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Abstract The effects of organic fertilizers, based on Tithonia diversifolia, and in-organic fertilizers, based on hydroponics fertilizer, were evaluated on the performance, leaves, and fruit mineral concentrations of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus) plants grown under soilless medium in a screen house. The treatments comprised six levels of liquid organic fertilizer (5, 15, 25, 35, 45, 55 mL), in-organic fertilizer, and a control. Both organic and in-organic fertilizers increased the growth, yield, leaf nutrient concentration, and the mineral contents of tomato and cucumber fruits in comparison with the control. In-organic fertilizer enhanced the performance and mineral concentrations of tomato and cucumber fruits in comparison with organic fertilizer. However, leaf analyses showed that all the essential elements for both tomato and cucumber crops were within the adequate ranges in the organic fertilizer treatments suggesting that this organic fertilizer can be used as an alternative to the expensive and scarce in-organic fertilizer. For organic fertilizer, the highest yield and mineral contents in fruits were attained at doses of 35 mL and 25 mL for tomato and cucumber plants, respectively. At these doses, the fruit weights of tomato and cucumber were increased by 137 and 198%, respectively, in comparison with the control. For a good yield of tomato and cucumber crop with a high fruit mineral content under the soilless medium of coco peat and rice husk, 35 mL and 25 mL of our tested organic fertilizer are recommended.

Food production in Nigeria is almost entirely rain fed despite the great potential of irrigation in Nigeria to boost agricultural productivity. The study assessed the profitability and efficiency of dry season irrigated okra farming in Adamawa State using primary data collected from 180 farmers through a simple random sampling technique. Profit efficiency and stochastic frontier function were used in analyzing the data. The result revealed that labor costs accounted for 48% of average variable cost while a farmer’s total revenue from irrigated okra produce was ₦228,642.56K ($408.2), total fixed cost and variable input cost was ₦102,440.37K ($182.93), resulting in a net farm income (NFI) of ₦126,201.63K ($225.36). The coefficients of farm size, household size, and fertilizer were positive and significant at the 1%, 10%, and 5% levels of probability, respectively, as revealed by the OLS results. Empirical estimate shows that the mean technical efficiency value of vegetable farmers was about 0.73 while Technical inefficiency coefficient of farming experience (−0.420), adjusted household size (−0.193), and extension contacts (−0.162) are variables that increased technical efficiency. Lack of access to water, high cost of equipment, and inadequate finance were identified as lead constraints of the okra farmers. Therefore, recommendations by the study are that farmers be encouraged to establish cooperative organizations so that they can pool their resources to create an irrigation system that is affordable. Also, sustainability of small scale irrigation scheme should be promoted by the government through skill enhanced trainings.

Screen house experiment was conducted in 2020 at the Landmark University Teaching and Research Farm Omu-aran, Kwara State. The experiment was carried out to evaluate the potential of dried unripe plantain peel and Tithonia diversifolia as soil amendments and its effect on growth, yield and fruit quality of tomato. Four rates each of dried plantain peel (0, 5, 10 and 15 t/ha) and Tithonia diversifolia (0, 10, 20 and 30 t/ha) were applied sole and combined. The experimental layout was a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replicates. Parameters were collected on the plant height, number of leaves, number of branches, stem girth, yield and fruit quality. Data collected were subjected to Analysis of variance (ANOVA) using the GENSTAT Discovery Software, Edition 4. Comparison of the treatment means were carried out using Duncan Multiple range test (DMRT) at 0.05 level of probability. Results showed that dried plantain peel and Tithonia diversifolia improved, number and weight of fruits as well as the fruit quality of tomato and were comparable to the application of NPK fertilizer. Treatment P5T30 (T8) increased number of leaves and number of branches while P15T20 (T15) and P10T30 (T12) increased plant height and stem girth respectively. Treatment P5T30 (T8) and P10T20 (T11) also significantly improved the fruit quality (minerals, lycopene and Vit. A) of tomato fruits. It can therefore be concluded that application of dried plantain peel and Tithonia diversifolia at P5T30 (T8) and P10T20 (T11) increased the vegetative, yield and quality parameters of tomato in the screen house of the study area.

This perspective paper reviews the existing research directions on agricultural extension programmes in Nigeria and highlights how they are incapable of diffusing enough knowledge to facilitate the adoption of 21st-century agricultural innovations and enhance sustainable practices among rural farmers. A key idea of this paper is to suggest a new direction of research that is oriented towards the quality, skills, and strategies of effective and efficient communication that the extension agents possess, and a two-way communication delivery, and accentuate how it is a panacea for effective diffusion of knowledge and adoption of agricultural innovations among rural farmers. The methodology was to review and compare bodies of literature from countries with the best agricultural extension and rural advisory services, particularly some countries in Asia, and show how insights from those countries can inform a new research direction in effectively communicating agricultural innovations to Nigerian rural farmers. Drawing on experiences from those countries, it was confirmed that Nigeria's extension system is not effective and efficient in communicating innovations in global agricultural practices to farmers in the rural areas, and research efforts in extension services in the country are still fixated on the role of extension agents as teachers to farmer-pupils and one-way communication delivery from research through extension to farmers, and the availability and ability to use communication channels. Based on the current challenges in farming and agriculture at large, there is a need to rethink the concept of extension in Nigeria, emphasize training of agents, acquisition of communication skills and adoption of a two-way communication delivery that recognises farmers as autonomous agents and co-designers of agricultural innovations and not just passive receivers. The value of this paper is that it is arguably the first attempt to chart a new perspective and communication delivery methods for research and practice in agricultural extension programmes in Nigeria.

