The International Journal of Organic Agriculture Research and Development

PERCEIVED EFFECTS OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICES ON LIVELIHOOD OF ARABLE CROP FARMERS IN ONA ARA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF OYO STATE

Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Agricultural extension services serve as a vital bridge between research institutions and farmers by disseminating relevant information, introducing improved technologies, and providing technical support to enhance farming practices. Assessing the eﬀect of these services is essential for determining their eﬀectiveness in increasing farmers' income and improving their overall livelihoods, including food security, health, and social well-being. This study was conducted to assess the perceived eﬀects of agricultural extension services on the livelihood of arable crop farmers in Ona Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select 120 arable crop farmers. Primary data were collected using structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). Results revealed that the majority of respondents were male (67.5%), aged above 51 years (46.7%), married (6 6.7%), and had attained secondary education (57.5%). Most operated farms between 6–10 hectares (41.7%) and were members of cooperatives (71.7%) and farmers’ associations (60.0%). Among the extension services, advisory services were the most widely accessed (79.2%), followed by nutrition education (50.0%) and livestock extension services (47.5%). Farmers perceived agricultural extension services as signiﬁcantly improving their productivity and encouraging crop diversiﬁcation, thereby enhancing food security. Key challenges to eﬀective service delivery includes: limited access to technology (mean = 2.45) and weak collaboration with research institutions (mean = 2.40). Chisquare analysis indicated that sex, marital status, cooperative membership, and sources of credit were signiﬁcantly associated with the perceived eﬀect of extension services, while age, household size, years of farming experience, and farm size were not signiﬁcantly related. It is recommended that Government and other supporters should provide farmers and extension workers with aﬀordable tools like mobile phones, internet access, and computers.

ASSESSMENT OF SMALLHOLDER FARMERS’ PARTICIPATION IN CASSAVA VALUE ADDITION IN IBARAPA CENTRAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF OYO STATE, NIGERIA

Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study assessed the level of smallholder farmers’ participation in cassava value addition in Ibarapa Central Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria. Multi stage sampling technique was used to select 100 respondents. The data for the study were collected with the use of structured questionnaire ana analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics (Chi square and PPMC). The result revealed that television (99.0%) research institutes (83.3%) and fellow cassava processor (80.0%) were the sources of information on cassava valued addition. The results showed that respondents always participate in equipment hiring (x̄= 1.83) and land clearing (x̄=1.76), the smallholder farmers participated in value addition such as garri (x̄ =1.73), animal feed (x̄ = 1.68), cassava ﬂour and ethanol production (x̄ =1.62). Inadequate credit facilities (x̄=1.73), high cost of processing machine (x̄=1.64) and bad road network to the market (x̄=1.59) were the major constraints aﬀecting smallholder farmers’ participation in cassava value addition in the study area. It is concluded that marital status, educational status, age, household size and monthly income were signiﬁcant since their p-value is greater than 0.050. From the ﬁnding it was concluded that farmers group should establish community-based savings and credit schemes that allow young farmers and processors to pool their resources and access credit and also explore credit guarantee schemes that can provide ﬁnancial backing to young entrepreneurs in the cassava value addition.

SOIL MORPHOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES AS DETERMINANTS OF RICE PRODUCTION IN OGBOMOSO, SOUTHWESTERN NIGERIA

