The influence of climate change on rural community food crops production pattern in high humid rainforest agroecology in the southern part of Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of climate change on the crop production pattern of the rural community in the southern part of Nigeria. The crop production pattern identified from the survey was multicropping of two or more crop species on the same piece of arable farmland. It was carried out to evaluate the crop species associated with adopted multicropping practice by the community in the face of climate change and classified into foodstuff forms and dietary requirements. Data was collected in wet and dry seasons through a reconnaissance survey of walk-through diagonally and on-the-spot assessment of each of the 22 arable farmlands cultivated for the study and crop species were identified and recorded. The survey revealed 27 crop species in 15 families and the most common crop species planted were Zea mays L., Telfairia occidentalis Hook. f., Manihot esculenta Crantz, and the least been Cucurbita moschata Duchesne, Vigna unguiculata L. It also indicated that the least number of crop species was 3 and the highest 12 per arable farmland. All the crop species identified were later classified into tubers/corms; vegetables; fruits; spices; drugs; grain legumes; soup thickeners and cereals which are the common food classification/dietary combination in the community. Multicropping of crop species on the same piece of arable farmland might be considered a way out of the climate change which has continued to impact crop species yield decline in recent times. This practice necessitated by climate change provided multiple benefits to the farmer’s homestead, community and environment because each crop species require different conditions within the environment, soil nutrients and water to thrive and therefore a balance in the agroecosystems dynamics is sustained. In conclusion, multicropping practice should be encouraged as it provides several benefits to the community resilience, the soil and various organisms that dwell on and in it, the crop species, income, the environment, biodiversity and also varieties of foodstuff which provide the needed dietary food calories in the community.