From Felix Ikem, Nsukka
The Nigeria Institute of Soil Science, (NISS) has trained Registered Soil Scientists in the Southeast zone on new innovations and advances in soil science geared toward helping farmers in the area to improve their productive capacity.
Prof. Charles Asadu, the South East NISS Zonal Coordinator while flagging off the 1-day training workshop on Friday in Nsukka said that the workshop titled; “Capacity Building for Registered Soil Scientist (RSS) on New Innovations and Advances in Soil Science” was sponsored by the institute as part of their effort to ensure food security in the country.
“We are in a changing world and soil scientists cannot be left out because farmers depend 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 sources using eco-friendly agricultural technology, and how mycorrhizal fungi can improve soil health and plant productivity.
“The participants who are registered soil scientists are expected to use the knowledge gained from this workshop to train farmers and extension agents in their areas to improve the efficiency and productivity in agriculture as one of the objectives of NISS is to assist the federal government in achieving food security,” he said.
The coordinator who used the opportunity of the training workshop to highlight the successful activities of the Institute in the southeast zone noted that Farmers and Extension Agents in the area have benefited immensely from the Institution’s training workshop since its inception in the zone.
Prof Peter Ezeaku, Dean Faculty of Agriculture, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), who spoke on the use of machine learning to predict soil properties, and optimize agricultural productivity noted that the 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 may 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 its agriculture will be unwise to ignore it,” Ezeaku asserted.
Also in his presentation on the creation of Eco-friendly Agricultural Technology, Dr. Innocent Onyekwere, the Assistant Director, Farming System Research Programme, National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, advised farmers to use organic amendments for crop production considering its numerous benefits.
He said that the first step in organic manure amendments is to establish the nutrient requirement for the establishment, growth, and yielding of such crop and followed by laboratory analysis.
“Following the laboratory analysis of the organic manure amendments and soil that the crop will be grown, after which the quantity to be applied will be determined before application.
“These steps will give excellent results for sustainable soil fertility and enhanced crop yields.
Assistant Director listed some of the benefits of organic amendments including; being free of methane, free of plant disease-causing pathogens, act as a buffer against drought and flood, among others.
Onyekwere noted 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-gradable content waste such as plant-based materials to decompose and convert organic amendments are examples of Eco-friendly agricultural technology,” he said.
In an interview with some of the participants, they commended NISS for the workshop that equipped them with the necessary technological know-how on how to apply new agricultural innovations.
They promised that they will use the knowledge gained from the workshop to train farmers and extension agents in their various areas to justify the objective of NISS in organising the workshop as well as to contribute their own quota towards achieving food security.