This study was carried out to analyzed the resource-use efficiency of maize production in Lere local government area of Kaduna state. Data were collected from a sample of 100 maize farmers selected through multi-stage sampling procedure using questionnaire and data collected were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics, production function and marginal value productivity analysis. The result showed that 82% were in their working age of between 21-50 years, majority of the farmers 53% were married, 91% had formal education, in terms of farming experience, majority (68%) of the respondent had farming experience that is above one year. The linear function gave the best fit with R2 of 70.2%. Production inputs such as fertilizer and agrochemicals significantly influence maize output in the study area.  Maize production in the study area has an increasing return to scale from the sum of elasticity of production (20.439). Land, labour, fertilizer, seed and agrochemicals were underutilized in maize production. Profit could be enhanced by increasing the quantity used of land, labour, fertilizer, seed and agrochemicals inputs, as well as their timely supply. It is also recommended that  financial support  in term of accessibility to credit facilities at low interest rate be given to farmers to allow them increase output and total revenue.

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of 45 minutes Boiled Mucuna Seed Meal (BMSM) on the growth performance and nutrient digestibility of broiler finisher chicks. In a four-week feeding trial, three hundred and fifteen (315),4-week old broiler chicks were  randomly allocated to five experimental treatment diets in a completely randomized design (CRD). Each treatment was replicated thrice having twenty-one (21) birds per pen. Boiled Mucuna seed meal was prepared and fed in graded levels of 0.0% (control diet), 10.0%, 20.0%, 30.0%, and 40.0%BMSM. Feed and water were given to the birds ad libitum. The parameters measured and calculated include final weight, weight gain, feed intake, feed to gain ratio and feed cost per kilogram gain. Digestibility of dry matter, crude protein; crude fibre, ash, nitrogen free extract and ether extract were also determined. The data collected were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed that dietary levels of inclusion of BMSM had significant (P<0.05) effect on these parameters. The final weight, the weight gain and feed intake of the birds fed 0.0%, 10.0% and 20.0%BMSM were statistically (P>0.05) similar and significantly (P<0.05) higher than those of other treatments. Cost of feed per birds and feed cost per kilogram gain were lower for all BMSB diets.Digestibility of nutrients was better for the birds fed the control,10.0 and 20.0%BMSM based diets. It was concluded that inclusion of BMSM in the diets of broiler finisher chicks up to20% has no deleterious effect on growth performance and nutrient digestibility of the birds.     Cette étude a été réalisée pour évaluer l'effet de 45 minutes de farine de graines de Mucuna (le 'BMSM') bouillie sur la performance de croissance et la digestibilité des éléments nutritifs des poussins finisseurs de poulet à griller. Dans un teste d'alimentation de quatre semaines, trois cent quinze (315), poussins de poulet de griller de 4 semaines ont été aléatoirement attribués à cinq régimes expérimentaux de traitement dans une conception complètement randomisée (le 'CRD'). Chaque traitement a été reproduit trois fois avec vingt et un (21) oiseaux par enclos. Le repas bouilli de graine de Mucuna a été préparé et alimenté dans les niveaux classés de 0.0% (régime de contrôle), 10.0%, 20.0%, 30.0%, et 40.0%BMSM. L'alimentation et l'eau ont été données aux oiseaux ad libitum. Les paramètres mesurés et calculés comprennent le poids final, le gain de poids, la prise d'aliments pour animaux, le rapport alimentation/gain et le coût des aliments pour animaux par gain kilogramme. La digestibilité de la matière sèche, protéines brutes; des fibres brutes, des cendres, de l'extrait sans azote et de l'extrait d'éther ont également été déterminés. Les données recueillies ont fait l'objet d'une analyse de la variance (ANOVA). Les résultats ont montré que les niveaux diététiques d'inclusion de 'BMSM' ont eu un effet significatif (P<0.05) sur ces paramètres. Le poids final, le gain de poids et la prise d'alimentation des oiseaux nourris 0.0%, 10.0% et 20.0%BMSM étaient statistiquement (P>0.05) semblables et significativement (P<0.05) plus élevés que ceux des autres traitements. Le coût de l'alimentation animale par oiseau et le coût de l'alimentation par kilogramme étaient inférieurs pour tous les régimes BMSB. La digestibilité des éléments nutritifs était meilleure pour les oiseaux alimentés le contrôle,10.0 et 20.0% BMSM régimes à base. Il a été conclu que l'inclusion du BMSM dans l'alimentation des poussins finisseurs de poulet de gril jusqu'à 20 % n'a aucun effet délétère sur la performance de croissance et la digestibilité des oiseaux en matière d'éléments nutritifs.

