Ansalem Udealor Ph.D

Programme Co-ordinator

ansudealor@yahoo.com

The development of Farming Systems Research Programme dated as far back as the establishment of Agricultural Extension Research Liaison Services (AERLS) at IAR, Zaria. The farming Systems Research Programme (FSRP) as it is known today in the Institute assumes its  present   status from  the  erstwhile   Cropping  Systems  Research Programme in 1982. The Programme at inception was initially saddled with the responsibility to conduct research in the areas of fallow management and soil fertility maintenance using cover crops.However, the responsibilities of FSRP have evolved over time. With the establishment of WestAfrican Farming Systems Research Network (WAFSRN) and Nigerian Farming Systems Research Network (WAFSRN) in 1982 and 1987 respectively, with funding from Ford Foundation; the country was delineated into 5 agro-ecological zones and the FSRP given additional responsibility of Coordinating FSR and E activities within the S.E agro-ecology. Between 1997 and 1998 with the World Bank funded Nationally Coordinated Research Project (NARP), the FSR and E approach was amalgamated with the training and visit (T & V) extension approach to assume the Research Extension Farmer Input linkage Systems (REFILS) with the activities and mode of operation of the former and latter approaches being the same.

ACTIVITIES /MANDATES OF FARMING SYSTEMS RESEARCH PROGRAMME

• ·   Diagnostic survey of the farming systems of the zone to obtain information on status of agricultural activities and to identify production       construals and opportunities.

• ·     Conduct of Up-stream (On-station) research   to tailor down commodity research results to suit farmers conditions.

• ·     Conduct Down-stream (On-farm) research (both research –managed (OFR) and farmer-managed/on-farm Adaptive Research (OFAR).

• ·   Conduct monthly Technology Review Meetings (MTRMs), where scientists from research institutes and universities train the Subject matter specialists (SMSs) of the state Agricultural Development  Programmes on improved technologies.

• ·     Fortnightly Trainings (FNT), where the SMSs train the village level extension agent on the improved technologies they learnt at the MTRM.

• ·     Joint Scientific Field Evaluation.

• ·     Steering Committee Meetings.

• ·     Technical Coordination Committee Meetings.

• ·     Annual Zonal Workshops Targeted Farmer Trainings.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Development  and transfer of production packages-  crop varieties ,optimum spacing, population, optimum rate and time for fertilizer application, weed control measures and crop compatibilities, staking methods in yam based systems, harvesting –for maximum productivity of the following technologies.

• Yam/Maize/Cassava alternate row arrangement
• Yam/Maize/Egusi/cassava
• Cassava/maize/ Egusi intercrop
• Cassava/vegetable cowpea  intercrop
• Cocoyam Telfairia/Cassava
• Cocoyam minisett/maize/garden egg
• Cocoyam/Maize/Telfairia or Okro
• Sweet Potato/cassava/Maize
• Late Cassava /Maize/Cowpea
• Yam minisett/intercropping packages
• Yam minisett/Maize
• Yam minisett/Cowpea
• Weed control in root and tuber crops-based mixtures:
• Biological Weed Control – Use of Low Growing Crops, Egusi, Cowpea (grain and vegetable cowpeas) and Sweet  Potato
• Chemical Weed Control – Use of Appropriate Herbicides. E.g. pre-emergence application of atrazine + metachlor (1.5+ 1.5 kg a.1/ha) in Yam/Maize Cassava; pre-emergence application of chloramben (3.4 kg a.i. /ha) in Sweet potato/maize; pre-emergence application of flumeturon alachlor ( 2.5 + 2.0 kg a.l/ha) in Yam/Maize
• Fertilizer use: Fertilizer rate for Yam/Maize/Cassava/Telferia (600 kg/ha)
• Cocoyam/maize /pigeon pea at 2.0m inter-row and 1.0 intra-row spacing.
• Development of complementary use of both cassava composite root meal and cassava composite meal with commercial feed in the feeding of broilers and laying birds.

Staff Disposition

For further details contact:

The Executive Director,

National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike

KM 8, Umuahia - Ikot Ekpene Road, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria.

Email: nrcriumudike@nrcri.org

or

The Coordinator, Farming Systems Research Programme

National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike

e-mail: ansudealor@yahoo.com

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