Studies on integrating biochar with potassium (K) fertilizer is not common. Hence, experiments were conducted in 2020 and 2021 to evaluate the sole and combined applications of biochar and K fertilizer on soil properties and performance of sweet potato. It was hypothesized that the effects of combined applications of biochar and K fertilizer on the growth, and yield of sweet potato will be more than their individual applications. The study each year consisted of a 3 × 3 factorial experiment with three levels (0, 10, and 20 t ha−1) of wood biochar and three levels (0, 70, and 120 kg ha−1) of K fertilizer (potassium chloride). The 9 treatment combinations have three replications and follow a randomized complete block design. Results revealed that biochar alone or in combination with K fertilizer improved soil physical and chemical properties, growth, and yield of sweet potato relative to the control and K fertilizer alone. The interaction of biochar and K (biochar × K fertilizer) fertilizer was significant for growth and yield parameters. The addition of K fertilizer to biochar improved the performance of sweet potato compared with sole applications of K fertilizer or biochar. 20 t ha−1 biochar +70 kg ha−1 K fertilizer and 20 t ha−1 biochar +120 kg ha−1 K fertilizer increased growth and yield relative to 10 t ha−1 biochar +70 kg ha−1 K fertilizer and 10 t ha−1 biochar +120 ha−1 kg K fertilizer. Since 20 t ha−1 biochar +120 kg ha−1 K fertilizer and 20 t ha−1 biochar +70 kg ha−1 K fertilizer were statistically similar, for this experiment, 20 t ha−1 biochar +70 kg ha−1 K fertilizer would be recommended for sweet potato production. Therefore, the addition of 70 kg K fertilizer with biochar has reduced the cost of increasing the rate to 120 kg ha−1 which would have been economical in view of the high price and lack of K fertilizer in Nigeria and other sub-Saharan African countries.

Abstract Recently unique spans of genetic data are produced by researchers, there is a trend in genetic exploration using machine learning integrated analysis and virtual combination of adaptive data into the solution of classification problems. Detection of ailments and infections at early stage is of key concern and a huge challenge for researchers in the field of machine learning classification and bioinformatics. Considerate genes contributing to diseases are of huge dispute to a lot of researchers. This study reviews various works on Dimensionality reduction techniques for reducing sets of features that groups data effectively with less computational processing time and classification methods that contributes to the advances of RNA-Sequencing approach.

Ten maize varieties of tropical origin were tested at two different agro-ecological zones during the cropping season of 2007 and 2008 to investigate the genetic components of seedling emergence characteristic and correlate with grain yield and related traits in Nigeria. Heritability values were high for all traits study, indicating reliability and stability of most of the traits across different environments. Variety DMRLSR-Y had highest 300 kernel weight (105.2 g), but least grain yield and second to the least emergence percentage, indicating bigger kernel and highest kernel weight/cob but low plant stands resulted in low grain yield. Genotypic and agronomic correlation analysis revealed positive associations (p < 0.01) between grain yield and emergence percentage (E%), and 300 kernel weight; however, interval between pollen shed and silking was negatively correlated with physiological maturity period and 300 kernel weight. Improvement of this variety for higher emergence percentage is therefore predicted for higher grain yield. High values of genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation recorded by emergence percentage (41 and 45%) and grain yield (25 and 32%), respectively, revealed the less effects of environmental factors on the aforementioned characters, and it showed the stability and reliability of the two traits. High values of both broad sense heritability and genetic advance recorded by emergence percentage (E%) and 300 kernel weight confirmed that standard selection procedure could be used to identify superior genotypes for the two traits.