O. G., Oladeji, O. O., Olatunji, O. R., Oyeleke, M. D., Oparinde — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Rice production in Ogbomoso, Southwestern Nigeria, depends largely on soil characteristics, which inﬂuence water retention, nutrient availability, and overall crop productivity. However, variability in soil properties across diﬀerent farms may limit rice yield. This study was conducted to assess the morphological, physical, and chemical properties of soils used for rice production in selected farms in Ogbomoso. Six representative farms which are Oyebode S. and Oyebode A. (Surulere LGA), Mumuni L. and Oderinde (Ogo-Oluwa LGA), and Ogunniyi J. and Ajuwon A. (Oriire LGA) were selected for the study. Proﬁle pits (1.5 m × 1.5 m × 2.0 m) were dug in each farm, and soil samples were collected from identiﬁed horizons. Field description of morphological properties was carried out, while laboratory analyses were conducted using standard procedures. Particle size distribution was determined using the hydrometer method, and soil chemical properties includes pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen, avail. phosphorus, exchangeable bases, and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were analyzed. Suitability evaluation was conducted using the FAO land evaluation framework. The results showed that soil pH ranged from 4.95 to 6.10, indicating moderately acidic to slightly acidic conditions. Organic carbon ranged from 1.30 to 4.31 g/kg, while total nitrogen ranged from 0.14 to 0.47 %, indicating low nitrogen content. Available phosphorus ranged from 0.16 to 3.50 mg/kg, showing severe deﬁciency of available phosphorus in most of the study sites. Exchangeable calcium ranged from 2.09 to 19.20 cmol/kg, magnesium from 0.46 to 1.82 cmol/kg, potassium from 0.19 to 0.78 cmol/kg, and sodium from 0.15 to 0.47 cmol/kg. CEC ranged from 3.63 to 22.32 cmol/kg, indicating low to moderate nutrient retention capacity. Soil texture varied widely, with sand ranging from 37.2% to 90.6%, silt from 1.4% to 25.4%, and clay from 6.0% to 61.4%, resulting in textural classes such as sand, loamy sand, sandy loam, sandy clay loam, and clay. Micronutrients showed Fe ranging from 72 to 241 mg/kg, Mn from 56 to 156 mg/kg, Cu from 1.11 to 1.91 mg/kg, and Zn from 1.58 to 2.58 mg/kg. Suitability evaluation revealed that climatic and topographic factors were highly suitable (S1), while soil-related limitations resulted in Mumuni L., Oyebode S. and Ajuwon A. Farm being moderately suitable (S2), Oyebode A. and Ogunniyi J. were marginally suitable (S3), while Oderinde Farm was rated not suitable (N2). In conclusion, despite favorable climatic and topographic conditions for rice production in the study areas, soil fertility constraints such as low organic matter, low nitrogen, deﬁciency in available phosphorus, coarse soil texture, and low CEC limit the soil productivity. Therefore, improving soil fertility through organic matter incorporation, balanced fertilizer application, and proper water management practices is essential for enhancing rice production and ensuring sustainable agricultural development in these areas.

PERCEPTIONS OF MAIZE FARMERS ON GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISM USAGE IN ORIIRE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF OYO STATE NIGERIA

T. M., Olonisakin, A. T., Salami, T.C., Oyedele , J.O., Oyetoro — Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

In comparison to other developing continents such as South America and Asia, the acceptance of genetically modiﬁed (GM) crop technology to tackle food security and poverty alleviation in Nigeria has progressed slowly. Issues persist regarding the possible health beneﬁts and risks associated with consuming genetically modiﬁed crops. The study assessed the perception of maize farmers on usage of Genetically Modiﬁed Organism crop in Oriire local government area of Oyo state, the speciﬁc objectives were to describe the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, identify the GMO crops respondents were aware of, as well as the problem facing usage of GMO crops. In other to achieve these objectives, data were collected from 60 maize farmers, using a well-structured interview schedule. Data collected were analyzed using frequency count, percentage, and mean, Chi-square was used to test the stated hypothesis. The mean age of 53 years was recorded, 53.3% of the respondents were male, while 46.3% were female. it was observed that respondents in the study area were aware of diﬀerent GMO varieties of maize, respondents largely view GMO maize favorably, especially emphasizing its safety and practical beneﬁts like drought tolerance, food security, and yield improvements, while some concerns about health risks and socio-economic implications exist. Public perception, Cultural and social concerns and Conﬂicting policies were the top problems facing the usage of GMO crop in the study area. Also, there is an association between Agee (x= 53.400, p= 0.001), Marital status (2=35.267, p=0.000), Religion (2= 39.900, p= 0.000), Academic qualiﬁcation (2= 38.033, p= 0.001), Secondary occupation (2= 107.167, p= 0.000), Household size ( 2= 22.000, p= 0.001), Annual income (2= 24.000, p= 0.004), Social organization (2= 45.067, p= 0.000) of the respondents and their perception on usage of GMO crops. The study concluded that genetically modiﬁed maize varieties are gaining popularity among farmers, who also typically see GMOs favorably, particularly when it comes to safety, yield advantages, and food security. However, issues with information transparency, ethical ramiﬁcations, and economic dependency still exist. The study recommended that GMO developers should tailor GMO communication and policy interventions to demographic proﬁles, respecting age, religion, education, income, and social contexts which will signiﬁcantly enhance public understanding, reduce resistance, and promote responsible adoption of GMO crops.