The study investigated the awareness and level of adoption of aquaculture management techniques in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. Purposive and random sampling techniques were adopted to select 60 fish farmers from the study area and data were collected from the fish farmers with the aid of well structured questionnaire administered to them face to face by the researchers and some trained enumerators. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as means score, percentage, tables, Likert scale and multiple regression analysis. The findings indicated that majority (60.00%) of the respondents were male, while 95.00% of the farmers were between the age of 21-60 years with 91.67% of the fish farmers educated and 61.67% of fish farmer are highly experienced with 6 years and above. The findings also revealed that majority of the farmers are aware of aquaculture management techniques in the study area with 70.00% getting information on these techniques from extension agents followed by 55.00% who relied on other fish farmers for relevant information about fish farming. The Likert scale result revealed that thirteen out of twenty – one aquaculture management techniques postulated were adopted while eight were not adopted implying that 61.90% of the postulated techniques were adopted by the fish farmers in the study area. The result of the regression analysis showed that level of awareness of techniques; access to credit facility and number of contact with extension agent were the three factors influencing adoption of aquaculture management techniques by the fish farmers in the study area. Lack of credits/ fund to adopt improved practice (75.00%), expensiveness of techniques (55.00%), complexity of techniques (55.00%), and lack of support from the government (51.67%), lack of adequate and proper information on these techniques (50.00%), lack of training (45.00%) and lack of awareness (33.33%) were identified as constraints affecting adoption of aquaculture management techniques in the study area. In conclusion, the study revealed that the farmers were aware and adopted good numbers of the aquaculture management techniques introduced to them The study recommends that farmers should establish cooperative society so that they can pool their resources and knowledge together in solving most of the problems identified.

Aims: This study examined the contribution of home gardening to household food security in IgabI Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. Study Design: The study was designed to collect data from 120 home gardeners using well structured questionnaire and personal interview of the gardeners by the researchers. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria between June to July, 2019. Methodology: Multi-stage, purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used to select 120 respondents. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as means, frequency distribution, table, percentage and Likert – scale. Results: The results showed male (65.83%) in their active age (87.50% are within the age range of 21-50 years) and highly educated (92.50%) with good number of years of experience in home gardening, (80% had over 5years of experience) dominated the practice of home gardening in the study area. The study also revealed that they produced many types of crops, about 32. The most popular crops cultivated were; tomato 91.67%),cowpea(87.50%),groundnut(82.50%),okra(75.00%), pumpkin (70.83%), spinach (70.83%) maize(56.67%),millet(56.67%),sorghum(51.67%), pepper (50.00%) and sweet potato (50.00%).The Likert--scale  result showed that all the home gardeners household were food secure and the study established that home gardening does not only  contribute to their house hold food supply but also their income. However the home gardening in the study area is faced with problems such as pests attack and diseases infestation (80.00%) and lack of farm inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides and farm tools(75.00 %). Conclusion: The study revealed that home gardening contributed significantly to the household food security. It is therefore important to integrate home gardening into our farming system been a good tool for achieving food security among households and people  should also be sensitize to utilize empty plots  of land around their homestead for home gardens.

Corn as a staple farm produce are usually harvested at a point or time when the moisture content is more than 25% (wet.basis).,and therefore, it is easily attacked by fungi and other diseases causing organism and even physical damage, thereby reducing the market value of the crop.  Drying must be carried out on those products to prevent deterioration. The objectives of this research are to develop a device that can reduce the moisture content of corn using electronic components and equally carryout evaluation on the device.  Shelled corns with initial moisture content of between 25-30% (w.b.) is the major material used in this research work. A Heating element incorporated in the device supplied the needed heat which was delivered to the drying chamber by the help of a centrifugal blower. The drying experiment was carried out at three different temperature thus; 45 oC, 55 oC and 65oC. The moisture content at this varying temperature was used to determine the drying rate and the drying efficiency. The results showed clearly that the dryer air temperature affect the drying rate, the efficiency of drying, and the quality of the material. It is equally clear that the best drying rate and temperature is  65oC average 4,95% / hour, high efficient at drying temperature 55oC and 65oC equal to 86,27% and 83,51%, and best material quality with dryer temperature 55oC.