Olufunmilayo Ande, head, Land and Water Resources Management Programme at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Ibadan, has urged Nigerian farmers to ensure maximum management of soil so as to prevent further soil degradation and ensure availability of food in the country.
Speaking on the topic “Pulses for Soil and Human Life”, Ande stated that soil is very crucial in plant life and it should be well managed adding that Soil is a non-renewable resource that is essential for plant life and 95 percent of the global food supply.
“Hunger and malnutrition resulting from land degradation are major challenges facing most developing countries in the world today and sustainable soil management is very crucial to overcome these challenges, adding that “A sustainable management of the world’s agricultural soils and sustainable production is imperative for reversing the trend of soil degradation to ensure current and future global food security.
She said one of the ways to reduce the effects of erosion which leads to degradation is for farmers to plant Pulses which are architects of soil health and foster soil carbon sequestration and cleaner water filtration.
She described Pulses as “Annual leguminous crops yielding between one and twelve grains or seeds of variable size, shape and colour within a pod, used for food and feed,” Ande encouraged farmers to embrace the cultivation of Pulses which has higher economic value than other crops.
Examples of Pulses include; Baked beans, Red, Green, Yellow and Brown Lentils, Black-eyed Peas, Garden Peas, Runner Beans, Chickpeas, Broad Beans, Kidney Beans and Butter Beans.
Ande, however, lamented the effects of environmental factors on the soil which can be easily be solved when planting pulses.
“The world is currently losing soil 10 to 20 times faster than it is replenishing it, a trend pulses can help offset. The report of a case study in India shows how growing pigeon peas reduced soil runoff and erosion by up to 59 percent.
Akinremi Feyisipo, Ibadan
