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PART 2
BENSON IDAHOSA UNIVERSITY TEACHING AND RESEARCH FARM
Abstract
This chapter covers a 4 month S I W E S experience and the job description of work done
...
My training began 14/09/2015
...

In this session I explore the following concepts:




Brooding management (broiler)
Routine poultry house cleaning, feeding
...


Brooding management is the management of day old chicks from week 1 – week 8
...

This management stage is very important because the birds are fragile and highly susceptible to
infection and require proper care
...

Brooding materials






Brooding table
Fire lamp or stove or charcoal
Electric bulb
Small sized feeders
Nylon
1






Vaccines
Disinfectant
Flat or small sized drinkers
Wood shavings

Four days to the arrival of the birds, I carried out the following activities;






I removed all unwanted materials such as dust, soil, organic materials such as droppings,
blood in the poultry farm
...
Wet cleaning using warm water, soap, and brush for scrubbing and
disinfection
...

Provide small flat drinkers and small sized feeders
...


Arrival day








Four hours before the arrival, put on the fire lamp and prepare the vaccine
...

Count the chicks and keep records
...

Wait for some time to allow the chicks to drink water and keep feed in a chick feeding
tray
...

For the first 3 days watch the chicks at 2-3 hours interval whether they have taken feed
and water
...

The use of supplemental feeder trays at placement is recommended to help chicks get off
to the best start possible
...

Thereafter, feeders should be raised incrementally throughout the growing period so that
the lip of the trough is level with the birds back at all times
...

2



Cover the brooding house with nylon
...

Evening is the best time to observe the chicks and make temperature adjustment
...
Therefore, use the behavior of chicks as a
guide
...


Source of heating


Electric lamps (250 watts)

I administered the following vaccines

Age / week

Vaccine

Mode
of administration

Day 10

Gumboro (1st dose)
against gumboro disease

Drinking water

Day 18

Gumboro (2nd dose)
against gumboro disease

Drinking water

3 weeks

Lasota (1st dose) against Drinking water
lasota disease

3

CROP PRODUCTION TECHNIQUE
Crop production techniques refer to the various methods of growing crops
...
On this land, I practiced
intercropping of the following crops listed below
...


Techniques
In this session I explore the following agronomic practices:









Land preparation
...

Planting
...

Field maintenance
...

Fertilizer application
...


Land preparation
Land preparation involves one or more tillage operations to make the soil more suitable for
seeding and seedling (or transplant) establishment and to provide the best soil structure for root
growth and development
...

 Pepper transplant
Although pepper may be seeded directly in the field but this wasn’t so
...
Typically, I transplanted five to six week old Capsicum annumm seedlings
4

into the field, 30 in number on 26/10/2015
...

 Pawpaw transplant
Papaya trees are very vulnerable to shock after transplant
...
Papaya trees should
be transplanted without injury to their root systems
...
I
...
However, a heavy rainfall can make a
difference
...

Step 1
During a rainy day, I selected papaya trees that are transplantable
...
E
...
shovel
...

I noticed the movement of soil-borne insects (earthworms)
...

Step 4
I separated the papaya seedling plants carefully without causing too much damage to their roots
...


5

Step 5
I planted two papaya seedlings into the field 29/10/2015
...
5 meters
...
The presence of the mulch is important,
because it can protect the soil from being washed away by rainfall
...
Papaya
trees should not be flooded until their root systems are well established
...
Then I knew transplantation is
successful

Planting


Abelmoschus esculentus

I planted Abelmoschus esculentus 2/11/2015
...
Before
planting, I soaked the seeds overnight in tepid water to help speed up germination
...
I planted 2-3 soaked seeds directly in the ground
...
Once planted, the ginger needs nothing
but water and patience to mature into a delicious, spicy ingredient
...
Choose your ginger plant
...
All I needed was a ginger
root that is plump and free of wrinkles, with visible eyes (small points) at the end of the
"fingers
...
S
...
Cut the rhizome into pieces (optional)
...
5 cm wide
...
On the
third day, I noticed a protective cover‘ callus’ over the cut surface, this callus serve as a shield
which reduces the risk of infection
...
Planting
I planted each piece of ginger 2 feet in density
...


Maintenance
Each morning I provided my plants with sufficient water
...

However, peppers won't tolerate a saturated soil that waterlogs their roots
...



Carica papaya

After the rain stops, I watered the papaya trees regularly, preferably once every two days
...



Zingiber officinale

I watered lightly right after planting
...
Watered logged soil will quickly rot ginger plants, so reduce watering
...
Mechanical
control is effective during early growth
...


7

Plantain field management (Musa spp)
In this session I explore the following concepts:



Ring weeding
Herbicide application and spraying

Plantains are starchy staple foods, which are fried, baked, boiled, roasted and consumed alone or
together with other food
...
The removal of un-wanted plants 2feets round a plantain
stand
...
Using a bailer,I filled the
knapsacks sprayer & spray 2 feet round the plantain stand
...


Mulching
I mulched each transplant with dead leaves
...


Fertilizer application


Capsicum annumm

Don’t over fertilize
I noticed that some pepper plants developed lush foliage (lavish production of pepper leave)
...
Peppers are light feeders
...
I applied organic fertilizer
1 foot in a ring form 5/11/2015
...
According to Mr
...



