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Grains including wheat, brown rice, millet, oat, and seeds from crops such as pumpkins, almonds, cashew, peas are important staple foods in many parts of the world. Grains and seeds contain proteins and bioactive peptides classified as nutraceuticals. Proteins and peptides are essential components in man’s diet because they provide the raw materials needed for protein biosynthesis and are also a good source of energy. Incorporating grains and seeds into the human diet provide nutritional, functional health benefits, reducing contracting some chronic diseases. They avail the body with a balanced nutrient profile such as carbohydrate, fatty-acid, fibre, B vitamins, minerals and protein. The quest at exploring staples for their functional and health benefits, as well as reducing risks to diseases, has resulted in the investigation of the potentials of grains and seeds, especially the underutilised ones (African yam bean, pigeon pea, Bambara groundnut etc.) for consumption and as an alternative therapy against diseases. This chapter discusses grains and seeds as sources of nutrition protagonist, their nutritive property, health benefits, and the pharmacological properties of bioactive peptides in grains and seeds. However, some under-utilised grain and seed proteins would also be explored for their nutritive potentials.

Aim: Information on the influence of water availability during different seasons of rainfed or irrigated agriculture as it relates to insect pest population build-up in crops could assist in the development of integrated pest management. A study was therefore conducted to investigate effects of spacing, pest infestation and control on cucumber under rainfed and irrigated conditions. Place and Duration of Study: At the Teaching and Research Farm, Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria during the 2016/2017 rainy and dry seasons. Methodology: The experiment was laid out using randomized complete block design (RCBD) in a split-plot arrangement in five replications, with spacing (60 x 60 cm, 60 x 90 cm and 60 x 120 cm) as the main plot treatments and the sub-plot treatments were different pest control strategies. The pest control strategies include synthetic insecticide (Lambda-cyhalothrin), botanical insecticide (Anogeissus leiocarpus) and control. Growth parameters and yield attributes were recorded. Insect pest occurrence, their build-up and percentage infestation on cucumber and the efficacy of the management strategies were monitored. Results: The results showed that yield was enhanced in irrigated system with the widest spacing of 60 x 120 cm botanical treatment interaction. Bemisia tabaci was the most prominent insect pest attacking cucumber under irrigated system. Conclusion: Other cultural control practices such as the use of trap crops with little or no financial implication should also be added to botanical pesticides as an integrated pest management tactic for effective management and control of the pest.

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Aim: This study was conducted to investigate the economic implication years after an outbreak of armyworm among the smallholding farmers in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Methodology: A combination of purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to select 60 respondents in four communities of the State. Thematic information from the semi-structured questionnaire related to the socio-economic characteristics of respondents, their enterprise characteristics, farmers’ perception of significant constraints militating against maize production in the study area, as well as the efficacy of management strategies adopted by the respondents. Data was analyzed with descriptive statistics and Tobit regression. Results: The study revealed that maize farming was mostly on smallholdings owned by males within the active age of 35 years. These farmers practised mixed cropping system whereby maize is planted with other crops in a shifting cultivation pattern. Also, the respondents identified lack of inputs, lack of fund and credit facilities, climate change, disease and pest outbreak, inadequate storage and processing facilities, and imperfect information dissemination as significant constraints militating against self-sufficiency in maize production. The most debilitating of these constraints was the outbreak of the Fall armyworm, which ravaged maize farms. Information gathered revealed that higher percentages of the respondents combated this notorious pest with the use of synthetic chemicals alongside other management approaches. The result of the gross margin revealed that net return per hectare to maize production was N27, 510. The Tobit results revealed that only pests’ infestation in the previous year and age were significant with maize output loss. Conclusion: The Fall armyworm outbreak resulted in an economic downturn for maize farmers in Ekiti State.