BY SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
The Nigeria Institute of Soil Science, (NISS) has trained Registered Soil Scientists in South East zone on new innovations in soil science geared toward helping farmers in the area to improve their productivity.
Professor Charles Asadu, Coordinator, NISS South East Zone, said this in Nsukka at the weekend during a one-day conference in Nsukka on Friday.
The training workshop entitled: “Capacity Building for Registered Soil Scientist on New Innovations and Advances in Soil Science” was organised by the Institute as part of its efforts to improve agriculture in the country.
He said that in the changing world, Soil Scientists cannot be left out because farmers depends on them for improving their productive capacity and efficiency.
“Today the participants have been trained on the use of machine learning to predict soil properties and optimize agricultural productivity.
“The creation of new organic amendments from sustainable plant source using eco-friendly agricultural technology and how mycrorhizal fungi can improve soil health and plant productivity.
The Coordinator said that participants who are registered soil scientists were expected to use the knowledge gained in the workshop to train farmers and extension agents in their areas.
“One of the objectives of NISS is to assist Federal Government in achieving food security,” he said.
Asadu while highlighting activities of the Institute in Southeast zone noted that farmers and extension agents in the area have benefited immensely in NISS many training workshops.
Professor Peter Ezeaku, Dean Faculty of Agriculture, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), a resource person, spoke on the use of machine learning to predict soil properties said the aim was to optimize agricultural productivity .
Ezeaku noted that, most common parameters that affect machine learning performance could help to select the optimal strategy for a particular research task in soil study.
“The comparative influence on the machine learning techniques and their parameters showed that they can increase or decrease the overall soil analysis accuracy.
“Machine learning technologies are making significant impacts in agriculture, so any country that is desirous of improving it’s agriculture will be unwise to ignore it,” Ezeaku said.
Also speaking on the creation of Eco-friendly Agricultural Technology, Dr Innocent Onyekwere, the Assistant Director, Farming System Research Programme, National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, Abia State.
Onyekere advised farmers to always use organic amendments for crop production considering it’s numerous benefits.
He said that the first step in organic amendment (manure) is to establish nutrient requirement for the growth and yield of such crop and followed by laboratory analysis.
“Following the laboratory analysis of the organic amendments and soil that the crop will grown on , after which the quantity to be applied will be determined before application.
“This steps will give excellent results for sustainable soil fertility and enhanced crop yeild if followed very well
The Assistant Director listed some of the benefits of organic amendments to include; free of methane, free of plants disease causing pathogens, act as buffer against drought and flood, among others.
Onyekwere said that Eco-friendly Agricultural Technology can be referred to as clean technology that uses green renewable energy to convert plant residues to organic amendments at zero carbon emission.
“Eco-friendly agricultural technology can help preserve the environment through energy efficiency and reduction of harmful waste.
Recycling, renewing and reusing bio-degradable content waste such as plant-based materials to decomposed and convert organic amendments are example of Eco-friendly agricultural technology,” he said.
Some of the participants who spoke to newsmen, commended NISS for organizing the workshop that have equipped them with the knowledge on how to apply new agricultural innovations in their area.
The participants promised that they would use the knowledge gained from the workshop to train farmers and extension agents the their areas.
They said this would justify the aim of NISS in organising the workshop as well as enable them to contribute their quota towards achieving food security in the country .
BY SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
The Nigeria Institute of Soil Science, (NISS) has trained Registered Soil Scientists in South East zone on new innovations in soil science geared toward helping farmers in the area to improve their productivity.
Professor Charles Asadu, Coordinator, NISS South East Zone, said this in Nsukka at the weekend during a one-day conference in Nsukka on Friday.
The training workshop entitled: “Capacity Building for Registered Soil Scientist on New Innovations and Advances in Soil Science” was organised by the Institute as part of its efforts to improve agriculture in the country.
He said that in the changing world, Soil Scientists cannot be left out because farmers depends on them for improving their productive capacity and efficiency.
“Today the participants have been trained on the use of machine learning to predict soil properties and optimize agricultural productivity.
“The creation of new organic amendments from sustainable plant source using eco-friendly agricultural technology and how mycrorhizal fungi can improve soil health and plant productivity.
The Coordinator said that participants who are registered soil scientists were expected to use the knowledge gained in the workshop to train farmers and extension agents in their areas.
“One of the objectives of NISS is to assist Federal Government in achieving food security,” he said.
Asadu while highlighting activities of the Institute in Southeast zone noted that farmers and extension agents in the area have benefited immensely in NISS many training workshops.
Professor Peter Ezeaku, Dean Faculty of Agriculture, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), a resource person, spoke on the use of machine learning to predict soil properties said the aim was to optimize agricultural productivity .
Ezeaku noted that, most common parameters that affect machine learning performance could help to select the optimal strategy for a particular research task in soil study.
“The comparative influence on the machine learning techniques and their parameters showed that they can increase or decrease the overall soil analysis accuracy.
“Machine learning technologies are making significant impacts in agriculture, so any country that is desirous of improving it’s agriculture will be unwise to ignore it,” Ezeaku said.
Also speaking on the creation of Eco-friendly Agricultural Technology, Dr Innocent Onyekwere, the Assistant Director, Farming System Research Programme, National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, Abia State.
Onyekere advised farmers to always use organic amendments for crop production considering it’s numerous benefits.
He said that the first step in organic amendment (manure) is to establish nutrient requirement for the growth and yield of such crop and followed by laboratory analysis.
“Following the laboratory analysis of the organic amendments and soil that the crop will grown on , after which the quantity to be applied will be determined before application.
“This steps will give excellent results for sustainable soil fertility and enhanced crop yeild if followed very well
The Assistant Director listed some of the benefits of organic amendments to include; free of methane, free of plants disease causing pathogens, act as buffer against drought and flood, among others.
Onyekwere said that Eco-friendly Agricultural Technology can be referred to as clean technology that uses green renewable energy to convert plant residues to organic amendments at zero carbon emission.
“Eco-friendly agricultural technology can help preserve the environment through energy efficiency and reduction of harmful waste.
Recycling, renewing and reusing bio-degradable content waste such as plant-based materials to decomposed and convert organic amendments are example of Eco-friendly agricultural technology,” he said.
Some of the participants who spoke to newsmen, commended NISS for organizing the workshop that have equipped them with the knowledge on how to apply new agricultural innovations in their area.
The participants promised that they would use the knowledge gained from the workshop to train farmers and extension agents the their areas.
They said this would justify the aim of NISS in organising the workshop as well as enable them to contribute their quota towards achieving food security in the country .
Editor
- Editor
Editor
Jude Ossai (JP) a veteran journalist is a National Diploma holder in Mass Communication from Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State. He also studied at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu and Imo State University, Owerri for his first and second degrees in Mass Communication, respectively.
He writes extensively on politics, crime, corruption, climate change, healthcare, human rights, social justice, among others.
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Jude Ossai (JP) a veteran journalist is a National Diploma holder in Mass Communication from Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State. He also studied at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu and Imo State University, Owerri for his first and second degrees in Mass Communication, respectively.
He writes extensively on politics, crime, corruption, climate change, healthcare, human rights, social justice, among others.
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