KWARA ASSEMBLY INTERVENES AS PEST INVADES FARMS.

The Kwara State House of Assembly has enjoined the state government to draw the attention of the federal government to the invasion of farms by pests in the state, with a view to collaborating with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in combating the problem.

This is part of the resolutions of the House while considering a motion titled “Invasion of Crop Farms by Pests in Kwara State” sponsored by a member representing Kaiama/Kemanji/ Wajibe Constituency Ahmed Ibn Mohammed.

Reading the resolutions of the House, the Deputy Speaker, Mathew Okedare who presided over the sitting, said the need became imperative, in view of the huge loss of farm produce due to the invasion.

The Legislature equally urged the state government to assist the affected farmers, through provision of pesticides to forestall reoccurrence in the State.

Mohammed had while raising the motion, narrated the ordeal of the affected farmers since last year, pointing out that most of them took bank loans to embark on the farming and appealed to  the house to call on the relevant authority to wade in with a view to finding enduring solutions to the problem.

Other members who spoke on the motion among other things identified the causes and called for appropriate pro-active measures, from the state government to tackle the problem once and for all. BY ROMOKE W. AHMAD.

VEGETABLE FARMERS DENY GETTING SUPPORT FROM ANAMBRA GOVT

Contrary to claims by the Anambra State government of supporting the local farmers towards the exportation of vegetables worth billions of dollars to foreign countries, farmers in the state have denied receiving any financial support from it.  

This shocking revelation came during a recent media tour by journalists in the state on the various projects being undertaken by the state government to mark the third year of Willie Obiano’s administration.
 
Those who spoke to Daily Trust in Ogbaru, one of the farm locations, said they had never received any incentives from the government, adding that they were unaware of the exportation of their goods to foreign countries.
  
The farmers said they got patronage from customers from neighboring states like Delta, Rivers, Imo and within the state.

A farmer, Mrs Onyejiaka Nzediegwu, said she raised money to prepare her farm for the production of vegetable, adding that she spent over N50,000 to procure seedlings, till the land and other labour during the last farming season. 


“My farm yielded about 40-60 bundles per day during harvest and we received customers from Delta, Rivers, Imo and within Anambra,” she said.

According to Nzediegwu, the farmers operated through a union called ‘Otu ukwu-orji’, comprising of several farmers, mostly women.

Another farmer, Mrs. Chinyere Chigbada, corroborated Nzediegwu that the farms relied on their individual efforts and had not felt any government presence in the farms.  
She said she took a loan of N150,000 to buy the vegetables and pepper sidings used during the last farming session. BY EMMA ELEKWA.

FAKE FERTILISERS SURFACE AS PRICES REMAIN HIGH IN MARKETS.

With the rain-fed farming season setting in, prices of fertilisers, one of the major agro inputs, are still high in markets in many parts of the country. 

This is just as the Anambra State Ministry of Agriculture, Mechanization, Processing and Export raised alarm over the circulation of uncertified agricultural inputs, mostly fertilisers, allegedly brought into the state by unscrupulous individuals. 

It listed the fake agricultural inputs to include substandard fertilizers, rice seedlings and insecticides. 

A statement from the ministry warned farmers, registered cooperative societies and others associated with the agricultural value chain against the purchase and usage of such fake inputs.

It said it is cooperating with law enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute those responsible. 

The statement also warned that uncertified use of such inputs would be checked as Anambra soil has been tested and certified with specific input requirements to maintain safe and healthy farms

Access to fertiliser has been one of the major problems confronting farmers in the country as its price is usually beyond the reach of the ordinary people, especially those in the rural communities.

Previous government’s interventions have also failed to address this challenge as they usually come late, sometimes close to the harvest period.

To address the situation, the present administration set up a special taskforce called the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative, which aimed at not only crashing the price of the commodity but making it accessible to the ordinary farmers across the country.

Recently, the initiative, anchored by the Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN), an association of all fertiliser producers and suppliers in the country, said it had begun the distribution of the farm input to farmers.

FEPSAN’s President, Mr. Thomas Etuh, said, “Delivery of finished products has started to arrive some states and agro dealers.’’ 

