systems development in Nigeria and Finland are reported. In conclusion, we argue that the experiments were encouraging, but the methodology needs to be supported by further illustrative examples and training material. We argue that compared to currently used methods in the earliest and latest “phases” of systems development, Activity Analysis and Development is comprehensive, theoretically well founded, detailed and practicable

Improvement of annual forage and seed production in the sub-humid zone of Nigeria through supplement irrigation

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