Analysis of Asset Ownership and Labour Inputs among Farming Households in Ilaro Agricultural Zone, Ogun State

This study focused on analysis of asset ownership and labour inputs among farming households in Ilaro Agricultural Zone, Ogun State. Both primary and secondary data were used for the study. Data were collected through the use of structured questionnaires and oral interview. A total number of 80 farmers were sampled for the study. The respondents were selected by multistage sampling techniques. Descriptive analysis was used to analysis the socio- economic characteristics of the farmers in the study area. Multiple regression analysis was done to determine the effect of analysis of asset ownership and labour inputs among farming households. Also, stochastic frontier production function was used to access the effect of socio economic factors on asset ownership. The findings revealed that 33.8% of the respondents had formal education up to tertiary level and 85% had farming as their main occupation. The stochastic frontier analysis result revealed that increase in educational level, farm experience will decrease the technical inefficiency; and positive coefficient variables will also increase the technical efficiency of the asset ownership. Based on the finds of this study, the following recommendations were made: there is need to design a policy to ensure that farmers have good access to fertilizer through adequate supply and efficient distribution so as to increase productivities. This could be achieved through the expansion of domestic production and the development of rural infrastructure, especially rural roads that can facilitate accessibility at lower cost of the farmers. Also policy attention should also be directed towards providing labour saving technology to ease farm operation. Keywords: Asset, Ownership, Farm, Labour, Capita

DETERMINANTS OF FOOD SECURITY STATUS AND INCIDENCE OF FOOD INSECURITY AMONG RURAL FARMING HOUSEHOLDS IN IJEBU DIVISION OF OGUN STATE NIGERIA

This study examined the determinants of food security status and incidence of food insecurity among faming households in Ijebu Division of Ogun State. A sample of 120 farming households was drawn using multistage sampling procedure and the data were analysed using descriptive statistics, food security index and logit model. The study showed that majority of the household heads fall within the age range of 20-60years and the incidence of food insecurity increases with increase in age of household head. Food insecurity incidence was higher among female headed households. Further revelation showed that majority of the respondents are married and the food insecurity incidence is highest among the married respondents. Household heads with no formal education had the highest food insecurity incidence while those with tertiary education had the lowest food insecurity incidence. Household food insecurity incidence increases with increase in household size. Household food insecurity incidence increases with increase in the farming experience of the household head. Food insecurity incidence of households whose heads are cooperative members was found to be lowest. Using the food security index, the survey related that 59.2% of the respondents were food secure while 40.8% were food insecure. The logit model revealed that the socio-economic characteristics of the farming households such as age (10%), education (10%), household size (1%) and farming experience (5%) are the significant factors influencing the food security status of the farming households in the study area. Effort should be made at improving programmes and policies that will ensure a proper family planning especially in the rural area which will reduce the number of children to that which the household can adequately cater for. Nutrition-oriented programmes should be organized in attempt to improve the food substitution knowledge of the farming households.Â

Application of Vertical Electrical Soundings to Characterize Aquifer Potential in Ota, Southwestern Nigeria

A knowledge of hydrogeophysical parameters of aquifers is essential for groundwater resource assessment, development and management. Traditionally, these parameters are estimated using pumping test carried out in boreholes or wells; but this is often costly and time consuming. Surface geophysical measurements can provide a cost effective and efficient estimates of these parameters. In the present work, geoelectrical resistivity data has been used to characterize and evaluate the aquifer potential at Covenant University, Ota, southwestern Nigeria. Some thirty-five vertical electrical soundings (VESs) were conducted using Schlumberger array with a maximun half-current electrode spacing (AB/2) of 240 m. The geoelectrical parameters obtained were used to estimate longitudinal conductance and transverse resistance of the delineated aquifer. Both the longitudinal conductance and transverse resistance, which qualitatively reflects the hydraulic properties of the aquifer, indicate that the aquifer unit is characterized with high values of hydraulic parameters; consequently a good groundwater potential. Thus, groundwater resource development and management in the area can be effectively planned based on these parameters

Activity concentration of natural radionuclides and assessment of the associated radiological hazards in the marine croaker (pseudotolitus typus) fish from two coastal areas of Nigeria

