By Khalid Idris Doya
A lead researcher with the Nigerian Institute of Soil Science (NISS), Professor Muhammad Hassan has said that the institute in collaboration with OCP Africa Fertilizer is poised to developing and disseminating innovative approach in managing problematic soils in the North East zone in particular and the country at large.
He said at the observation of Brown Field Day held in Misau LGA of Bauchi that the problematic soils projecf started during the 2020/2021 rainy season, with the establishment of demonstration plots on participating farmers plots in various parts of the State.
Prof. Hassan explained that the Misau Brown Field Day being observed was part of the series of events connected to the dry season version of the problematic soils project, which commenced in April when the dry season farming had actually gone far, as some farmers normally start earlier in November.
“The program is how to manage the problematic soil which may either be as a result of soil chemical or physical degradation of the soil. But this programme is purposely for managing soil reaction, in other words, it may either be an acidic soil or alkaline soil”.
Hassan said that following the Institute's collaboration with the Bauchi State Agricultural Development Programme (BASDP), through which it liaised with the programme that gave the farmers who participate in dry season farming. Only seven out of the 15 farms were identified as having soils with reaction problems across Bauchi state.
He revealed that the problem identified from the Misau demonstration farm is that the soil is alkalinity with pH of the soil above 9.
Also speaking, the North East Coordinator of NISS, Prof. Saminu Ibrahim of the institute recalled that NISS was established in 2017 following a law enacted to that effect and signed by President Muhammadu Buhari, with the main aim of sustainable management of the soil with a view to boosting food production in the country.
Prof Saminu Ibrahim said that the decentralisation of the institute from it's established headquarter in Abuja to the nation's geo-political zones, added that the the North East Zonal Office located in ATBU Bauchi was one of the six such offices, one each in each geopolitical zone to bring the activities of the Institute closer to the grassroots.
The brown field day observation in Misau was accompanied with Prof Garba A. Babaji, the former vice chancellor of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi, alongside some members of the Institute and officials of the Bauchi Agricultural Development Programme and some Directors, one of which represented the Project Manager, Alhaji Abubakar Jaafar Ilela.
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