Zingiber officinale

Fertilization is not required if the ginger is in rich soil, especially if you've mixed in compost
...


Stalking


Capsicum annumm

Peppers are easily damaged when laden with fruit
...
I didn’t use wire twist-ties or
twine which will gradually choke off pepper plant
...

A means of transportation to collect cassava stem
...
All Tractors may or may not have some of these parts
...
Clearing of forest land is done to
let in more sunlight to the ground and to remove weeds and undergrowth which might otherwise
compete with economic plants, including the removal of all roots and other obstructions beneath
the soil, by cutting
...

Cassava can be grown on most soils
...
It is
drought resistant and therefore can grow on poor soils
...
Cassava was planted as a single crop
Propagation
Cassava is propagated exclusively from cuttings
...
After harvesting, these stems are stored in a dry place until the next
planting
...

Planting
Cuttings are planted by hand
...
I planted 5-10 cm
below the soil surface due to dry climates
...


This experience is dated: 16/09/2015 – 18/12/2015
Duration: 16weeks 2day
11

PART 3
SONGHAI DELTA AMUKPE, DELTA STATE
Abstract
This chapter covers a 6 week S I W E S experience and the job description of work done
...
My training began 22/01/2016
...
Its objective is training different interested
individuals in various areas of agriculture
...

Sustainable agriculture: involves the design and management processes that work with natural
processes to conserve all resources, minimize waste and environmental impact while maintaining
or improving productivity
...
The industry provides
extensive employment opportunities for Nigerians involved in the production, processing,
marketing and distribution of both the main raw materials and downstream products
...




Bunch reception: Fresh fruit arrives from the field as bunches or loose fruit
...



Sieving: Separating fruit from foreign materials, calyx using a sieving table
...

Cooking normally uses hot water; sterilization uses pressurized steam
...

•
•

Heat treatment destroys oil-splitting enzymes
...
The high heat is enough to
partially disrupt the oil-containing cells in the mesocarp and permits oil to be released
more readily
...
Air not only acts as a barrier to heat transfer, but oil oxidation increases
considerably at high temperatures; hence oxidation risks are high during sterilization
...
Sterilization is
also the chief factor responsible for the discoloration of palm kernels, leading to poor
bleach ability of the extracted oil and reduction of the protein value of the press cake
...
One system Songhia
delta uses is mechanical presses and is called the ‘dry’ method using the digester and pressing
machine
...



Clarification and drying of oil

The main point of clarification is to separate the oil from its entrained impurities
...
Because of the non-oily solids the mixture is very thick (viscous)
...
The dilution (addition of water) provides a barrier
causing the heavy solids to fall to the bottom of the container while the lighter oil droplets flow
through the watery mixture to the top when heat is applied to break the emulsion
...


14

Crop production unit
In this session I explore the following agronomic practices for Lycopersicon esculentum:
 Maintenance
...

The Most Promising Option for Vegetable Growers in Songhia Delta is the ‘Production and
marketing oftomato’for bulk sell to markets
...
Grading: Songhia will grade the Tomato according to the market requirements
...
It must also be noted here that the variety of Tomato
produced at Songhia (Cobra) that has been chosen meets market requirements
...
Packaging
3
...

4
...
For the production of
this particular Tomato, training will be very important to ensure best production practices
are used
...












Propagated by seed or seedlings (seed is the primary source of propagation, seedlings are
transplanted from the nursery to the field)
Tomato does not need much water, does best under dry condition provided they are
facilities for water
...
In
nursery, seeds are planted in drills or broadcast in beds
...
5cm apart in nursery, transplanting is done when it attains 4-5 leaves stage or 1520cm tall (25-30 days old)
Field planting is 45-60cm between rolls and 30-45cm between plants
...
Manure should be applied 10cm
away from plant in a ring form
Weeding can be done regularly
...
Staking is
necessary
...


Some of the routine work



Each morning I provided tomato plant with sufficient water
...
Mechanical control is
effective during early growth
...


16

1/2/2016 – 5/2/2016 (week 2)
Livestock production (intensive)
 Egg Production unit
 Snail Farming
Intensive animal production













Feeding of the animals, well balanced rations are needed to ensure fast growth
Inoculation and disease prevention
Scientific selection and breeding
Choice of the breed for the specific production
Handling facilities
Housing system and climate control
Waste disposal
Availability of water – will there be enough water for the animals?
Availability of human resources and skills level
Distance from the market and size of the market
Input cost and cost of equipment
Bio security measures

Summery management
 Egg Production from Commercial Layer
Egg production from a commercial layer farm depends on the care and farm management
...
They start laying eggs commercially from 18-19 weeks of age
...

According to the nature and color of egg produced at Songhia farm
...
Hens lay bigger eggs than other laying breeds
...

About 10% birds start to lay at their 21 weeks of age
...
Although, it may be
different depending on their strain
...

And after this period, their egg production might reduce slowly
...

The hens grow till their 40 weeks of age
...


Chickens prefer a laying house temperature of about 23
...
4oC
...
3oC, birds are uncomfortable and the feed
consumption is greatly reduced with low egg production
...
8oC, the mortality rate is rather
high
...
Therefore adequate
protection of laying birds during hot weather is emphasized
...