The risk assessment associated with radionuclide contamination of Marine Croaker fish widely consumed in two coastal areas of Nigeria was carried out. The activity concentrations of the three radionuclides Uranium-238 (238U), Thorium-232 (232Th), and Potassium-40 (40K) present in the fish samples were determined using gamma-ray spectrometry. The radiological hazard of consuming this fish was assessed by calculating the radium equivalent activity (Raeq), internal hazard index (Hin) of the radionuclides as well as the ingestion effective dose values due to ingestion of radionuclides from fish per year. Comparison of the values obtained from the radiation hazard assessments with the maximum permissible levels of 370 Bq kg-1 for Raeq and 1 for Hin recommended by UNSCEAR (United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation) (UNSCEAR, 2000) shows that consumption of the contaminated Croaker fish from these two coastal areas studied poses great radiological hazards to the public

Storm-time variation of the horizontal and vertical components of the geomagnetic fields and rate of induction at different latitudes

The paper presents the hourly mean variation of horizontal (H) and vertical (Z) components of the geomagnetic field and the rate of induction DH/DZ at different latitudes during magnetic storm of 20 March 2001 and 1 October 2001. The results of the analysis revealed that at high latitude stations greater than 60�, the reduction in DH component was noticed after the noon time while other stations less than 60� experienced reduction of H in the morning time during the geomagnetic storm. Large amplitude of DH and DZ were exhibited during the daytime over the equatorial zone, the amplitude decreases from mid latitudes to the dip equator during the nighttime. The daytime enhancement of DH at AAE, BAN and MBO suggest the presence of a strong eastward directed current which comes under the influence of electrojet. There were strong positive and negative correlations between ring current (DR) and horizontal component of the magnetic field DH. The effect of rate of induction is more significant at high latitudes than lower latitudes, during the geomagnetic storm. More enhancement in rate of induction occurred at nighttime than daytime. This result may be from other sources other than the ionosphere that is magnetospheric process significantly contributes toward the variation of induction

Natural Radioactivity and Hazards in Soil Samples in Alade Community, Southwestern Nigeria

The concentrations of natural radionuclides in Alade community, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area were determined using gamma ray spectrometer comprising a 7.6 cm x 7.6 cm Nal(TI) detector coupled to a multichannel analyser for spectral analysis. A total of 20 soil samples were collected from different locations in Alade community, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government, Ogun state, Nigeria. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The activity concentration obtained were in ranges of 45.62 ± 2.53 Bq/kg to 665.25 ± 35.11 Bq/kg with mean value of 352.34 ± 18.67 Bq/kg for 40K, 2.32 ± 0.47 to 54.56 ± 6.20 Bq/kg with mean value of 19.86 ± 2.56 Bq/kg for 238U and 4.34 ± 0.28 Bq/kg to 23.10 ± 1.40 Bq/kg with mean value of 14.22 ± 0.87 Bq/kg for 232Th. The study evaluated radiation hazard indices, the mean values obtained were, 64.55 ± 5.05 Bq/kg for Radium equivalent activity (Raeq), 32.86 ± 2.53 nGyh-1 for Absorbed Dose Rate (D), 40.30 ± 3.10 µSvy-1 for Annual Effective Dose Equivalent (AEDE), 0.18 ± 0.01 for External Hazard Index (Hex) and 0.22 ± 0.02 for Internal Hazard Index (Hin). These calculated hazard indices were well below their permissible limit. The results obtained for the mean activity concentrations values from 20 soil samples from Alade community, revealed that 40K, 238U and 232Th values were below the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation recommended international limits of 370Bq/kg and within the tolerance level indicating minimal radiological health burden on the Alade community and its environment

Effect of Storage on Microbial and Sensory Qualities of Packaged Yam-Cassava “Poundo” Flour

