THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT PLANTING DATES ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF MAIZE (A CASE STUDY OF MAIZE FARMERS IN MAKURDI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, BENUE STATE)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Maize (Zea mays L.) is a cereal of the grass family, Poaceae, and is one of the most important cereal crops in the world in terms of cultivated area. In Nigeria it is eaten fresh, roasted or boiled, ground into flour and processed into pap and other foods, and it is also a major ingredient in livestock and poultry feeds and in industry. According to figures from the United States Department of Agriculture quoted by Ngonadi et al. (2023), Nigerian maize production rose to about 11.6 million tonnes in 2021/2022, which reflects how widely the crop is grown and how much it matters to farm incomes and food supply.

Maize is grown almost entirely under rainfed conditions in Nigeria, and the date of planting decides how much of the rainy season the crop can use. Planting too early risks poor stands if rains are not yet established, while planting late shortens the growing period, exposes the crop to moisture stress and to pests and diseases at critical stages, and may cause the crop to mature when rains have ended. Adnan et al. (2017) note that the length of the growing season in the Nigerian savannas is determined by the date of the onset of rain and that long dry spells during the rainy season are becoming more frequent even in the wetter southern and northern Guinea savannas, so that the decision about when to plant is increasingly important.

The yield penalty for late planting can be large. Using the CERES-Maize model with experimental data, Adnan et al. (2017) reported that delaying planting to mid-August reduced grain yield by 39.2% for extra-early and 74.4% for early maturing maize in the Sudan savanna, and by 66.9% and 94.3% respectively in the northern Guinea savanna, and they identified the planting dates that gave the highest yields for each variety group. Their results show that the best planting window depends on the agro-ecological zone and the maturity group of the variety, which means that recommendations developed for one location cannot simply be applied to another.

The influence of planting date on early growth may be less dramatic than its influence on yield. Ngonadi et al. (2023) sowed maize in May, June and July over two years in south-eastern Nigeria and found that the maize cultivars planted in the different months showed no significant difference in germination and other growth parameters, although weed control method did. This suggests that the effect of planting date on growth and yield depends on rainfall distribution and management in each location and season.

Makurdi, the capital of Benue State, lies in the southern Guinea savanna of Nigeria, where maize is widely grown by smallholders during the rainy season. Farmers in the area choose their planting dates on the basis of when the rains appear to have started, their labour and the availability of seed, and many are experienced in making this decision. How they decide, and how they judge the effect of planting date on the growth and yield of their crop, are matters this study set out to document.

This study therefore used a structured questionnaire to examine the planting dates used by maize farmers in Makurdi Local Government Area and their perceived effects on the growth and yield of maize.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Maize farmers in Makurdi Local Government Area face rainfall that is variable in onset and in distribution, including dry spells within the season. Planting at the wrong time can reduce stand establishment, expose the crop to moisture stress at critical growth stages and lower grain yield, as evidence from other savanna locations shows (Adnan et al., 2017). Yet farmers often plant by experience or by the first rains, and it is not known how they choose planting dates or how they perceive the consequences.

The studies reviewed here were largely based on simulation models, research stations and sites in other parts of Nigeria (Adnan et al., 2017; Ngonadi et al., 2023), and the literature consulted for this study did not reveal a survey of planting-date practices and perceived effects among maize farmers in Makurdi. Differences in rainfall, soil and varieties mean that results from other locations cannot be assumed to hold in Makurdi.

As a result, extension agents have little local information about when farmers plant, whether they find early, mid-season or late planting better, and what constraints affect their timing. Without such information, recommendations on planting date may not match farmers' real conditions, and yields may remain lower than they could be. This study was undertaken to address the problem.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main objective of the study was to assess the effect of different planting dates on the growth and yield of maize among farmers in Makurdi Local Government Area, Benue State, using a structured questionnaire. The specific objectives, each of which corresponds to a section of the questionnaire, were to:

(i) describe the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, namely age, sex, educational level, farming experience, farm size and source of labour

(ii) identify the planting dates and the criteria used to select them currently used by the respondents in the production of maize

(iii) ascertain the respondents' perception of the effect of different planting dates on the growth of maize ;

(iv) ascertain the respondents' perception of the effect of different planting dates on the yield of maize

(v) identify the constraints faced by the respondents in the use of different planting dates and the measures they suggest for improvement .

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions, which correspond to the sections of the questionnaire, guided the study:

(i) What are the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents?

(ii) What planting dates and the criteria used to select them do the respondents use in the production of maize?

(iii) How do the respondents perceive the effect of different planting dates on the growth of maize?

(iv) How do the respondents perceive the effect of different planting dates on the yield of maize?

(v) What constraints do the respondents face in the use of different planting dates, and what improvements do they suggest?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were tested at the 0.05 level of significance:

H01: There is no significant relationship between the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents and their choice of planting date.

H02: There is no significant difference in the perceived growth of maize among respondents who differ in their planting date (early, mid-season or late).

H03: There is no significant difference in the perceived yield of maize among respondents who differ in their planting date (early, mid-season or late).

1.6 Significance of the Study

The findings will give maize farmers in Makurdi a clearer picture of how planting date relates to the growth and yield they experience, and of the practices used by their peers. Extension agents will obtain local information on which to base planting-date advice, and agricultural planners will gain data on constraints that affect timely planting.

The study will also add to the literature on maize production in the southern Guinea savanna of Nigeria.

1.7 Scope and Limitations of the Study

The study covers maize farmers in Makurdi Local Government Area, Benue State. It is limited to planting date and covers the respondents' socio-economic characteristics, planting-date practices, perceived effects on growth and yield, and constraints. It does not include controlled field measurement of growth or yield.

Limitations include reliance on respondents' recall and perception, variation in rainfall between seasons, and the limited number of respondents who could be reached. The findings should be applied with care to other areas.

1.8 Definition of Terms

Planting date: the calendar date or period within the rainy season on which maize seed is sown.

Early, mid-season and late planting: classes of planting date defined in relation to the onset of the rains in the study area.

Growth: the visible development of the maize plant, such as height, leaf number and vigour, as perceived by farmers.

Yield: the quantity of maize grain harvested per unit area.

Southern Guinea savanna: an agro-ecological zone of Nigeria characterised by a longer rainy season than the northern savanna zones.

Questionnaire: a structured set of written questions used to collect information from respondents.

REFERENCES

Adnan, A. A., Jibrin, J. M., Abdulrahman, B. L., Shaibu, A. S., & Garba, I. I. (2017). CERES–maize model for determining the optimum planting dates of early maturing maize varieties in northern Nigeria. Frontiers in Plant Science, 8, Article 1118. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2017.01118

Ngonadi, E. N., Uko, I., & Okonkwo, N. J. (2023). Profitability of selected weed control methods in maize (Zea mays L. Moench) production at Igbariam in three successive months. International Journal of Agriculture, Food and Biodiversity, 2(1), 37–42. https://journals.unizik.edu.ng/ijafab/article/download/2799/2262/6729