Plant shade trees around the poultry house
...

Reduce the thickness of old built-up litter
...

Preferable to give artificial light in the early morning hours so that birds eat and drink
more during the cooler hours of the day
...

Feed during cool hours of the day
...


Feeding
A good quality layer mash should be provided to the laying birds
...

Ingredients
Percentage
Yellow Maize
47
Soyabean meal
12
Gingelly oil cake
4
Groundnut oil cake
6
(expeller)
Rice polish
13
Wheat bran
4
Fish meal/dried unsalted
6
fish
Dicalcium phosphate
1

18

Salt
Mineral mixture
Shell meal
Total

0
...
75
5
100
...
Some of
the disadvantages include high initial investment, wet dropping and odor and fly problem
...

Three birdcages are ideal for commercial layers
...

Length
45 cm
(Frontage)
Height at back 38 cm
Height at front 42 cm
Width
42 cm
Since there are two different measurements in height, the floor of the cage will have a slope
towards front
...
Sometimes the wire is
coated with plastic
...

Usually cage floors are constructed of wire with a mesh size of 2
...
0 cm (1 x 2")
...

The floor of the cage should be about one meter higher than the ground level
...

Long, continuous troughs are used for feeding caged layers
...
The water channel is usually placed above the feed trough
outside the cage
...


19

Deep litter
Advantages






It is an economical
Hygienic, comfortable and safe to birds
Controls diseases and vices
It increases the efficiency of production
Materials such as wood shavings can be used as litter materials
...
In
the deep litter method, you're basically forming a compost pile of your chicken's poop right on
the floor
...
Place the feeders within 3 meters of water
...

Battery cage over deep litter
In commercial laying rearing, egg production is much higher in caged birds because movement
of chickens is restricted allowing more feed conversion into egg materials
...

Only right numbers of birds should be housed
The house should be well ventilated
The litter should be stirred at least once in a week-wet litter if any should be replaced
immediately with new dry litter and birds must be fed a balanced ratio
...

Placing of water should be given due attention to keep litter dry
...


20

Snail farming
(Achatina achatina)
Snail farming can be very profitable
...

The Giant Ghana snail reared in Songhai delta
...
Two snails are still needed for breeding, but they are very prolific breeders
...

they may possess between 7 – 8 whorls and the shell is often broadly ovate
...


Snail farming environment
Snails are easily dehydrated, and wind increase the rate of moisture loose in snail which in turn,
leads to dryness of the animal
...
At Songhai delta, trees are planted
around the snail farm to prevent the impact of wind
...
However, not all soils are suitable for snail rearing
...
Snails also lay its egg on the
soil and drink water out of the soil
...

The most desirable soil for snails is sandy – loamy soil with low water holding capacity
...
Snails love dark and cold places but make sure the humidity
does not drop to level harmful to snail
...


Snail foods and feeding
Snail especially Achatina mainly feed on green leaves and fruits
...
At Songhai delta, I fed snails with leaves (water
leave) fruits (pawpaw)
...


21

Leaves: cocoyam leave, pawpaw leaves, okra leaves, cassava leaves, eggplant leaves, cabbage
and lettuce leave
...


Category of snails




Breeder
Grower
Finisher

Mating and Egg Lying
Snails are a unique animal which has both male and female reproductive organs, in short
hermaphrodites
...
Some snails act as males one season and in another season as females
and fertilize each other simultaneously
...

After doing intercourse, snail can store its sperm for up to a year, but usually it lays eggs within
in a few weeks
...
Snails are classified into
breeder, grower and finisher
...
To know if your
snails are matured enough, check the brim of the shell
...

Getting the snails for farming
It is advisable to get snails directly from the forest, instead of buying from the market after they
have been exposed to sunlight and have dehydrated
...

An intending snail farmer could get the snail from the bush with a very simple technique:
Clear a little portion of land during rainy season and sprinkle spicy fruit like pineapple, pawpaw,
plantain, banana etc
...
Repeat this procedure until you get enough quantity
...
The eggs are later put in a container containing wet sand and
covered with cocoyam yam leaf
...
You
start feeding them gradually, you raise a snail farm
...
It grows about 90cm
high and bears long, stiff, prickly leaves
...
After
the fruit is removed, the mother plant produces a sucker from which another fruiting stem arises
...
It is ready
for harvesting usually about 20 months after it is planted
...

Pineapple juice production






Harvest ripe pineapple from the field and weigh
...

Grinding is done using a pineapple juice extractor into a bowl
...

Add sugar, flavor to give it a good taste
...
If the sugar level is high, add citric acid to stabilize
sugar level
...





Boil the mixture for 1-10munites and allow cooling
...

Pasteurize bottled drink to kill micro organize and increase shelf life
...
Pigs provide nourishment to millions of people
worldwide
...
is all from pig
...

Pigs are clean creatures, due to poor management and high temperature they only wallow in
mud, feaces to cool off
...

Choosing the site for piggery


Availability of water
The first and foremost factor to be considered in setting a pig farm is the availability of
water
...




