The study was conducted to examine the resource use efficiency of sesame production in Hong L.G.A of Adamawa State, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used to select fifty seven sesame farmers in the study area. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. The results revealed that high percentage (57.9%) of the respondents were female, 91.2% were married and 54.4% were within the age bracket of 31-50 years. Among the farmers, 35.1% attended tertiary institution, most (56.1%) of them had a household size of 3-6 persons and 70% of them had no extension visit. The study also revealed that the majority (70.2%) of the sesame farmers had farm size of 1-2 hectares, 33.3% had a farming experience of 10-15 years, and many had no access to credit (91.%) and membership of cooperatives (86%). The results showed that effects of labour, fertilizer, farm size, chemical and seed were positive and statistically significant. R2 of 90.0% and F-ratio of 65.5 were recorded for the inputs. The study showed that the production inputs (especially labour and seed) contributed to sesame production output and production resources were under-utilized by the farmers.

Bacterial blight is one of the major diseases of rice, causing huge economic loss to the rice farmers around the world. In the present study, marker assisted selection (MAS) was used to pyramid broad spectrum resistance genes (Xa33 and Xa38) into two improved rice genotypes (ADT 47 and ASD 16) which already have some bacterial blight resistance genes (xa5, xa13 and Xa21). The rice genotypes FBRI-15 and PR114 were used as donors of Xa33 and Xa38 genes respectively. The marker RMWR7.1 linked to Xa33 and the sequenced-tagged site marker Os04g53050-1 specific to Xa38 were used for foreground selection. True F₁ hybrids were selected using the polymorphic markers. Out of one hundred and thirty-seven SSR markers, forty-two were polymorphic for improved ADT 47 x FBRI-16 and forty-six were polymorphic for Improved ASD 16 x PR114. The polymorphic markers were used for background selection. Foreground selection revealed that a single F₁ plant was heterozygote in Improved ADT 47 X FBRI-15 whereas two plants were heterozygotes in Improved ASD 16 x PR114. At BC₁F₁, one and three plants were found to be heterozygous respectively for Improved ADT 47 x FBRI-15 and Improved ASD 16 x PR114. At BC₂F₁, single plant each was found heterozygous from the two crosses. In the final BC₃F₁ population, one heterozygote each was obtained from the two crosses. In BC₃F₁, plant number 11 had 92.80% parental genome recovery in the Improved ADT 47 x FBRI-15, whereas plant no 16 had 91.33% parental genome recovery in the Improved ASD 16 x PR114

The Niger State Rice Investment Consortium (NSRIC) project, Niger State Agricultural Policy, promotes the transformation of the predominantly subsistence Agricultural production system to a modernized and Commercial-oriented system. Total sample size of 234 (made up of 117 participants and 117 non-participants), drawn from twelve (12) localities in three (3) Local Government Areas (LGAs), were selected through multi-stage sampling technique. Data were collected using well-structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Descriptive Statistics, Ordinary Least Square Model and Henry Garrett Technique. The results showed that the respondents were in their productive age with mean age of 39 and 44 years for participants and non-participants respectively. It was observed that 80.34% and 81.22% of the participants and non-participants respectively were married. The mean farm sizes were 2.0ha and 1.84ha for participants and non-participants respectively. The regression estimates for income among the respondents showed that the coefficient of farm size, frequency of extension contact and capital were significant at 1 percent probability level and positive for the participants, non-participants, pooled data and pooled data with dummy. The result of Henry Garrett Ranking Technique revealed that poor access road was ranked first most pressing farmers’ constraint with a Garrett mean score of 52.27 and 53.09, and lack of government policy on commercialization was ranked the tenth farmers’ constraint.

Increasing demand for maize in Nigeria has resulted in high use of inorganic fertilizers and these fertilizers are expensive for peasant farmers who dominate farming in the country. The use of inorganic fertilizers also results in hidden cost borne by man and the ecosystem. In a search for a cost-effective and safer alternative, six maize varieties were evaluated using moringa, banana-peel, maize-stalk fertilizer (MBM) both in solid and foliar forms. Gross benefit, net benefit and benefit-cost ratio (BCR) were used to determine enterprises with the highest economic returns. The results showed that maize varieties treated with 90 kg/ha of NPK had the highest grain yield which was significantly comparable with MBM. The application of 120N+50P+40K rate of MBM to single cross hybrid, SCH LY1312-1, resulted in the highest benefit-cost ratio (15.16). MBM is economically more viable than NPK Fertilizer and its application in the solid (powdered) form before planting produced double economic returns compared to foliar application. Single cross hybrids gave better economic returns when the fertilizer was applied in solid form.

Downy mildew caused by Sclerospora graminicola (Sacc.) Schroet is a major limiting factor to the production of pearl millet globally. Therefore, a field trial was carried out during the 2018 and 2019 rainy seasons at Bauchi and Maiduguri located in the Northern Guinea and Sudan Savannah of Nigeria, respectively. The aim was to evaluate the effects of different sowing dates and a fungicide on seedlings establishment of three pearl millet genotypes infected with downy mildew disease. Randomized Complete Block Design was used with a factorial arrangement of treatments, which comprised three pearl millet genotypes (Gero, Maiwa, Dauro), three sowing dates (late-June, mid-July and late-July) and metalaxyl fungicide (treated and untreated). Results for genotypes consistently showed that Maiwa performed better than Gero and Dauro. In terms of the sowing date, the performance of millet was better in the first sowing date (late-June), followed by the second date (mid-July) and then the third date (late-July). Mean values of the seedling establishment were significantly decreased with delay in sowing date. Results, in respect of the fungicide treatments, generally indicated a higher seedling stands in the treated (78.6 – 87.4%) than untreated seed (70.9 – 81.1%) across the locations. These findings revealed that treated seeds with metalaxyl fungicide and early sowing give better seedling establishment in pearl millet.