Adaptable Agricultural Practices: A Way Forward to Climate Change Challenges.

1. Adaptable Agricultural Practices: A Way Forward to Climate Change Challenges. (1)Etukudoh, Ndarake Emmanuel (2)Akpan, Joyce Fidelis(3) Roland Gbarabe(4)Ipadeola, S. A. (1,) Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture Rivers State University of Science and Technology, P.M.B 5080, Port Harcourt Rivers State Nigeria, (2) Dept. of Soil Science, Faculty of Agri. University of Calabar (3) Department of Education, Rivers College Arts and Sciences, Rumola, Rivers State Nigeria. (4) Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture University of Ibadan, Nigeria E-mail: etukndara@yahoo.comGSM 07039325652

2. Introduction • The attainment of Millennium Development Goals (MDG), particularly Goals 1 (Poverty/hunger Alleviation) Goal 7 (Environmental Protection) and in the new partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) sectoral priorities: Agriculture and the Environment, by 2015 remains a major challenge in Nigeria. Unfortunately, climate change is the anti-thesis to this vision. Etukudoh, et al; (2012b), Medugu (2009), predicated the negative impacts of climate change on the capacity of the soil resources to support sustainable food productivities towards the achievement of food security. In 2009, Oloruntade and Oguntunde reported that climate change will increase rainfall variability and impact on the world economy especially in the developing countries. • Considering the global spread of the impact of climate change as well as its diverse manifestations: climate change is often used to described the occurrences of medium terms changes in weather patterns, increased climate variability and more frequent climate extreme such as drought and floods(UNDP, UNEP, and UNCCD, 2009). They highlighted climate change trends to include changes in arctic temperature and Ice, precipitation patterns and amount, ocean salinity, wind patterns and speeds as well as other manifestation of extreme weather conditions.

3. Materials and MethodsExperimental Site • This experiment was conducted in the Rivers State University of Science and Technology Teaching and Research farm, Port Harcourt. Rivers State lies within tropical rainforest zone of Nigeria located in latitude 4o51N and longitude 7o011E and on elevation of 18m above Sea level (FAO, 1984) on a Coastal Plain Sand. The area experiences two district seasons - raining and dry seasons. The raining season starts from April and lasts till October with a brief period of dryness (August Break). The rainfall is heavy with estimated annual range which may vary from 2000-2800mm (FAO, 1984, MANR, Port Harcourt, 2005). Rainfall pattern is bimodal with peaks in June and September (Ukpong, 1992). The highest temperature is experienced during the months of February through March and coincides with the overhead assuage of sun (Enwezoret al., 1990).

4. Land Preparation and Field Layout Portion of land measuring 15x19m was manually cleared using hoes, cutlasses and shovels in the 2011 planting season. The area was demarcated into 6x19m with a space of 3m apart. One portion was completely roofed using light green transparent waterproof to simulate Green House condition while the alternative experiment was left in the open. Each area was amended with 10tha-1 poultry manure and tilled to work the poultry manure into soil and left for seven days to settle before planting. The experiment was adequately watered using water can and clean weeding done during the period. The experiment was repeated in the 2012 planting season to in order to evaluate treatment effects.

5. Analytical Methods for Soil • Soil pH in 1:2.50 soil water ratio using glass electrode(Udoand Ogunwale, 1986) • Organic matter by wet oxidation method of Nelson and Sommers (1982). • Total Nitrogen by Marcrokjeldahl digestion and distillation method of Jackson (1970) • Exchangeable bases (Ca, Mg) were extracted with molar ammonium acetate, K and Na concentration was determined by flame photometry • (Thomas, 1983) • Mg and ca by EDTA titration of Jackson (1970). • Exchangeable acidity (Al plus H) was extracted with KCL and acidity determined by titration (McClean, 1965). • Effective action change capacity was taken as the sum of individual exchangeable bases plus exchange acidity (Kamprath, 1984). • Available P was determined by methods described by Page et al., 1982 and Spark (1996) • Mechanical analysis was carried out by hydrometer procedures as described by Klute (1986).

6. Enumeration of Soil Microorganisms. • Cultivation and enumeration of bacteria and fungi in the soil were done by methods of Harrigan and McCane (1990). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS • The yield was measured by weighing harvested grains on each experimental plot. Values obtained were compared data generated using Least Significant Different (LSD) at 5% level probability.

7. Table1. Chemical Properties Of Poultry Manure (PM) Used As Soil Amendment. Table2. Physicochemical properties of the soil used for the study. Key: O, X and Y = Soil before addition of amendment, Green House and open field experiment respectively ECEC = Effective cation exchange capacity Av.P, Exc. Acidity, % BS = Available phosphorus, exchange acidity, Percent base saturation respectively.

8. Key: X, Y = Green House and Field Experiment Respectively. • tha-1 = ton per hectare.

9. Bacterial populations (X108cfug soil) 2011 2012 period Fig.1 Showing total Heterotrophic Bacterial counts(x108cfug/soil). Key X, Y = Green house and field experiment respectively cfug/soil = colony forming unit per gram soil.

10. Bacterial populations (X105cfug soil) • Fig.2 Showing Heterotrophic Fungal Counts(x105cfug/soil) • Key: X, Y = Green House and Field experiment respectively tha-1 = Ton per hectare.

11. Discussions: • Decreased in Soil pH in the year 2011 and 2012 after the addition of PM may be due to utilization of PM (Carbonaceous material) by soil micro- organizations heating to improved biochemical activities. It may also be due to mineralization plant nutrients by soil microbes due to their increase in the presence of PM (microbial food source) as earlier reported by Etukudohet al., 2011), Tisdale and Nelson (1975), Alexander (1977). Gradual increase in the soil pH from 5.80 to 6.80 and to 6.15 in 2012 in the Green House and in the field experimental soil indicated that PM is a good soil amendment material and a food source to soil microorganisms. Higher soil pH observed in the Green House as compared to that of the field therefore means that PM decomposition proceeds faster in the Green House in the field soil condition • Higher percent total nitrogen values observed in the field experiment as compared to that of Green House experiment expressed the degree of sensitivity of nitrification process to environmental influence. It may partly be attributed to the physiological difference of the responsible species as a result of modification of the environment. Subsequent increase in total N in 2012 in all treatment options may have been due to PM decomposition with time and increased rate of mineralization especially in the field.

12. Conclusion: • Since it is known that the greater the soil organic carbon percent, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, percent base saturation, effective cations exchange capacity and soil microorganisms, the greater soil fertility. Green House soil has desirable qualities stated above which are generally regard as soil fertility indexes, therefore, Green House approach is a better way to go.

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