The study aimed at assessing rice farmers agricultural information needs and the constraints faced in sourcing for information. Primary data were collected through field survey from 5 out of 8 Local Government Areas (LGA) in Zone 1 of Niger State Agricultural development Programme (NSADP) where lowland rice is a major crop. From each of the LGAs, two villages were randomly selected and one farmers group were randomly selected per village. From a total of 234 farmers a total of 186 farmers were interviewed representing 80% of the population. Result of data analysis, revealed that about 73% of the respondents usually seek for information from extension agents. Majority (72.7%) of farmers seek for information from the extension agents and 37% preferred that information be packaged as audio cassette. Major constraints include lack of funds to acquire information (54.3%) and language barrier (50.5%). The result of the study also indicates a significant relationship between information type and preferred information package (X 2 = 27.96; p < 0.05), readiness to pay for information package (X 2 =67.45;p < 05) and constraint ((X 2 =33.28;p < 05). No significant relationship between information type and, age (X 2 =0.001;p < 05) , educational level (X 2 =1.59;p < 05), sex (X 2 =1.31;p < 05) and ownership of telephone (X 2 =0.48;p < 05). The data generated will assist in the implementation of the Nigerian Question and Answer Service (NAQAS) under the auspices of National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services, supported by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation in providing information in all aspects of agriculture on demand to farmers.

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The present study described the relationship between growth and soil physico‐chemical properties in Eucalyptus camaldulensis (Myrtaceae) and Pinus caribaea (Pinaceae), two important species in Nigerian forest recovery programs. The study sites were located in a 17‐year‐old plantation in a Northern Nigeria forest reserve. The soils at the study sites were nutrient poor compared with other plantations. Growth of E. camaldulensis was positively correlated with exchangeable K content in soils 0–20 cm deep, and negatively correlated with total N and exchangeable Na in soils 20–150 cm deep. Growth of P. caribaea was positively correlated with available P in soils 0–20 cm deep, and volumetric water content in soils 20–150 cm deep. Soils in the top layers were very hard and plinthite layers were well developed at shallow soil depths at most sites. E. camaldulensis exhibited a comparatively high survival rate, and its growth was comparable to that in other plantations. However, the survival rates of P. caribaea were low and its growth was lower than that in other plantations. The survival rate of E. camaldulensis was lower at sites where plinthite layers were found within 50.8 cm of the surface. These results indicated that E. camaldulensis is suitable for afforestation in Northern Nigeria. However, it is not recommended for sites where the plinthite layer occurs at shallow soil depths.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the soil quality of a small inland valley watershed in the Sahel zone of Niger, West Africa. The physical, biological, and chemical properties of the soil were characterized. Longitudinal and transverse sections of two transect lines were surveyed in the benchmark Matankari watershed (BMW). Soil samples were taken along these transect lines. The BMW consists of four geographical units: plateau, slope, plain, and basin. The plateau is made up of tertiary muddy sand stone (TMSS), while the slope is made up of sand cover. The basin is a unique site holding runoff water and eroded materials that accumulate from the upper geographical units. The analytical results revealed that the physical, biological, and chemical fertility parameters of the soils along the longitudinal transect line are quite low, as this is the section across the bottom of the BMW where a wadi is present. The soil fertility properties along the transverse transect line are better than along the longitudinal transect line. However, the soil fertility of all sites on the plain is quite low due to the high percentage of sand (>95%). The soils on the plateau and basin in particular have much better fertility properties than other sites because these soils have a high percentage of clay as well as high TC and TN content, indicating that there is some organic matter accumulation in these soils. Therefore, these geographical units in particular are not only suitable for cultivation, but they also may contribute to reduce the adverse effect on the soil and the environment with the proper application of ecologically adaptive technology. In the long run, this study can provide basic information regarding indigenous knowledge of the BMW, including ethnopedology and ethnobotany, to promote the development of such ecotechnology for sustainable agriculture in this region.

The objective of this study is to evaluate an indigenous knowledge of the soil in conformation with scientific data. A benchmark watershed was selected near Matankari village, Dosso