Effects of Planting Time and Poultry Manure on Late Season Plaintain Establishment and Yield in Owerri Rainforest Zone of Nigeria

In rainfed agriculture, plantain availability to consumer is seasonal. Late season plantain planting with appropriate organic manure application has been one of the advocated solutions. This experiment was carried out at the Federal University of Technology Teaching and Research  farm, Owerri in 2010 late season planting to determine the  appropriate time of planting and optimum manure rate that will enhance late season plantain establishment and bunch availability in the tropical rainforest. The experiment was a 3x4 factorial fitted into a randomized complete block design replicated three times. The treatments were three late season months (5th September, 5th October and 5thNovember) and four poultry manure rates (0,4,8 and 12 t.ha-1). The pre and post soil, establishment, growth and yield data were collected and analysed statistically.  The post soil chemical analysis showed an improvement on soil pH,(5.30-6.07, 5.59-5.67 and 5.73-5.72), organic matter,(2.098-2.098, 2.476-2.373 and 2.240-2.201%) calcium,(7.03-10.20, 3.60-6.40 and 5.40-5.70 l/kg) organic carbon,(1.696-1.217, 1.436-1.377 and1.436-1.277%)  phosphorous (21.39-20.86, 20.20-18.80 and14.60-13.90ppm)  and  magnesium (0.67-2.00, 0.83-1.17 and 0.83-1.00CMOL) in the treatment that received 8 and12 t ha-1 poultry manure in September, October and November planting respectively..  The residual effect of poultry manure resulted in increased yield (8.6, 7.2 and 7.0kg)  of the first ratoon crop in September, October, and November planting that received 12t ha-1poultry manure respectively.  Although poultry manure rates enhanced plantain establishment, growth and yield when planted in September, October and November, plantain planted  in September and manured with 12 t ha-1 poultry manure significantly(p=0.05) enhanced plantain establishment,(100%) ,yield (9.2kg in plant crop,8.6 first ratoon) and  income return (N 7,135,,501.8/ha) in Owerri Rainforest zone of Nigeria. Keywords: Planting time,  poultry manure, late season plantain, production, humid tropics

Fruit and Vegetable Crop Production in Nigeria: The Gains, Challenges and The Way Forward

The major fruits produced in Nigeria include mango, pineapple, plantain/banana, citrus, guava, pawpaw, while vegetables include onion, tomato, okra, pepper, amaranthus, carrot, melon, Corchorus olitorus (ewedu), Hibiscus sabdariffa (sobo), Adansonia digtata (baobab leaves) etc. In Nigeria, enormous quantities of fruits and vegetables are produced and staggering figures are sometimes given as estimated annual production .Fruits and vegetables play a very important role in the nutrition and health especially as they contain substances which regulate or stimulate digestion, act as laxatives or diuretics, pectins and phenoic compounds which play a part in regulating the pH of the intestines. Fruits and vegetables also contribute to the income of both the rural and urban dweller. The industrial potential of many fruits and vegetables available in Nigeria is enormous. What Nigerians need to do is embark on massive production of these fruits and vegetables not only for their high nutritive value but for enhancing the establishment of many processing industries. The development of their industrial uses will stimulate large scale production of the crops and enhanced diversification of entrepreneur to site processing plants in the rural areas which will improve the quality of life of the rural population and reduce the rate of rural-urban migration Fruits and vegetable production in Nigeria is a serious business because it provides a means of livelihood for some people and also play an important role in the improvement of the health of Nigerian

Organic Matter Management for Sustainable Tropical Crop Production.

Organic matter exerts a profound influence on crop nutrition, soil structure and cultivation.  Healthy soil is the foundation of the food system. It produces healthy crops that in turn nourish people. Maintaining a healthy soil demands care and effort from farmers of which organic matter management is viewed as central to the finest scale approaches used to assess the sustainability of soil systems. Nutrient exchanges   between organic matter, water and soil are essential to soil fertility and need to be maintained for sustainable production purposes  Agricultural development and production is sustainable when it is ecologically sound, economically viable, socially just, culturally appropriate, humane and based on a holistic scientific approach. This means that sustainable agriculture and rural development including forestry and fisheries must meet the nutritional requirements and other human needs of present and future generations, provide durable and decent employment and where possible enhance the productivity and regenerative capacity of the natural resource base, reduce vulnerability and strengthen self reliance.   It is obvious and  certain that where the soil is exploited for crop production without restoring the organic matter and nutrient content of the soil and maintaining a good structure, the nutrient cycles are broken, soil fertility declines and the balance in the agro-ecosystem is destroyed.