He told journalists that one million metric tonnes of NPK fertilizer (the national demand) will be accessed by farmers for the 2017 rain-fed farming season, adding that “the price has been pegged at N5,000 from the factory and N5,500 from dealers to farmers.

When Daily Trust visited some markets across the country recently, it was discovered that farmers buy other brands as the FGN’s N5,500 NPK fertiliser was in limited supply. 

In Funtua, Katsina State, which has one of the blending plants for the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative, some brands of NPKs in the market (Magic) go for N7,300 and TAK Agro, N7,300. 

The Urea brand produced by Notore is sold at N7,700 and the brand by Indorama at N7,500. 

This, though is a bit lower than what it was sold in 2016 (N9,000-N11,000) respectively.

Report from Sokoto says fertilizer (Urea) goes for N8,000 per 50kg and NPK N6,500. 

In Benue, where one of the blending plants is located, the product is sold at between N5,500 and N7,500 at the open market depending on the brand.

In Kano, which has two blending plants (in Madobi and Kano) the input costs between N6,500 and N7,500 also depending on the producer.

Findings by our reporter at Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, showed that NPK, Urea and Phosphorus brands of fertiliser cost N8,000 each per 50kg bag.

A fertiliser dealer, Ahmed Shehu, said they were finding it difficult to access the commodity.

In Kaduna metropolis, a 50kg bag of NPK fertiliser is currently being sold at N9,500 in the open market, while Urea is sold at N7,500.

    

Agro dealers’ concerns  

But agro dealers are concerned that transporting fertilizer from blending plants to distant areas might shoot the cost for them beyond the tagged price.

Speaking with journalists recently in Abuja, the National President, Agro Dealers Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Kabiru Umar Fara, said delivering the fertilizer to the nooks and crannies of the country at the same price will pose a huge challenge for them.

“The blending plants in the country are not evenly distributed. Some states don’t have blending plants. The margin for the agro dealers is going to be very tight because if I want to buy Golden fertiliser for farmers in my areas, Golden fertiliser is in Lagos. I will spend N500 per bag to bring it here (because of farmer preference), which means I have nothing left as gain.

“Until FEPSAN and the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative think of how to subsidise the transportation, some states, local government areas and farmers will not get the product,” the agro dealers’ president said.

The dealers called on the Federal Government to revisit transportation and logistics costs. BY HUSSEIN YAHAYA.

AMERICAN FARMERS: STEWARDS OF THE LAND.

Farmers understand that the soil is their most important investment, and operating a profitable farm starts with enhancing soil health so the land can readily absorb moisture and nutrients. As stewards of the land, farmers also recognize that water is the most precious natural resource, and they are committed to do all they can to improve water quality and reduce nutrient loss.

To assist farmers in achieving sustainability goals, nearly every U.S. corn-producing state has established a nutrient loss-reduction initiative to provide farmers additional resources and tools designed to reduce nutrient leaching and denitrification.

Nutrient-reduction strategies in Iowa and Illinois, for example, outline pragmatic, integrated approaches for reducing nutrient load discharges from wastewater treatment plants, in combination with targeted practices designed to reduce loads from nonpoint sources such as farm fields.

“The Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS) is a framework for using science, technology and industry experience to assess and reduce nutrient loss to Illinois waters, and ultimately, the Gulf of Mexico,” says Jean Payne, president of the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association (IFCA).

“Illinois NLRS builds upon existing programs to optimize nutrient utilization. The initiatives promote increased collaboration, research and innovation among the private sector, academia, nonprofits, wastewater agencies, municipal water works, and state and local government."

In addition to the many conservation practices farmers have long been putting to effective use on their lands, several in-field practices — including the use of nitrification inhibitors like N-Serve® and Instinct® nitrogen stabilizers — are among the recommendations that have proven effective.

“Nitrification inhibitors are an important component of in-field recommendations. N-Serve has a long, documented history of effectively reducing nitrogen loss through leaching and denitrification,” Payne says. “Part of our message to farmers is to use these products because they help keep the product in the ammonium form longer, which means it remains in a nonleachable state for a longer period after application.” BY DOW AGROSCIENCES.