Distance to residential areas
It is an already known fact that pig like dirt even in an integrated setup, where proper care
of waste disposition is ensured
...
The reason behind this is not sanitation aspect but
to minimize problem that might be caused to neighbors such as noise
...
This problem is
to be recognized at the very beginning of pig production
...
But waste not handled at the initial time
might constitute a perennial and nagging problem
...




Accessibility
This is one of the most important things in any profit oriented enterprise
...
The site must be constructed in a place that can be easily accessed
...


Piggeries
At Songhia delta, piggeries are constructed in two rows of pen facing each other with a space of
1
...
The sidewalls should be between
1m-1
...
5m, the building
itself should be about 3
...

The pen should be double pen with an adjoining entrance
...
There is a foot
deep at the entrance that is constantly filled with disinfectant
...
Each pen should be fitted with
its own feeder, drinker and wallow
...
The
feeders and drinkers are about 6inch deep
...


Maintenance
Daily I carried out dry and wet cleaning
Dry cleaning using broom, waste basket, waste parker, and shovel to clean each pen
Wet cleaning using warm water, soap, and water channel for pressure cleaning of pen and
washing of each pigs
...
It is therefore very easy to feed with cereal grain, Slug (oil
palm cake) vegetable, fish and even fruit
...

25



Wet feed (dry meals mixed with water)

This is the adopted form in Songhai Delta
...
In some occasion, the feed were mixed with
oil palm slug and fruits (plantain)
...
The method requires extra time, and thus involves extra labor
...
The pregnancy
will last about 3 months 3 weeks and 3 days
...
She should be given
some feed high in nutrients e
...
grain and green stuffs every day
...
The teat will
produce milk when gently squeezed
...

Gently rubbing the udder will make the sow relax and lie on her side in the position to give birth
...
Once the first piglet is born
the others, and the afterbirth, will quickly follow
...
The navel cord will break (you do not need to cut it) and the piglet will immediately
search for a teat and milk
...



When and how to help in farrowing

If the sow shows all the signs of farrowing but she has not produced a piglet and is pawing with a
hind leg, or if 45 minutes has passed since the first piglet appeared and there is no sign of the
second you will have to help the sow;

26






Wash your hands and arms with warm water and soap and scrub under your fingernails
...

Make your hands soapy or put olive or sunflower oil on your hands
...


Clear the piglet's mouth and nose of mucous and if it is not breathing you can slap it to
encourage it to breath
...


Care of sow and piglet


How good is the sow?

A sow should have at least fourteen teats which should be long and thin enough for the piglet to
grasp
...
The first born and stronger
piglets use the teats nearest the sow's head which produce most milk
...
Sometimes the
back teats do not produce much milk
...

A sow can suffer from mastitis which may develop as a result of damage to the teats caused by
the piglets teeth
...



Are the young feeding well?

Not all of the piglets will grow at the same rate, some will be born smaller than the others
...
You can expect to
see a difference in weight gain and growth between the members of any litter, but if all of the
piglets do not grow well and there are no obvious signs of disease you should suspect poor milk
production by the mother
...

It can become necessary to foster the piglets, i
...
put them with a different sow for feeding
...
They will take the first feed
within 1 hour of being born
...
The orphans should be mixed
in with the sow's own litter so that she will accept them
...



Hand rearing piglets

A sow may die and there is no foster mother available
...

To hand rear a litter the following will be needed:





Feeding bottles and teats (nipples) which are thoroughly cleaned between each feeding
...

Regular feeds must be given at intervals of 1 to 2 hours
...


Handling and teeth clipping


Handling the young pig

Piglets can be caught from behind and held by grasping the hind leg just above the hock
...

When holding the piglet always support its weight against you
...



Handling the older pig

Pigs will naturally head for a gap (or opening) when you approach them or try to catch them
...
As the animal gets older it can be
trained to move under the control of one
...
If several people try to
drive a pig it can turn and charge between them
...
The pain
caused by this disturbs the sow causing her to get up and prevents her young from feeding
...
In their fight to grasp the teat and
28

suckle piglets will also bite and injure one another
...



When to clip the teeth

The piglet's teeth should be cut as soon as possible after its birth
...
The sow and her young should be separated for as short a time as
possible
...

You will need someone to help you separate the sow and her young
...

Clipping the teeth
1
...
Take
care as the sow with a litter can be dangerous
...
Corner the young pigs and keep them together or place them in a box
...
Hold the head and press the corner of the piglet's mouth so that the jaws open
...
Place the clippers on either side of one pair of teeth making sure that the tongue is not in
the way
...

5
...
Inject the piglet with iron dextran to
prevent piglet anemia
...
Clean the clippers before using them on another piglet
...
Keep
young piglets warm
...

The spiny fur on the back and around rounded nose distinguish grass cutter from true rat
...
Grass cutter
farming is highly profitable, the meat is widely consumed all over the West African region and
beyond
...
A fully grown female Grass cutter
after gestation carries the pregnancy for 140 – 150 days and delivers like about twice a year
...
Sometimes up to 10, that means 1 female
Grass cutter could produce 8 – 20 other Grass cutter in a year
...
2 mature male do not live together, therefore start
with a male and few female together
...

Breeding
Grass cutter is kept 100% for the meat
...

To achieve this, Songhia delta lays emphasis on the choice of breeding stock
...
The male is the engine of reproduction; a healthy male makes a
healthy stock
...
Both the male and female stockmust be healthy
...