The recent increase in the demand of hot and chili pepper at local, national, and international market has drawn the interest of breeders’ crop improvement researchers globally. Thus, there is a need to enhance its breeding and development to improve the production of hot and chilies pepper in the quest for food quality and security. This study focused on the germination ability and evaluation of chlorophyll mutations in M2 generation of gamma irradiates on pepper cultivars. The materials used in this experiment were obtained from the M1 generation of gamma-irradiated seeds of pepper cultivars (Capsicum frutescens, Capsicum chinense, and Capsicum annuum (hot pepper, bonnet pepper, and bell pepper, respectively)). Seeds of the pepper varieties were subjected to doses of gamma ray (i.e., 0, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, and 400 Gy) after which they were planted, raised, and harvested in the M2 generation. The parameters evaluated were germination percentage, survival percentage, epicotyl height, and chlorophyll mutations. However, the highest chlorophyll mutation frequency was observed in C. frutescens. This showed that it was more sensitive to gamma irradiation relative to C. chinense and C. annuum. virescenes were the highest chlorophyll mutant observed in all the three cultivars, while the least was Xanthan. The effective dose ranges between 50 and 250 Gy for germination and survival rate for the three cultivars of pepper give higher desirable mutations in the pepper cultivars. While 400 Gy recorded most efficient for chlorophyll mutation.

Understanding the mode of inheritance of traits is vital in the selection of breeding methods for the grain yield and improvement of associated traits in a target environment. Combining ability is one of the powerful indices for the selection of the best cross combinations, parental lines that combine with other lines and the best breeding method for high grain yield improvement programmes. A total of 45 crosses were generated from ten maize varieties developed in low nitrogen environment in a diallel mating fashion without reciprocal. The resultant progenies were investigated in low- and highnitrogen soil to identify the mode of grain yield inheritance and those of related traits in the tested environments. Mean square analysis revealed the preponderance of additive and non-additive gene actions in the expression of maize grain yield and related characters tested under stress and optimal conditions. In this study, it is proved that both standard selection and hybridization breeding strategies are effective for the improvement of most traits involved. This experiment also confirmed the adequacy of sufficient variation in the gene pool present in the maize population that could be exploited in maize grain yield improvement programmes in the tropics. The ratio of SCA to GCA however emphasized the superiority of additive gene effects in the expression of most traits in the tested environments. The results, therefore, suggest that additive gene actions primarily condition the expression of maize grain yield and associated characters in the tested environments. Therefore, suggesting that the standard selection method would be effective for the improvement of most traits tested under the two environments.

The study was carried to investigate the differential response of some maize hybrids and their open pollinated parents to low and high nitrogen soil condition. Ten open-pollinated varieties were crossed in a partial diallel fashion to generate 45 F1 hybrids during the 2011 cropping season at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria. The 45 F1 hybrids and the ten parents were evaluated in four environments at Mokwa and Zaria in August, 2012 under high and low N conditions with two different levels of nitrogen application (30kgha-1 and 90kgha-1) respectively.Hybrids recorded shorter plant height under the two different nitrogen fertilizer conditions compare with open pollinated parents. Thus the hybrids are better for mechanical harvesting. Taller ear height was observed among the hybrids compare with the open pollinated parents; rate of stem and root lodging were consequently higher among the hybrids. Hybrid had better husk cover under both nitrogen fertilizer regime; that's they will be less susceptible to insect and animal attack.Mean difference of ear per plant between the maize hybrids and open pollinated parents was not significant. Significant difference was observed between maize hybrids and their parents for grain yield under low and high fertilizer regimes. That the hybrids had higher grain yield under both nitrogen fertilizer regime; indicates the tolerance of maize hybrid to low-N condition than the parental varieties. Low-N environment seemed to favor shorter day to silk for maize hybrid, however, high nitrogen soil condition appeared to increase day to silk. It is an evidence that flowering and consequently maturity time is delayed under favorable nitrogen soil environments.Days to 50% pollen shed are significantly different among the maize hybrids and their parents. The maize hybrids attained day to pollen earlier than the parents under both fertilizer regime. It is an indication that setting of maize grain occur earlier among hybrids than their open pollinated parents.

Fallowing is considered an important management strategy for the restoration of soil productivity. Therefore, a three-year fallow of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), mexican sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia) and elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) was established at Landmark University, Nigeria between 2016 – 2019. Leaf nutrient concentrations of maize (Zea mays) planted with soils taken from each fallowed plots after three years were also determined. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with three replications. Soil samples were collected from each fallow plots for physical and chemical analysis (bulk density, porosity, moisture content, particle size, dispersion ratio, soil erosion loss, soil organic matter (SOM), total N, available P, exchangeables K, Ca, Mg, CEC and pH.) before and at the end of the experiment. Means of data collected were separated using Tukey's HSD test at p = 0.05. Tithonia fallow improved soil properties and leaf nutrient concentration of maize compared with Pennisetum and Cajanus fallows. The order was Tithonia > Pennisetum > Cajanus. This was adduced to the regular return of plant residues to the soil in Tithonia fallow which resulted in high SOM (Tithonia increased SOM by about 23%, 7.5%, and 20%, respectively, compared with the initial soil, Pennisetum and Cajanus fallows) and increases soil N, P, K, Ca, Mg, CEC and pH and also stabilized soil structure by increasing porosity, moisture content and reducing bulk density, dispersion ratio, and soil loss. Therefore, plant species of high nutrient contents and high return of biomass to the soil are necessary for quick restoration of soil productivity in a derived savanna ecology.