American Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics

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Effects of Climatic Influence on Sweet Potato (Ipomea batatas) Production in Cross River State, Nigeria

Received: 14 March 2019    Accepted: 1 August 2019    Published: 2 September 2019
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Abstract

The study examined the effect of climatic variations influencing sweet potato production in Cross River State, Nigeria in the 2018 cropping season. The study described the socio-economic characteristics of the sweet potato farmers in the study area, identify major climatic factors influencing sweet potato production in the study area, assessed the perceptions of sweet potato farmers on the effects of climatic variations on sweet potato production, and identified measures adopted by sweet potato farmers to improve on its production in the study area. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 200 respondents for the study. Structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data from the farmers. Frequency tables, percentages, means, chi-square (X2) and the likert scale were used to achieve the study objectives. Findings revealed that 62% of the respondents were males, 67% of them were between 21-50 years of age while 61% are married. It also indicated that, 54% had a household size of 1-5 persons, 76% had formal education and 63% of them had sweet potato farming experience of between 6-15 years. On climate variation influence, the study revealed that 76% of the respondents agreed that they perceived climate variation effects on their sweet potato farms. The chi-square results showed that there were perceived significant (p<0.05) climate influence on sweet potato production in the study area. The major climatic elements observed to express serious constraints in sweet potato production in the area were rainfall, temperature, sunshine, relative humidity and flooding as these variables created problems ranging from irregular rainfall pattern, rotting of sweet potato tubers, low soil moisture, early or late cessation of rainfall, water-logging, flooding and erosion. Remedial measures on climate variation influences include; inter-crop sweet potato with other crops, plant sweet potato on ridges and on big mounds, plant early maturity sweet potato and disease resistant varieties. The study recommends that the farmers should adopt cultural farming practices like mulching to conserve the soil moisture, plant tolerant and improved resistant varieties of sweet potato to drought while irrigation scheme for water supply be provided to ensure water supply to the crop at appropriate time.

DOI 10.11648/j.ajere.20190403.15
Published in American Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics (Volume 4, Issue 3, September 2019)
Page(s) 116-120
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Climate Influence, Sweet Potato Production, Remedial Measures

References
[1] Food and Agriculture Organization Statistics (2009). FAOS tatistics. http://faostat.fao.org/site/567/default.aspxancor.
[2] Goldsworthy PR, Fisher NM (1984). Thephysiology of tropical field crops. A Wiley Inter-science Publication, Chichester, New York.
[3] Esan and Omilani (2018). Assessment of four Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) varieties for adapatibility and productivity in Iwo, Osun State. Asian Journal of Agricultural and Horticultural Research. 1 (1): 1-8, 2018; Article no. AJAHR. 39429.
[4] Stathers, T., Namanda, S., Mwanga, Rom-Khisa, G. and Kapinga, R. (2005). Manual for sweet potato integrated production and pest management of farmer field schools in sub-Saharan Africa. International Potato Center, Kampala, Uganda.
[5] MOFINEWS (2004). Why agriculture in Cross River State: Producing milk and honey for the nation. A B1–Monthly Journal of Finance Incorporated, Calabar Cross River State, Nigeria July – August 2004. vol. 3 No. 6 pp 4-5.
[6] Oniah, M. O, Enya, V. E, Agba, O and Odey, S. O (2007). Analysis of the effects of farm size, labour and capital resources on sweet potato output in Central and Northern Senatorial District of Cross River State, Nigeria. Journal of Agriculture, Forestry and Social Sciences (JOAFES), Vol. 5 No. 3 Pp 58-63.
[7] Food and Agriculture Organisation FAO (2010). Food security and Agricultural Mitigation in Developing Countries. FAO Year Book, 2010. Rome.
[8] Ogbiji, J. E and Oniah, M. O. (2014). Managing education for food security in Nigeria: A case study of sweet potato farmers in Obubra Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. Journal of Education and Practice, 5 (6): 161-166.
[9] Spore (2019). Weather forecasts: Helping farmers win their battle against climate change. Scaling a higher priority for agriculture. CTANo. 191, December 2018-February 2019.
[10] Oluwasegun, O. A and J. M. Olaniran (2010). Effects of Temporal Changes in Climate Variables on Crop Production in Tropical sub-humid South-western Nigeria. African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 4 (8): 500-505.
[11] Oniah, M. O., Kuye, O. O., Ettah, O. I.&Okon, C. I. (2016). Effects of climate variation on yam production in Obubra Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. Proceedings of the 17th Annual National Conference of National Association of Agricultural Economists (NAAE), 30th Nov. to 3rd Dec. 2016, Owerri. Pp 876-880.
[12] IPCC (2007). Summary for policy makers in climate change 2007: In: Climate change 2007, impact, adaptation and vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group 11 to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on climate change. Cambridge University press Cambridge, UK.
[13] Cross River State Survey Division (2004). Map of Cross River State of Nigeria, Ministry of Works, Calabar.
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    Oniah Monday Olah. (2019). Effects of Climatic Influence on Sweet Potato (Ipomea batatas) Production in Cross River State, Nigeria. American Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics, 4(3), 116-120. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajere.20190403.15