Grass cutter is sensitive to good habitat
...

30

The biggest enemies for Grass cutter is snakes and soldier ant
...
To protect them from the invasion of soldier
ants, you may pour black engine oil around their houses especially at night during raining season
mostly
...

Feeding the Grass cutter
Grass cutter is herbivorous animal meaning their source of food is mainly from the bush, that’s
why they are more comfortable in the bush where their food could easily be found
...

According to experience at Songhai Delta, hygiene and good feeding are most important factor
for successful, profitable Grass cutter farming, you can also fatten the male with broilers finisher
or broilers starter feed to help attain market weight within a short period of time
...
are their delight
...
also make part of their food
...
The weaned animal can be mated
at the age of between 7 – 8 months from birth
...
The
indefinite mating period is 140 days, but if after 160 days of separation from the male, there is
still no sign of pregnancy, and then the female should be taken back to the male for proper
mating
...

Market for grass cutter
The market for grass cutter is very big
...
Everyone loves it and it sells very fast
...
Full meat of a mature grass cutter goes for N 4,500 and marketers who trade on
it are always in demand of it
...


32

Observation
22/2/1016 – 25/2/2016 (week 5)
Management skills
Maintaining the infrastructure on the farm
In this session I explore the following concepts:
 The necessary repairs in order of the infrastructure to be working efficiently, is identified
 Clear instructions are given to supervising staff and workers - execution of instructions
are monitored
 The basic requirements of a quality management system is explained

Repair and maintenance schedule
It is important to follow a maintenance schedule ensuring that equipment is kept in a good
running order
...

Remember to alter the service and maintenance intervals according to working (dusty, stony)
conditions
...
Service and lubricate all moving points - grease nipples
...

 Maintenance during use
Daily – Lubricate, check water and oil levels, before commencement of work and after lunch
break
...
Check tire pressure, clean air filter
...

Replace - oil or air filters
...

 Post season maintenances
Replace all worn parts
...
Wash after use
...

Store in place where it cannot be damaged
...


33

Communication in work place
Communication is the sending of a message to a recipient that must receive, understand and act
upon it
...
Ensure that the
recipient receive the message correctly - avoid faulty execution of a task
...
The communication can come about as:
• Meeting to discuss activities on daily, weekly, two weekly or monthly intervals
...

• Daily instructions
...

• Direct communication
...

The elements of good communication
The message must be clear and unambiguous to avoid misinterpretation
...

After inspecting the job (do-over or well done), the farmer can communicate another task to the
worker – via the supervisor or directly
...
The following is necessary in a quality management system
...
It should be a team effort and everybody involved in the process
must get feedback regarding the achievement of their goals
...


 Performance or quality standards
Every worker in an agricultural enterprise / business must know exactly what is expected from
him\her and what standard of performance is required from them
...
They must receive feedback on areas of improvement and\or achievement
...

 Corrective action if the standards are met
If the staff member do not achieve the required standards of performance a counselling or
retraining activity should be put in place where the staff member is informed of his /her short
comings and how it should be corrected
...

 SOP’s – standard operational procedures
There are standard operational procedures that must be in place to ensure that the product
produced will be of the required quality and standards
...

 Quality control
It is the duty of the manager or the supervisor to control the quality of work and the quality of the
product produced
...

Some quality control systems start with the individual worker to control him\her and aim at
improvement of his work
...
The
supervisors, at different levels, are responsible for the quality control to ensure that the agreed
desired outcome is achieved within the funds limits and at the lowest cost
...
Everybody must understand the concept of quality
control and the part they play in achieving this goal
...
g
...
A worker must get credit for work well done to
either boost his\her ego or urge them to keep on with the good work
...
It is very important that
everybody involved in the process feel that their contribution, how small it may be, is
appreciated and valued
...


35

Corporate clothing, brand name and team building activities at the start or the end of the
production cycle can contribute to team building
...


36

29/2/2016 – 4/3/2016 (week 6)
Land use
In this session I explore the following concepts:
 Land use option
...

 Soil and water conversation included in planning process
...


Land use options (intensive)
Intensive farming produces large quantities of food or products from a small piece of land, but
need much more inputs such as water, fertilizer, facilities and management; e
...
producing fruits
& vegetables, poultry farming, piggery, feedlots & games
...

I discovered land use plan so important in farm planning and farm layout
...
The planning and budgeting - inputs that will be needed in the production process
...
Estimation of the income
...
Record activities that took place - now the farmer can see what or when the different
activities must be repeated
...
Planning - the correct cultivars and quantity of fertilizer
...
These are
natural resources and cannot be replaced once it is destroyed
...
Soil
Soil is the basis on which everything is built; it is also the growth medium for plants, trees and
scrubs to grow in
...
Soil can be divided into three main groups:
sand, loam and clay soils - each with its own characteristics and qualities
...


37

2
...
Water, thus the main roleplayer, will ensure the success of crop production or vegetative growth
...

3
...
This natural
vegetation must be managed with care - prevent soil erosion
...
Sunlight and temperature
Sunlight is necessary in the photosynthesis process and to provide the correct temperature for
plants to germinate and grow
...
g
...

