Research institute identifies major soils for land use planning

The Institute of Agricultural Research and  Training (IAR&T), Ibadan, has identified  and classified major soils in some states for land use planning.

A former Executive Director of the institute, Prof. Ebenezer Adebowale, disclosed this on Wednesday in Ibadan  while delivering a lecture entitled: “ IAR&T: Past, Present and Future– Impacts and Challenges.”

The states, he said,  include Benue, Kwara, Kano and Bauchi.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the lecture was part of the activities to mark the institute’s  50^th anniversary.

Adebowale said the institute also provided systematic mapping of major soils in the South West Zone with the production of a soil map at a semi-detailed level.

He further said the institute  developed varieties of maize crops including christened Oloyin which contains  higher protein than the ordinary maize sold in the market.

The Animal Scientist added that the institute’s  work on soya bean was legendary in terms of breeding, production as well as nutrition.

Adebowale said the institute’s researches were economically viable as well as environmentally friendly.

“Two new varieties of kenaf crop (Ife Ken100 and Ife Ken400) were also developed by mutation breeding.

“If  Kenaf is well developed, it can revolutionalise the newspaper industry  and conserve foreign exchange.

“IAR&T has trained thousands of farmers from over 26 nations across the entire length and breadth of the universe,” he said.

Adebowale, however,  urged the institute to focus on knowledge economic research that could generate wealth and  prosperity for the people.

He also urged the institute  to ensure  that the remaining soils in some states yet to be identified were identified, characterised and classified.

Also speaking, a retired professor of Agricultural  Extension, Johnson Arokoyo, who gave an  overview of 30 years of Research Extension Farmers Input Linkages (REFILS), called for private sector participation in the system.

He also  advocated pluralistic funding of the system by the federal, state as well as local government areas.

“Key stakeholders must have budget line for REFILS activities;  a national REFILS screening committee should be established, non-critical REFILS activities should be removed,” he said.

Earlier, an official of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, Mr Hammed Matini, said IAR&T had played a major role in tackling army worms which ravaged maize farms in the country.

“The institute has really made giant strides in the agricultural development of the nation through its research, that’s why FAO is partnering them,” he said.

NAN reports that IAR&T is a multi-commodity national research institute that serves as a national center for research on improvement of genetic potentials of crops and livestock.

It also has the mandate to conduct research into efficient use and management of soil resources for increased and  sustainable agricultural productivity. (NAN)