MANAGING PESTS: MANAGING PESTS IS VITAL TO PROTECTING YOUR INVESTMENT.

There’s a plethora of yield robbers hiding in the soil waiting for the right conditions to attack your crops. With high production costs, it’s critical to protect the seed. Soybean seed prices have risen over 50% since 2003, says Alison Robertson, Iowa State University Extension plant pathologist.
“You want every seed to germinate and become a productive plant,” she says.

Plant stand can be impacted by a number of issues, but some of the most common pests aren’t taken seriously throughout the countryside.

Soybean cyst nematodes (SCN) are a widespread issue, but there’s a lack of awareness and concern for the microscopic roundworm that is the industry’s biggest yield robber, says Greg Tylka, Iowa State University plant pathologist.

“SCN can outlast any soybean farmer,” says Tylka.
SCN-infested fields can have 50% or more yield loss, he explains. It can cause 30% yield loss without showing any visual symptoms.

This common soybean nemesis lives approximately 24 days per generation and produces three to six generations per season. Each female produces more than 200 eggs and is mated by more than one male, explains Tylka. To top it off, the eggs can remain dormant for more than 10 years in the soil.

Management

Different tools are available to manage the pest. Following are three strategies that Tylka recommends.

Mix up your rotation.  “We have to keep growing soybeans, but in the years that you don’t grow soybeans, SCN numbers will drop,” says Tylka.

Nonhost crops like corn can lower SCN populations. Population densities drop annually when nonhost crops are planted and should be considered a management tool. Still, corn-after-corn can’t eliminate populations, says Tylka.

SCN eggs will hatch in three different groups. Most eggs will hatch the next year regardless of a host crop growing. The next group will hatch when a host is grown, but the last group is dormant and won’t hatch for years, says Tylka.

Plant resistant varieties. Not all SCN-resistant soybean varieties are the same. Each source of resistance possesses four or more genes for SCN resistance, but each source allows for a low level of SCN reproduction. The scientific definition of SCN resistance is supporting no more than 10% reproduction, says Tylka.

SCN populations are becoming resistant to the main resistance gene, PI 88788.

“We’re seeing yields decrease. It’s biological and economical forces at play,” says Tylka. Despite the increasing resistance, resistant varieties with PI 88788 are still yielding relatively well.
Until additional sources of resistance are developed, the resistance will continue to decrease, says Tylka.
 

Treat seed if your field has a history of SCN. “Seed treatments for SCN are a wonderful addition to the toolbox,” says Tylka. However, they aren’t intended to replace resistant varieties. Instead, use seed treatments in combination with other management strategies.

Corn Pests

Monitor your cornfields during the growing season and watch the weather to see which diseases will be favorable. Cultural practices can help to manage diseases like northern corn leaf blight (NCLB), says Robertson.

Spores can survive in residue or on host weeds, says Robertson. In addition to selecting seed that scores highly for NCLB resistance, cultural practices such as rotation, residue management, and weed management can help you stay ahead of this disease, says Robertson.

The Disease Triangle

“A lot of our research is focused on understanding the disease triangle,” says Iowa State University Extension plant pathologist Alison Robertson.

“There are three factors that need to be present for a disease to occur,” she says. “There has to be a host, favorable environment, and pathogen.”

Picture one on each side of a triangle. While many pathogens can be present in a field, they won’t cause a disease unless there is both a host and the ideal environment for that specific disease.

Knowing which conditions that different seedling diseases favor allows you to manipulate the conditions at planting to prevent certain seedling diseases.

Pathogens that decrease soybean stands include Pythium, Phytopthora, Rhizoctonia, and Fusarium, says Robertson. Seed treatments are necessary to protect stands when the soils are cold and wet soon after planting, says Robertson.

In 2017, seed treatments would benefit farmers who plant early or when a cold front is imminent, Robertson notes.

Another consideration should be field history, says Robertson. If you know certain fields are riddled with diseases, seed treatments might be worth the extra investment. KACEY BIRCHMIER.