It is therefore necessary to plan the layout of the infrastructure that is needed for the production
of the various crops as well as the production systems that will be complementary to the natural
resources on the farm
...


38

This experience is dated: 23/01/2016 – 4/03/2016 at Songhai Delta Amukpe
Duration: 6months
6weeks industrial training program on agro biological production, livestock production
and management skills

39

PART 4
NIGERIAN INSTITUTE FOR OIL PALM RESEARCH
Abstract
This chapter covers 1 month S I W E S experience
...

Introduction
NIFOR was established 1939 as Oil Palm Research Station (OPRS)
...
After a series of conferences between 1927 and 1930 and at
the time of it establishment it was given three mandates;




To carry out genetic improvement of the Oil Palm
...

To produce good hybrid plant materials for distribution to famers
...

2
...

4
...


Oil Palm (Elaeis guineesisjacq
...
)
Raphia Palm (Raphia spp)
Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera)
Shea (Vitellaria paradoxa)

Other palms of economic importance
Asset
N I F O R is located about 29km from the city center off Benin – Akure road occupying 1735 ha
in which 1200 is being used for field establishment purpose and the remaining 535ha is occupied
the various divisions, senior and junior staff quarters
...
It is a monocot with fibrous root systems
...
It grows up to a height of about fifteen
metres (15m)
...
The
stem bears a crown of fronds with a central spear (unopened leaf) at the centre of the crown
...
Another spear leaf will also
emerge as the palm grows
...
The two major natural forms of the Oil palm are the Dura
and the Pisifera, while the third form is a hybrid emerging from controlled cross-pollination of
Dura and Pisifera palms
...

The Characteristics of the three Fruit Forms of the Oil palm
DURA
PISIFERA
Thick shell
Shell-less
Thin mesocarp
Mainly mesocarp
Viable embryo
Unviable embryo
...

Contains very small quality Has the highest oil content
of oil
among the three fruit forms
Unimproved
Unimproved

TENERA
Thin shell
Thick mesocarp
Viable embryo
Good size kernel

High oil content in the fruit
Improved

Coconut
Cocos nucifer L
...
Succession of inflorescence is more or less monthly, but it
may be more rapid during the dry than in the wet season
...
The female phase ranges from 3-5 days
in tall and averages 8 days in the dwarfs
...
Each female flower (also called 'button') stays receptive for 1-3 days
...
Once pollination is over, the stigma necroses
...
Some
41

female flowers do not reach the stage of maturity
...

Types of coconut
1
...
Dwarf has smaller nut but more in number (2-3yrs before it flowers)

Departments visited
•

Extension

•

Plant Breeding

•

Plant Physiology

•

Seed Production

•

Agronomy

•

Nursery

•

Chemistry

•

Plant Pathology

•

Entomology

•

Bio chemistry

•

Plantation Management

•

Harvesting

•

Livestock

•

Agricultural Engineering

•

Agricultural Economics

•

Agricultural Meteorology

42

1
...

Objectives
To disseminate useful information to farmers, student and users on new method, technology
produced, and some techniques in use
Means of dissemination








Scientific exhibition mounted at conferences, trade fares and agricultural shows
Organized visits for farmers to research institutes e
...
N I F O R
Agronomic demonstration at agricultural shows and farmers field days
Advisory and on farm training using the small plot adaptive technique (S P A T)
Organized field demonstrations of processing and preservations techniques
Print media, through the use of simplified manuals, advisory bulletins, posters and
newsletters
...
PLANT BREEDING DIVISION
In this department we explore the following concepts:
 Control pollination
Objectives
Genetic improvement of N I F O R mandate crops
...
)
Control-pollination is a technique used in plant improvement to produce progeny that receive
genes from each of two known parent plants
...


43

Technique


Selection of male and female parents

Dwarfs, because of their precocity and slow upward growth, are mostly utilized as female
parents
...

Tall palm as male
1
...
Emasculation: Remove the male flowers from the inflorescence
3
...
Sieving: Separate the chaff from the polling grain powder substance
Characteristics of hybrid
1
...

3
...


In height, its intermediate between the tall and the dwarf palm
The nut are bigger than that of the dwarf but small than that of the tall
Hybrid can fruit at the age of 3yrs
It produces more nut from the tall and the dwarf palm

3
...
Development in leaves from
a simple pre-medium (tiny stage) to a complex mature organ
...
Growth is an irreversible change
in size of a cell, organ or a whole organism
...


44

Drought tolerance studies
Factors for increase productivity




Increase in farm size
Improved management practice
Soil amendment practice (soil test)

Plant tissue culture
Apart from regeneration based on cross pollination, other method of getting an improve breed of
the oil palm and other mandate crop through tissue culture
...


4
...
P
...
They carry out this objective through the following methods;
1
...
Controlled pollination
Bagging
From an already matured Dura palm with female inflorescence whose stigma has not been
opened yet
...

1
...
The
outer layer is soft while the inner layer is tough
...
Wrap cotton with Aldrin dust (DDT – an insecticide) at the base of the stalk
...

3
...