EFFECTS OF ORGANIC FERTILIZER, BAMBOO BIOCHAR RATES AND STORAGE MEDIA ON QUALITY OF RIPE TOMATO (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) FRUITS 1

Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Post-harvest loss of fruits in modern agriculture is of great importance due to the globalization of markets, which may involve transits over very long distances between producers and consumers. This study assessed the eﬀects of storage media, nutrient sources, and tomato varieties on postharvest quality of tomato fruits. A 2 × 4 × 3 factorial experiment in a Completely Randomized esign was conducted using two varieties (Cobra F1 and Kerewa), four nutrient treatments, and three storage conditions, replicated three times. Results showed that evaporative cooling structures (block-in-block and charcoal) signiﬁcantly improved moisture retention (0.08%, 0.16%) and enhanced lycopene (7.44%, 7.31%), vitamin A (45.35%, 44.36%) and vitamin C (14.59%, 13.28%) contents compared to open shelf storage (1.17%, 5.66%, 38.55%, 11.60%) respectively. Tomato fruits stored in charcoal cooling chamber had slightly higher moisture retention, while those stored in block-in-block better preserved lycopene, vitamin A and C. Cobra F1 fruits grown with biochar were superior in nutritional quality, whereas “kerewa” fruits had higher moisture content. Therefore, tomato fruits grown with biochar and stored in block-in-block and charcoal cooling chamber retains its quality.

CARCASS AND ORGANOLEPTIC PROPERTIES OF MEAT OF WEST AFRICAN DWARF BUCKS FED POULTRY LITTER-BASED SUPPLEMENTS WITH Panicum maximum AS A BASAL DIET

Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the supplemental eﬀects of poultry litter-based supplements on carcass characteristics and organoleptic parameters of meat of West African Dwarf (WAD) bucks fed a basal diet of Panicum maximum. Five dietary supplements were formulated; namely, low-cost concentrate without cassava peels, corncobs, and poultry litter (0CP0CC0PL), two concentrates composed of cassava peels and poultry litter at 40:50 (40CP-50PL) and 50:40 (50CP40PL), as well as two concentrates composed of corncobs and poultry litter at 40:50 (40CC-50PL), 50:40 (50CC-40PL), respectively. Thirty (30) growing WAD bucks weighing 5.00 ± 0.08 kg were used in a 92-day feeding trial. Six (6) animals, balanced for weight, were assigned to each diet in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Carcass characteristics and organoleptic parameters were determined. The data obtained were subjected to one-way analysis of variance of SAS (2006), and Duncan New Multiple Range Test (DNMRT) was used to separate the means. Statistical analysis indicated signiﬁcant diﬀerences (p<0.05) among dietary treatments in body weight, bled weight, dressing percentage, and the weights of the head, forelimbs, ribs, and hind limbs. There were signiﬁcant (P>0.05) diﬀerences across all parameters observed for organoleptic properties, with supplements 0CC-0CP-0PL (7.10) and 50CP-40PL (7.10) having the equal highest overall acceptability, indicating a high preference value for the meat. The Supplement (50CP-40PL) is recommended as a supplemental diet for WAD goats oﬀered a basal diet of Panicum maximum with a poultry-litter-based supplement, as it showed no adverse eﬀect on carcass yield or the organoleptic properties of the meat.

INTERACTIVE EFFECTS OF TILLAGE AND FERTILIZER TYPE AND APPLICATION ON CYLAS WEEVIL, SOIL PROPERTIES, AND ORANGE-FLESHED SWEET POTATO YIELD IN SOUTHERN GUINEA SAVANNA, NIGERIA.

Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Orange-ﬂeshed sweet potato (OFSP) is a biofortiﬁed crop crucial for addressing vitamin A deﬁciency in sub-Saharan Africa. Yet, yields remain constrained by poor soil fertility, suboptimal tillage, and pest pressure. This two-season (2024–2025) study evaluated the interactive eﬀects of three tillage systems (mounds, ridges, ﬂat beds) and four fertilizer treatments (NPK 20:10:10 at 200 kg/ha, poultry manure at 5 t/ha, urea at 200 kg/ha, and an unfertilized control) on Cylas weevil infestation, soil properties, and tuber yield of the OFSP variety ‘Mother’s Delight’ in Abuja, Nigeria. The experiment was a 3 × 4 factorial in a randomized complete block design with three replications, analysed using combined ANOVA (α = 0.05). NPK signiﬁcantly increased root yield (35.5 t/ha) relative to the control (21.7 t/ha; +63.6%) but also raised weevil infestation by 84.3%. Poultry manure produced a moderate yield (28.9 t/ha; +33.2%) with reduced infestation. Mound tillage gave the highest mean yield (29.4 t/ha), although infestation exceeded that of ﬂat beds. The mound × NPK combination achieved the maximum yield (38.5 t/ha; +91.5% over ﬂat/no fertilizer). Seasonal eﬀects were not signiﬁcant (p > 0.05), indicating stable treatment performance. Poultry manure improved soil pH (4.6–6.7), organic carbon, exchangeable K, and cation exchange capacity, whereas NPK reduced soil pH (to 4.4). Root yield correlated strongly with fresh biomass (r = 0.971) and weevil infestation (r = 0.877). Mound tillage with NPK maximises yield but increases pest risk and soil acidiﬁcation, underscoring the need for integrated nutrient and pest management.