The study was conducted to assess the food security status of households who benefited from extension services in Obio Akpo and Emuoha Local Government Areas of Rivers State of Nigeria. The data used for the study was obtained from primary sources only. Structured questionnaires were administered on 240 respondents who were selected purposively and randomly respectively. The data were analyzed using descriptive and copping strategy index to determine the food security status of the respondents. The results indicated that the beneficiaries of extension services fell between the ages of 20-59years. This result showed that the beneficiaries of extension services were young and full of energy which enhanced food production and security. Furthermore, the results also indicate that 80.4% of extension beneficiaries from Obio Akpo Local government area were food secured while 19.6% were food unsecured. However, 76.7% of beneficiaries of extension services from Emuoha Local Government Area were food secured whereas only 23.3% of beneficiaries were food unsecured. The food security status of beneficiaries of extension services from both Local government areas were food secured due to the reduced activities of the militants in the Niger Delta resulting from amnesty granted to the Militants during the period of this research work. Furthermore, there are increased assistance from oil companies and non-governmental organizations to enhance the food production and security in these local government areas.

Weed population survey was undertaken to determine prevalence and distribution of weeds, and asses weed flora shift in major sugarcane growing areas in Southern guinea savanna of Nigeria. The selected areas surveyed are namely Badeggi, Sulti, and Isenyi. The Sugarcane fields were assessed using 1.0 m x 1.0 m quadrat placed randomly at vegetative stage. Weed seedlings in each quadrat were clipped at the soil level and identified according to standards. Result revealed that a total of 38 weed species were recorded. Graminaea and compositae were most abundant and diversified families based on the number of species recorded. Individual weed species shows variation in their abundance, dominance and frequency. The most frequent weed species in the Sugarcane fields irrespective of the soil, climate and crop varieties were Hyptis suaveolens, Paspalum scrobiculata, Kyllinga squamulata, Dactylactenum aegypium and Cynadon dactylon and were considered as the most important species in the surveyed areas. From Similarity indices, variations were observed between locations. Accordingly, areas having similarity indices more than 60 % indicate similarities in weed community. Thus, when devising a weed control strategies same control option should be considered for the location that have similar weed flora and vise-versa.

The research looked at Demand preference as it affects local rice supply in Niger State, Nigeria. Multi – stage sampling method was employed to obtain 125 household consumers of local Rice. The sampling of respondents cut across Agricultural zones 1, 2 and 3 of Niger State. Primary and Secondary data were used. Descriptive statistics like mean, frequency tables and percentages were employed to describe the socio – economic characteristics of the respondents. Vector Autoregressive model (VAR) was used to estimate production variables that granger caused local Rice supply. . Hedonic model was used to determine the effect of local Rice characteristics on the preference and willingness to pay by consumers. The result indicated the mean age of 45 for Niger. The household size has mean of 6 and years spent in school stood at 17 for Niger. The annual income mean were 414 thousand naira for Niger State. The granger causality equations show that, all variables granger caused production of local, Rice in Niger States except dlnarea. The dlnarea in Niger State was not significant. This means that it does not granger caused local Rice production. The result of hedonic model revealed that free from stone, whiteness, aroma, cohesion and taste were all significant. This means that all these attributes have great effect on price, preference and willingness to pay higher price for local Rice. These will encourage the producers to produce more and will lead to higher supply in the market.

The study assessed the effect of agricultural extension services in minimizing post-harvest losses of yam in Benue State. Multistage sampling procedure was used to select 240 yam producers. Data were collected using structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, mean and standard deviation, post-harvest management coefficient (PMC) and binary logistic regression (BLR) were used to analyse the data. Results on producers’ capabilities to manage PHLs revealed that 58.5% of the total yam produce (PMC = 0.585) was preserved while a sizeable proportion (41.5%) of losses were incurred after harvest. The availability of agricultural extension services showed that, the provision of agricultural information ( ̅ = 1.54), access to agricultural markets ( ̅ = 1.50) and facilitation of the formation of producers’ self-help groups ( ̅ = 1.50) were the prime extension services rendered in the study area. Empirical result on the effect of agricultural extension services on PHLs management revealed that the number of agricultural extension services (P ≤ 0.01) and access to agricultural credit (P ≤ 0.01) exerted positive and significant influence on PHLs management. Also, the level of producers’ education (P ≤ 0.1) enhanced significantly and consistently, their capabilities to minimize PHLs. Conversely, the number of agricultural information sources (P ≤ 0.1) exerted negative and significant influence on yam producers’ capabilities to manage post-harvest losses. The study concludes that agricultural extension services are potent in the management of post-harvest losses. The study thus recommends the provision of agricultural extension service by service agencies, given that the capacities of yam producers’ in minimizing post-harvest losses could be enhanced significantly and consistently with increase in the numbers of agricultural extension services at their disposal, and the enhancement of access to agricultural extension services by yam producers, individually and cooperatively, to curtail the incidences incidence of post-harvest losses on yam.

This experiment was established in 2020 cropping season at National Cereals Research Institute experimental field at Badeggi in Guinea Savannah agro-ecological Zone, (Latitude 9 04^o Longitude 6 07^o E), to assess seed dressing effect of AV-5055 on rice seed. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Designs (RCBD), replicated three times. It consisted of four (4) treatments: application of AV-5055 rate at 0.7L, 1.2L, 1.7L per 100kg of rice seed and no application of chemical as (control). Data was taken on plant height, tiller count, days to 50% flowering, bird damage, rodent damage panicle per meter square and grain yield. The result shows that there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in plant height, tiller count, days to 50% flowering and bird damage. However, control plot had significantly (P < 0.05) lower rodent damage (0.00) and higher grain yield (2060.00kg/ha) compared to rodent damage and grain yield in treated plots (0.33-2.33) and (1789.00-1999.03) respectively. It was concluded from the result of analysis that AV-5055 offer protection to dressed seed against bird depredation from planted field as there was no significant difference on bird depredation among the various rates of AV-5055 application. However, various rates of AV-5055 application attract picking by rodents and subsequent reduction on yield. Thus it was recommended that AV-5055 should be applied in combination with rodenticides to give perfect seed protection against birds and rodents.