4
...
A terelyne beg has in it a cellulose
window for photosynthesis and act as a window for inspecting the development process
...
It takes about seven days for the female inflorescence to be ready to accept pollen
Note: it is the same procedure for the male inflorescence to this point
...
After the seventh day, cut off the male inflorescence (pisifera) from the base (stalk)
without tampering with the terelyne bag and bit gently to remove the pollen
...
At this point, it is
ready to accept the pollen
...

From the point of pollination to the stage of harvesting the bunch, it takes five months
...

Cross pollination of various oil palms and their product
 Dura + Dura = 100% Dura
 Tenera + Tenera =25% Dura, 25% Pisifera, 50% Tenera
 Tenera + Pisifera = 50% Tenera, 50% Pisifera
 Tenera + Dura = 50% Tenera, 50% Dura
 Dura + Pisifera = 100% Tenera
Attributes of a tenera oil palm
 Slow stem increment relatively short at maturity
...

 Early maturity, come into fruiting in the third (3rd) year of field planting
...
AGRONOMY DIVISION
In this department we explore the following concepts:
 Biometric observation
 Tools required for biometric observation
 Data collections
 Development technique
 Importance of biometric observation

Mandate
To develop and improve agronomy practices for the cultivation and adoption of N I F O R
mandate crop
...
The examples of commonly analyzed biometric traits of plants are: fresh
weight, height, number of fruits, dry mass content, sugar content, protein content, etc
...
Data collected will be
subjected to statistical analysis, results will be used to make a reference statement
...
g
...


47

6
...
Although pre germinated seed is as thickshelled as the dura mother tree, the resulting tree will produce thin-shelled tenera fruit
...



Site Selection

Ideally, the nursery should be located on a level, well-drained area that is easily accessible and
close to the centre of the future plantation
...



Type of Nursery

Double stage nurseries, compared to a single stage nursery, are preferred because they require
less space and irrigation, and allow for more efficient upkeep and selection (culling)
...



Pre-Nursery: Materials, Preparation and Practice

Pre-nursery seedling beds, normally 10 m in length x 1
...
Two rows of drainage
holes are punched in the bags
...
The fertilizer should be mixed thoroughly with the soil to provide
optimum P availability to the seedling’s root system
...
The filled polybags must be prepared four weeks before
the seed arrives and should be watered daily until planting to ensure adequate P availability
1
...
Once

seed bags are opened, maintain moist seeds by sprinkling them with distilled water
...
The two-person planting team should work as follows: The ‘seed handler’ places the seed
on the soil (which is about 2 cm below the top of the bag) with the root (radicle) pointing
downwards
...

3
...

4
...
When ambient solar radiation levels
and very high mid-day temperature prevail, shade is required for at least six weeks, after
which the plants are exposed to increasing amounts of sunlight
...
Pre-nursery seedlings must be watered daily
...
5 mm water per day
...
During culling, seedlings with abnormal characteristics such as “grassy”,
“crinkled”, “twisted”, or “rolled” leaves should be discarded
...



Main Nursery

Pre-nursery seedlings are transplanted into main nursery polybags (i
...
, 40 cm x 45 cm, 500
gauge, black UV stabilized) containing soil prepared in the same manner as for the pre-nursery
...
The seedling is transplanted after removing the pre-nursery polybag
...
g
...
Also, a 2
...
Commonly used
materials are oil palm kernel shells, shredded coconut fiber, rice husks, peanut shells, and coffee
shells
...
PLANT PATHOLOGY
In this department we explore the following concepts:
 Disease of oil palm
 Disease of pre nursery
 Disease of nursery

Objectives
Research on diseases that affect mandate crops
Field operation




Collect samples from infected plants
Examine thoroughly and note visual symptoms
Conduct lab analysis

In oil palm, disease occur at 5 different stages
1
...

3
...

5
...
g
...
g
...
g
...
g
...
g
...
BIOCHEMISTRY DIVISION
In this department we explore the following concepts:
Objectives
Deals with the biochemical reaction and synthesis of palm and palm products, end product and
co - product
...
Oil palm:
 Palm stearin
 Palm olein
 Palm oil
 Soap
 Palm kernel
 Bio diesel
50

2
...


4
...


 Oil palm wine
Date palm:
 Date palm wine
 Date fruits
Coconut:
 Coconut oil
 Coconut juice
 Coconut chips
 Coconut flour
Shea tree:
 Shea butter
 Shea butter stearin
Raphia palm:
 Raphia palm wine
 Biodiesel

9
...
M
...
Tractor unit
2
...
Hand mowing unit
4
...
Field maintenance
6
...
Foot match
8
...
Total land area: 1800ha, 1,200 ha: Field establishment, 600 ha:
Buildings
...

Begin by marking out the boundaries of the plantation
...


Marking out technique


Pegging the planting pattern

When the soil of the plantation has been well cleared by fire, peg out the places where you will
plant your seedlings
...
Then you will be sure of having always the same distance between rows and in each
row the same distance between oil palms
...
If the
oil palms are planted too close together, the roots get in each other's way, and the leaves do not
have enough air and sun: the yield will be low
...