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    ACS Style

    Oniah Monday Olah. Effects of Climatic Influence on Sweet Potato (Ipomea batatas) Production in Cross River State, Nigeria. Am. J. Environ. Resour. Econ. 2019, 4(3), 116-120. doi: 10.11648/j.ajere.20190403.15

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    AMA Style

    Oniah Monday Olah. Effects of Climatic Influence on Sweet Potato (Ipomea batatas) Production in Cross River State, Nigeria. Am J Environ Resour Econ. 2019;4(3):116-120. doi: 10.11648/j.ajere.20190403.15

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajere.20190403.15,
      author = {Oniah Monday Olah},
      title = {Effects of Climatic Influence on Sweet Potato (Ipomea batatas) Production in Cross River State, Nigeria},
      journal = {American Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics},
      volume = {4},
      number = {3},
      pages = {116-120},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajere.20190403.15},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajere.20190403.15},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajere.20190403.15},
      abstract = {The study examined the effect of climatic variations influencing sweet potato production in Cross River State, Nigeria in the 2018 cropping season. The study described the socio-economic characteristics of the sweet potato farmers in the study area, identify major climatic factors influencing sweet potato production in the study area, assessed the perceptions of sweet potato farmers on the effects of climatic variations on sweet potato production, and identified measures adopted by sweet potato farmers to improve on its production in the study area. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 200 respondents for the study. Structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data from the farmers. Frequency tables, percentages, means, chi-square (X2) and the likert scale were used to achieve the study objectives. Findings revealed that 62% of the respondents were males, 67% of them were between 21-50 years of age while 61% are married. It also indicated that, 54% had a household size of 1-5 persons, 76% had formal education and 63% of them had sweet potato farming experience of between 6-15 years. On climate variation influence, the study revealed that 76% of the respondents agreed that they perceived climate variation effects on their sweet potato farms. The chi-square results showed that there were perceived significant (p<0.05) climate influence on sweet potato production in the study area. The major climatic elements observed to express serious constraints in sweet potato production in the area were rainfall, temperature, sunshine, relative humidity and flooding as these variables created problems ranging from irregular rainfall pattern, rotting of sweet potato tubers, low soil moisture, early or late cessation of rainfall, water-logging, flooding and erosion. Remedial measures on climate variation influences include; inter-crop sweet potato with other crops, plant sweet potato on ridges and on big mounds, plant early maturity sweet potato and disease resistant varieties. The study recommends that the farmers should adopt cultural farming practices like mulching to conserve the soil moisture, plant tolerant and improved resistant varieties of sweet potato to drought while irrigation scheme for water supply be provided to ensure water supply to the crop at appropriate time.},
     year = {2019}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Effects of Climatic Influence on Sweet Potato (Ipomea batatas) Production in Cross River State, Nigeria
    AU  - Oniah Monday Olah
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    JF  - American Journal of Environmental and Resource Economics
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    AB  - The study examined the effect of climatic variations influencing sweet potato production in Cross River State, Nigeria in the 2018 cropping season. The study described the socio-economic characteristics of the sweet potato farmers in the study area, identify major climatic factors influencing sweet potato production in the study area, assessed the perceptions of sweet potato farmers on the effects of climatic variations on sweet potato production, and identified measures adopted by sweet potato farmers to improve on its production in the study area. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 200 respondents for the study. Structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data from the farmers. Frequency tables, percentages, means, chi-square (X2) and the likert scale were used to achieve the study objectives. Findings revealed that 62% of the respondents were males, 67% of them were between 21-50 years of age while 61% are married. It also indicated that, 54% had a household size of 1-5 persons, 76% had formal education and 63% of them had sweet potato farming experience of between 6-15 years. On climate variation influence, the study revealed that 76% of the respondents agreed that they perceived climate variation effects on their sweet potato farms. The chi-square results showed that there were perceived significant (p<0.05) climate influence on sweet potato production in the study area. The major climatic elements observed to express serious constraints in sweet potato production in the area were rainfall, temperature, sunshine, relative humidity and flooding as these variables created problems ranging from irregular rainfall pattern, rotting of sweet potato tubers, low soil moisture, early or late cessation of rainfall, water-logging, flooding and erosion. Remedial measures on climate variation influences include; inter-crop sweet potato with other crops, plant sweet potato on ridges and on big mounds, plant early maturity sweet potato and disease resistant varieties. The study recommends that the farmers should adopt cultural farming practices like mulching to conserve the soil moisture, plant tolerant and improved resistant varieties of sweet potato to drought while irrigation scheme for water supply be provided to ensure water supply to the crop at appropriate time.
    VL  - 4
    IS  - 3
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Author Information
  • Department of Agricultural Economics/Extension, Cross River University of Technology (CRUTECH), Obubra Campus, Nigeria

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