Assessment of status and distribution of available micronutrients in soils under different land uses of savannah North Central Region of Nigeria

This study examines the availability of micronutrients under different land uses: natural vegetation, tree plantations (orange and cashew) and arable crops (maize and guinea corn). Available zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) were analysed in one hundred and fifty (150) randomly selected soil samples. Iron at the topsoil and subsoil under tree plantations and natural vegetation was rated marginal, under arable crops it was marginal at topsoil and deficient at subsoil. Available Mn and Zn at the topsoil and subsoil was adequate under all the land uses, with the exception of maize which fell under marginal ranking at topsoil. Copper was rated deficient under arable crops and orange, marginal under cashew, while natural vegetation was marginal at subsoil and adequate at topsoil. The results revealed that arable crops unlike tree plantations statistically differed on all occasions when their mean scores were compared with those of the natural vegetation. Copper-enriched inorganic fertilizers should be used by farmers. Monitoring of soil nutrients should be carried out regularly, in order to improve upon sustainable farming.

Impact of pastoralists-farmers’ conflicts on agroforestry farmers’ psychology and agricultural production in north central Nigeria

The study examined the escalating conflict between the farmers and the pastoralists in the North Central region of Nigeria with regard to its impact on the psychology and productivity of agroforestry farmers. Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau states were reported to be the most affected by farmer- pastoralist conflicts in North Central Nigeria, they were therefore purposively selected for the study. The local governments that are most affected by the conflicts were also selected in each state. 25% of agroforestry farmers in each of the selected local government were randomly selected for the study. A total of one hundred and eighty (180) well-structured questionnaires were administered to farmers. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage while the correlation coefficient (r) was used to draw inferences between the variables of the hypotheses. The study found out that 29% of the respondents were between the ages of 31-40, 75.6% were male, 69.8% were married, 37.2% had secondary education and majority of them (83.8%) were Christians. Also, 67.8% of them take farming as their main occupation. 40% of them has 6-10 acres of farm size. The Spearman’s rho correlation analysis revealed that demographics characteristics [age (r= -0.341; p= 0.000) education status (r= 0.200; p= 0.008) and household size (r= 0.151; p= 0.042)] of the respondents significantly correlated with the impact the conflict had on respondents’ psychology. The correlation coefficient (R)) showed that frequency of conflict is significantly related to respondents’ agricultural loss (r=0.183; p=0.025) and that the conflicts impact on respondents’ psychology is significantly correlated with their agricultural productiity (r=0.1357; p=0.034).

Multi-model Subseasonal Precipitation Forecasts over the Contiguous United States: Skill Assessment and Statistical Postprocessing

This study assessed multi-model subseasonal precipitation forecasts (SPFs) from eight subseasonal experiment (SubX) models over the contiguous United States (CONUS) and explored the generalized extreme value distribution (GEV)-based ensemble model output statistics (EMOS) framework for postprocessing multi-model ensemble SPF. The results showed that the SubX SPF skill varied by location and season, and the skill were relatively high in the western coastal region, north-central region, and Florida peninsula. The forecast skill was higher during winter than summer seasons, especially for lead week 3 in the northwest region. While no individual model consistently outperformed the others, the simple multi-model ensemble (MME) demonstrated a higher skill than any individual model. The GEV-based EMOS approach dramatically improved the MME subseasonal precipitation forecast skill at long lead times. The continuous ranked probability score (CRPS) was improved by approximately 20% in week 3 and 43% in lead week 4; the 5-mm Brier skill score (BSS) was improved by 59.2% in lead week 3 and 50.9% in lead week 4, with the largest improvements occurring in the northwestern, north-central, and southeastern CONUS. Regarding the relative contributions of the individual SubX model to the predictive skill, the NCEP model was given the highest weight at the shortest lead time, but the weight decreased dramatically with the increase in lead time, while the CESM, EMC, NCEP, and GMAO models were given approximately equal weights for lead weeks 2-4. The presence of active MJO conditions notably increased the forecast skill in the north-central region during weeks 3-4, while the ENSO phases influenced the skill mostly in the southern regions.

Islamic Corporate Social Responsibility and Patronage of Non-interest Cooperative Societies in North-central, Nigeria

Purpose: This study interrogates the extent of implementation of economic and philanthropic dimensions of the Islamic Corporate Social Responsibility (ICSR) concept by Shar¯ı‘ah based cooperative societies with the primary purpose of ascertaining its effect on members’ rate of patronage of non-interest cooperative societies in Nigeria. Methodology: Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLSSEM) with bootstrap processes were used to analyse the data collected from 210 members of the selected non-interest cooperative societies operating in the North-central region of Nigeria. Findings: The study’s results revealed that h. al¯al products and h.al¯al investments positively affect the members’ patronage rate of non-interest cooperative societies. In addition, it was discovered that Islamic philanthropic responsibility influenced the image/reputations of non-interest cooperative societies. Significance: This study is among the few studies that have examined the effect of corporate social responsibility on members’ patronage from an Islamic perspective. The import of the study stems from the fact that it broadly investigated the extent of implementation out of the six dimensions of corporate social responsibility. Limitations: The main constraints of the study are predicated on the fact that it was conducted in a region of the country and the study’s inability to isolate other factors which might have contributed to members’ patronage of non-interest cooperative societies. Implications: The study’s findings can aid the management of noninterest cooperative societies and other similar institutions in formulating strategic policies and programmes geared towards operating and promoting h.al¯al investment opportunities and supporting the indigent members of the communities through corporate charities/donations.

COMMUNAL VIOLENCE AND THE EXTREMITY OF POVERTY AMONG RURAL FARMERS IN THE NORTH – CENTRAL REGION OF NIGERIA

The increasing spate of communal violence in North – Central region of Nigeria has taken a very high toll on lives and livelihoods and had displaced several people. These resultantly had exacerbated the level of vulnerability, food/economic insecurity, destitution, extreme deprivation and misery in the region especially among the rural farmers thereby exposing them to extreme poverty. This paper focuses therefore on examining the effects of communal violence on rural poverty, the extent to which communal violence has extremely impoverished the rural populace in the North – Central region of Nigeria and ways of minimising its spate. Data for the study was sourced from 405 respondents across the region using questionnaire method. Findings of the study identified the effects of communal violence to include: wanton destruction of human lives, property and other sources of livelihood, psychological trauma, food and health insecurity as well as displacement of small – holder rural farmers, making their living standards miserable and deplorable thereby increasing very extremely the rate of poverty in the area by 85 per cent. The paper therefore recommends immediate trial of perpetrators of violence, conflict management and peace studies and poverty alleviation as actionable solutions. <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0774/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

A new Sarcoglottis (Orchidaceae: Spiranthinae) from the southern Brazilian Amazon

Sarcoglottis matogrossensis, a new orchid species from the southern edge of the Brazilian Amazon, is described and illustrated. The novelty was found growing as humicolous and saxicolous in the understory of the seasonal evergreen forest on the banks of the Teles Pires River, in the north-central region of Mato Grosso state. Sarcoglottis matogrossensis is similar to S. amazonica, S. maroaënsis, S. metallica, and S. neillii, differing from these in the proportionally narrower and longer light green leaves that may or may not have white spots, the flowering that occurs after the senescence of the leaves, and the petals with apices conspicuously free, acute, and reflexed. We suggest the category of Data Deficient (DD) due to the scarcity of collections and the unknown effect of illegal deforestation on the populations of this species, pending further studies.