How to peg out the planting pattern

Trace lines across the slope and put in your pegs in straight lines; leave 9 meters between rows
and 9 meters between pegs
...
Pull out tree stumps
and remove fallen trees close to the pegs, because these stumps and trees would interfere with
the oil palms
...
HARVESTING
In this department we explore the following concepts:
 Oil palm form
 Type of fruit
 Maturity
 Harvesting team
 Tools used for harvesting
 Harvesting precautions
 Qualities of a good harvester
 Harvesting problem and remedy
Harvesting of oil palm bunch
Cut of mature and ripe bunch of oil palm
...
You
must go through the plantation many times to pick the ripe clusters
...
If you wait too long before harvesting the clusters, harvesting takes much more time,
because you must pick up all the fruits that have dropped to the ground
...

If you do not wait long enough before harvesting the clusters, the fruit will not be ripe enough
...

Oil palm form
There are 3 types of Oil Palm fruit
...
Dura: have large kernel, viable embryo, contains very small quantity of oil

53

2
...
The oil content of the fruit is high

3
...
The oil content is
moderate
...
It
bears fruits within 3 – 4 years and high yield of fruit oil
...
Nigreseens: These are ordinary fruit which is black when unripe and red when ripe
2
...

They are light reddish orange when ripe
...
Alberseens: This fruit are white when unripe due to absence of tarateroids
...

Harvesting team
Harvest team is made up of field supervisors, harvester, field recorder, carrier pickers and
loaders
...
The field recorder records the weight of bunch, the carrier
conveys bunches and loose fruit to the platform, the pickers pick the fruit from the base of the
palm
...
g
...

Tools for harvesting
1
...

3
...


Cutlass
Iron chisel
Iron hook or Malayan knife
Climbing rope

The clusters can be cut off with different tools
...
Slip the chisel between the stem and the leaf; in this way you can cut off the cluster
without cutting the leaf below it
...


54

If the clusters are too high up, climb up using a climbing rope the tree by putting your feet on the
base of the leaves
...

Harvesting precautions
1
...
Harvest only ripe bunches although it is necessary to remove all rotting bunches from the
palm if discovered during harvesting to enable next cycle
3
...

(Reduces photosynthesis)
4
...
Do not harvest during rain fall OR immediately after rain fall
...
Punctual and dutiful, ensures that all ripe bunches are timely harvested
...
Avoid over ripen fruit
3
...

Harvesting problem and remedy
Some of the major problem encountered in the field during harvesting of oil palm
...
In absence of this, harvesting
becomes tedious
...
LIVESTOCK
In this department we explore the following concepts:





Routine treatment
Castration
Clipping
Deworming

Routine treatment
Animals require very specific levels of care and attention - and that not one route to getting
healthier or recovery is the same as another
...

Castration
Castration of non-human animals is intended for favoring a desired development of the animal or
of its habits, or preventing overpopulation
...

Importance of castration in farm animal
1
...
Prevent indiscriminate mating OR prevent overpopulation
3
...
The teeth can be cut when the
pig is only 15 minutes old
...
In order to clip the teeth you will need either a pair of tooth clippers, or pliers or
forceps
...


12
...
Hydraulic Guillotine Machine
56

The machine used is called a squaring shear, power shear, or guillotine
...
This
machine helps to cut metal of various sizes, usually metals below 10mm
...
Nibbling machine
The Sheet Metal Nibbling Machine is a rugged, sturdy and reliable multipurpose machine
capable of sheet cutting & forming operations
...
The working principle on which nibbling operates is the sheet is cut
or formed between the fast reciprocating motion of an upper tool (powered by an electric motor
and driven by an eccentric crank) and a stationery lower tool, by progressive punching, as the
sheet is fed
...

3
...
This machine is used for
drilling multiple holes through the use of drill bit
...

4
...
Alternatively it may be used to roughly shape metal prior to welding or
fitting
...
Pillar drilling machine
The pillar drill
...
It is capable of being used to
drill larger pieces of materials and produce larger holes
...
Milling machine
Milling is the machining process of using rotary cutters to remove material
...
They are;


Vertical milling machine; is used for cutting slot, get a smoother surface
...
Milling cutters are held in the spindle and
rotate on its axis
...
There are two
subcategories of vertical mills: the bed mill and the turret mill
...
A horizontal mill
has the same sort but the cutters are mounted on a horizontal arbor across the table
...

Horizontal milling machine has no drill bit
...
Lathe machine
A lathe is a machine tool which turns cylindrical material, touches a cutting tool to it, and cuts
the material
...
lathe is
a machine tool that rotates the work piece on its axis to perform various operations such
as cutting, sanding, knurling, drilling, or deformation, facing, turning, with tools that are applied
to the work piece to create an object with symmetry about an axis of rotation
...

Small scale processing equipment









Fruit screening Machine: This machine is used for removing dirt from oil palm bunch
...

Stripping Machine: This machine is used to cut oil palm bunch in quarter
...

Clarification Tank: Boiling of crude oil to separate the main oil from other impurities e
...

water, slug
...

Storage tank: Storage tank is used to store processed palm oil
...


Agricultural economics division
Objectives
1
...

2
...

3
...

4
...

58

5
...

6
...

7
...

8
...

Agricultural economics or agronomics is an applied field of economics concerned with the
application of economic theory in optimizing the production and distribution of food and fiber
...

I recommend that
There should also be more practical involvement of the agricultural students in all areas
associated with the institutions attended
...
So I conclude that the idea behind this industrial
training program is a bright one

---