Pesticides are known human and environmental toxicants, with an estimated 3 million cases of pesticide poisoning happening every year globally, resulting in more than 250,000 deaths. According to the existing literature, different pesticides groups are readily used among farmers in Nigeria. With recent developments around commercial farming, crop damage from pests, etc., this has led to higher consumption of pesticides among the farming community. The lack of product knowledge and safety awareness among this group further exposes them to the effects of pesticides. The study aims to measure Northern Nigerian farmers’ safety knowledge, awareness, and practices related to pesticide application. A cross-sectional study using an online survey questionnaire was adopted to generate responses from 524 farmers across the north-central and northeastern region of the country. Farmers’ attitudes towards pesticide use were driven by high crop yield, as 35.4% strongly agree that pesticide use is indispensable for high crop yield. The frequent use of empty pesticide containers for other secondary uses on the farm or at home, as confirmed by 30.6% of the participants, also presents safety and health concerns. Farmers’ age (p > 0.038) influenced pesticide containers use for other secondary purposes. In contrast, education attainment (p < 0.001) significantly influenced the use of pesticide containers for other farm or domestic uses. Farmers’ safety behaviours are influenced by socioeconomic factors, including educational level, age, and years of farm practice experience. The study concludes on the need to develop an approach that will help strengthen capacity-building programmes and enhance knowledge base initiatives around the adoption of non-synthetic pesticides.

This study investigated the physical and combustion properties of briquettes produced from agricultural wastes (groundnut shells and corn cobs), wood residues (Anogeissus leiocarpus), and mixture of the particles at 15%, 20%, and 25% starch levels (binder). A 6 × 3 factorial experiments in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was adopted for the study. The briquettes produced were analyzed for density, volatile matter, ash content, fixed carbon, and specific heat of combustion. The result revealed that the density ranged from 0.44 g/cm3 to 0.53 g/cm3, while briquettes produced from groundnut shells had the highest (0.53 g/cm3) significant mean density. Mean volatile matter and ash content of the briquettes ranged from 24.35% to 34.95% and 3.37% to 4.91%. A. leiocarpus and corn cobs particles had the lowest and highest ash content, respectively. The briquette fixed carbon and specific heat of combustion ranged from 61.68% to 68.97% and 7362 kcal/kg to 8222 kcal/kg, respectively. Briquette produced from A. leiocarpus particles had the highest specific heat of combustion. In general, briquettes produced from A. leiocarpus particles and mixture of groundnut shell and A. leiocarpus particles at 25% starch level had better quality in terms of density and combustion properties and thus are suitable as an environmentally friendly alternative energy source.

The study focused on the profitability of pigeon pea production in Riyom LGA of Plateau State. Data for the study were obtained from both primary and secondary sources. Questionnaires were administered to 80 targeted farmers to get information on their socio-economic characteristics, years of experience in pigeon pea production and the reason for growing pigeon pea. The analytical tool used includes descriptive statistics to analyze the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers and farm budgeting technique (gross margin analysis) for assessing the profitability of pigeon pea production. The study also identified the constraints encountered by farmers such as high cost of labour, inadequate processing / storage facilities, problems of access to credit/loans and weed/pest infestation. The results shows that pigeon pea production is profitable with a total variable cost (TVC) at N22620.68 per ha, while gross revenue (GR) was N50185.25 per ha, the profit margin (GM) at N32564.59 and the net return per Naira invested was N0.69. It was recommended that farm inputs and improved seed varieties should be made available to farmers at affordable rates so as to enable them operate at a commercial and profitable level of pigeon pea production. These farmers should be encouraged to form a cooperative society so as to alleviate the problem of credit/ loan acquisition and procurement of genuine products as well as avoid exploitation.

This study investigated the physical and combustion properties of briquettes produced from agricultural wastes (groundnut shells and corn cobs), wood residues (Anogeissus leiocarpus) and admixtures of the particles at 15%, 20% and 25% starch levels (binder). A 6 x 3 factorial experiments in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was adopted for the study. The briquettes produced were analyzed for density, volatile matter, ash content, fixed carbon and specific heat of combustion. The result revealed that the density ranged from 0.44g/cm3 to 0.53g/cm3, while briquettes produced from groundnut shells had the highest (0.53g/cm3) significant mean density. Mean volatile matter and ash content of the briquettes ranged from 24.35% to 34.95% and 3.37% to 4.91%. A. leiocarpus and corn cobs particles had the lowest and highest ash content respectively. The briquette fixed carbon and specific heat of combustion ranged from 61.68% to 68.97% and 7362kca/kg to 8222kca/kg respectively. Briquette produced from A. leiocarpus particles had the highest specific heat of combustion. In general, briquettes produced from A. leiocarpus particles and admixture of groundnut shell and A. leiocarpus particles at 25% starch level had better quality in terms of density and combustion properties and thus suitable as environmentally friendly alternative energy source.

Introduction: Because of the longer growing season and warmer climate, weeds and insect pests spread are on the rise, thereby increasing the demand for pesticide use and consequently harmful emissions that further exacerbate climate change. Unsafe occupational exposure to pesticide residue is associated with a lack of product knowledge and safety awareness among farmers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study design was adopted for this study in which a face-to-face administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 285 respondents who were selected using convenient snowball sampling technique. Knowledge, awareness, and practices related to pesticide storage, handling, application, and containers disposal among the farmers were measured. Categorical variables were analysed and presented using descriptive statistics in the form of frequency count and percentage, while numeric items were summarized using mean and standard deviation. Results: Dichlorvos and Perfekthion 2.5 EC listed in the WHO Group I pesticide classification were among the most frequently used pesticides. Symptoms of pesticide intoxication reported include headaches (56.1%), dizziness (56.5%), skin irritation (53.3%), and fatigue (45.6%), respectively. Farmers’ behaviour during pesticide application include blowing clogged nozzle with mouth (42.7%), talking while spraying (59.8%), and mixing pesticide with bare hands (31.1%). Furthermore, 38.5% of them use pesticide containers for other domestic purposes. Conclusions: Socioeconomic factors, i.e., educational level, age, and years of farm practice, influenced farmers safety behaviour. Based on these findings, an approach that will help strengthen capacity building programmes and the enhancement of knowledge-based initiatives around the adoption of non-synthetic pest-control methods should be encouraged.