Microbial load and Sensory quality of packaged yam-cassava poundo flour during storage were studied. Yam flour (YF) and cassava flour (CF) were mixed at different proportions to produce yam-cassava poundo flour and packaged using High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Polypropylene sack (PP) respectively.  The samples were HDPE 100%YF, HDPE 90%YF: 10%CF, HDPE 85%YF: 15%CF, HDPE 80%YF: 20%CF and 100%YF, 90%YF: 10%CF, 85%YF: 15%CF and 80%YF: 20%CF. The samples were stored at ambient temperature (32 ± 2oC) and relative humidity (76 ± 3%) for 24 weeks and were subjected to microbiological and sensory tests at 4 weeks interval. Results showed that the total plate count of sample (80% YF: 20%CF) packaged in HDPE was the lowest (4.9 x 104 cfu/g) while that of sample (100% YF) packaged in PP was the highest (9.4 x 104 cfu/g) at the end of the storage period. Fungal counts increased in all the packaged samples, as storage period increased. The lowest fungal counts (3.7 x 104sfu/g) were recorded in HDPE 80%YF: 20%CF, this is significantly different  (p<0.05) from the value obtained in PP 100% YF which was the highest fungal counts obtained (9.6 x 104sfu/g). A bacterial species (Bacillus subtilis) and two fungal species (Aspergillus niger and Fusarium solani) were isolated and enumerated. Data obtained from sensory test (colour, aroma, texture and overall acceptability) decreased throughout the storage period but 80%YF: 20%CF packaged in HDPE was more acceptable. The findings of this study indicate that yam-cassava poundo flour from the blend of 80%YF: 20%CF packaged in HDPE is less susceptible to microbes and more acceptable in terms of sensory qualities during a storage period of 24 weeks. &nbsp

ECONOMIC RETURNS AND TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY IN CASSAVA-BASED FARMING SYSTEMS IN YEWA COMMUNITIES OF OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

This study analyzed the economic returns and technical efficiency in cassava-based farming systems in selected communities in the Yewa axis of Ogun State. Data were collected from 120 cassava farmers in a two-stage sampling technique. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, budgetary technique, and the stochastic frontier model. The study showed majority of the cassava farmers in the study area to be male, ageing, less formally educated but well experienced in farming. Result of the enterprise’s budgetary analysis showed that cassava sole-cropping generated a total gross margin (GM) of N236,051 and net farm income (NFI) of N233,862 as against the values of N474,084 and N470,168 respectively, for cassava intercrop program during the same production year. From the findings, sole cropping has total factor productivity (TFC) value of 0.46, producing more cassava yield from each unit of the input used than in intercrop program with a TFC value of 0.1.  Land and labour inputs were critical determinants of cassava output in the study area, while the involvement of younger folks in the cassava farming enterprise and attainment of higher education will significantly improve the technical efficiency of the cassava farmers. An average technical efficiency level of 79 percent was obtain for cassava production systems, implying a 21% gap for it to reach maximum production potentials. It was recommended that the policy formulation that will enhance access of the cassava farmers to more cultivable land, improved educational opportunities (through adult literacy education) and labour saving device/technology will assist to rapidly transform the cassava production systems in the study area. This will also help them increase their profitability and efficiency level in cassava production.     &nbsp

Experimental Evaluation of 3D Geoelectrical Resistivity Imaging using Orthogonal 2D Profiles

Numerical evaluation of 3D geoelectrical resistivity imaging was conducted using orthogonal set of 2D pseudo-sections generated over two synthetic models, horst and trough models. The models represent geological environment that simulates a typical weathered profile and refuse dump site in a crystalline basement complex, respectively. Different arrays including Wenner-alpha (WA), Wenner-beta (WB), Wenner-Schlumberger (WSC), dipole-dipole (DDP), pole-dipole (PDP), and pole-pole (PP) arrays were used for the data generation. The 2D apparent resistivity data were collated to 3D data set and then inverted using a full 3D inversion code. The effectiveness of the technique for 3D resistivity imaging as well as the imaging capabilities of the selected arrays is evaluated. The observed anomaly effect and normalized model sensitivities of the arrays indicate that DDP and PDP arrays are more sensitive to the 3D features, while WSC show moderate sensitivity to 3D features. Field example in which the technique was applied in a 3D geoelectrical resistivity imaging for engineering site investigation in the crystalline basement complex of southwestern Nigeria is also presented