AGE 307 — Field and Tree Crop Production: Lecture Note

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This is the complete lecture note for AGE 307 Field and Tree Crop Production. You can read it online below, open it in the full viewer, or download the PDF for offline study. It pairs with the course's video lectures, so you can read and watch together.

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AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Course code: AGE 307 Course title: Field and Tree Crop Production Course credit load: 2 Units Series 1: Foundations of Crop Production • Part 1.1: Concepts and Classification of Crop Production o Sub Part 1.1.1: Meaning and scope of crop production o Sub Part 1.1.2: Classification of crops o Sub Part 1.1.3: Cropping systems • Part 1.2: Climatic Requirements for Crop Production o Sub Part 1.2.1: Temperature and light requirements o Sub Part 1.2.2: Rainfall and water requirements o Sub Part 1.2.3: Agro-ecological zones of Nigeria • Part 1.3: Soil Requirements for Crop Production o Sub Part 1.3.1: Soil physical and chemical properties o Sub Part 1.3.2: Soil fertility management o Sub Part 1.3.3: Land preparation methods • Part 1.4: Improved Crop Varieties and Sustainable Production o Sub Part 1.4.1: Concept of improved varieties o Sub Part 1.4.2: Seed systems in Nigeria o Sub Part 1.4.3: Sustainable crop production practices

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Introduction Crop production forms the foundation of Nigerian agriculture, supplying food, feed, fibre, and raw materials for industry while supporting the livelihoods of millions of farming households. AGE 307 builds on earlier production courses to examine field crops (cereals, legumes, and tubers) and economic tree crops together, recognising that many of the underlying principles of climate, soil, variety selection, and sustainable management apply across both groups. This opening Series introduces the concept and classification of crop production and cropping systems; the climatic and soil requirements that determine where and how crops can be successfully grown in Nigeria; and the role of improved varieties, seed systems, and sustainable practices in modern crop production. This foundation supports the field crop systems, tree crop, cultivation, and post-harvest topics covered in the remaining four Series of AGE 307. Series Learning Outcomes Upon completing this Series, you should be able to: • SLO 1.1 explain the meaning, scope, classification, and systems of crop production (Linked to Part 1.1), • SLO 1.2 describe the climatic requirements for crop production and the agro-ecological zones of Nigeria (Linked to Part 1.2), • SLO 1.3 describe the soil requirements, fertility management, and land preparation methods for crop production (Linked to Part 1.3), and • SLO 1.4 explain improved varieties, seed systems, and sustainable crop production practices (Linked to Part 1.4).

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS 1.1 Concepts and Classification of Crop Production 1.1.1 Meaning and scope of crop production Crop production is the deliberate cultivation of plants for food, feed, fibre, and industrial raw material, encompassing all the practices from site and variety selection through planting, management, harvesting, and initial handling of the harvested product. It is distinguished from natural plant growth by the intentional human intervention applied at each stage to maximise yield, quality, and economic return, guided by knowledge of plant biology, soil science, and climate, the core scientific disciplines underlying crop production as a field of study. The scope of crop production in this course covers two broad groups: field crops (annual or short-cycle crops, including cereals such as maize, rice, and sorghum; legumes such as cowpea and groundnut; and root/tuber crops such as cassava and yam, all typically planted and harvested within a single season) and economic tree crops (longer-lived perennial crops such as oil palm, cocoa, rubber, and citrus, which occupy land for many years and require a different set of management considerations). Both groups share common underlying principles of climate matching, soil requirements, variety selection, and sustainable management explored throughout this Series. Fill in the blank: Crop production is the deliberate ________ of plants for food, feed, fibre, and industrial raw material, distinguished from natural plant growth by intentional human intervention to maximise yield, quality, and economic return. 1.1.2 Classification of crops Crops are classified along several useful dimensions. By life cycle: annual crops complete their life cycle (germination to seed production) within one growing season (maize, cowpea); biennial crops require two seasons; perennial crops live and produce for many years (oil palm, cocoa, citrus). By use: food crops are grown primarily for human consumption (rice, cassava); feed crops are grown primarily for livestock (some maize and forage crops); cash/industrial crops are grown primarily for sale or industrial processing (cotton, oil palm, cocoa); cover/fodder crops protect soil or feed livestock without being a primary market product.

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS By botanical group: cereals (grasses producing starchy grain: maize, rice, sorghum, millet); legumes (nitrogen-fixing pulses: cowpea, groundnut, soybean); root and tuber crops (cassava, yam, sweet potato); and tree/perennial crops (oil palm, cocoa, rubber, citrus, covered in detail in Series 3). By climatic adaptation: crops are also classified as tropical (adapted to warm, humid conditions typical of southern Nigeria) or temperate (requiring cooler conditions, limiting them to Nigeria highland zones), a classification closely tied to the climatic requirements discussed in Part 1.2. Fill in the blank: ________ crops complete their life cycle from germination to seed production within a single growing season, in contrast to perennial crops, which live and produce for many years. 1.1.3 Cropping systems A cropping system is the pattern of crops grown on a given piece of land over time and space, including the sequence, spatial arrangement, and management approach used. Monocropping (sole cropping) grows a single crop on a plot at a time, simplifying management and mechanisation but increasing pest/disease risk and nutrient depletion if continued without rotation. Mixed cropping/intercropping grows two or more crops simultaneously on the same plot (e.g. maize and cowpea), improving land use efficiency, providing risk diversification, and, where a legume is included, contributing biological nitrogen fixation benefiting the companion crop. Crop rotation grows different crops in planned sequence on the same plot across seasons, breaking pest/disease cycles and managing soil fertility, particularly when legumes are rotated with cereals. Relay cropping plants a second crop into a standing first crop before its harvest, maximising use of the growing season. Continuous cropping repeats the same crop on the same land season after season, which, without adequate fertility management, leads to declining yields, a key reason sustainable systems (Part 1.4.3) emphasise rotation and diversification. Fill in the blank: ________ cropping grows two or more crops simultaneously on the same plot, improving land use efficiency and, where a legume is included, contributing biological nitrogen fixation benefiting the companion crop.

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS Figure 1.1: Crop classification and cropping systems Pilot questions 1.1 1. Define crop production and distinguish it from natural plant growth. 2. Classify crops by life cycle and give one Nigerian example of each class. 3. Distinguish between food crops and cash/industrial crops, with one example each. 4. Define cropping system and name three types. 5. Explain one benefit of intercropping a legume with a cereal. 1.2 Climatic Requirements for Crop Production 1.2.1 Temperature and light requirements Temperature governs germination, vegetative growth, flowering, and maturity rate in crops; each crop has a minimum, optimum, and maximum temperature range, with most Nigerian field crops (maize, rice, cowpea) performing best between 20 and 32 degrees Celsius, while temperate crops

AGE la-NET | ONLINE LEARNING VIDEO PLATFORM FOR POST-SECONDARY & HIGHER INSTITUTION STUDENTS (wheat, Irish potato) require the cooler conditions of the Jos and Mambilla highlands. Temperatures outside the optimum range slow growth, delay flowering, or, at the extremes, cause crop failure through heat or cold stress. Light intensity and day length (photoperiod) also influence crop development: most field crops require full sun for maximum photosynthesis and yield, and some crops (certain sorghum and rice varieties) are photoperiod-sensitive, flowering only when day length falls within a specific range, a trait breeders consider when developing varieties for different latitudes and planting seasons across Nigeria. Fill in the blank: Most Nigerian field crops such as maize, rice, and cowpea perform best within a temperature range of approximately ________ to 32 degrees Celsius, while temperate crops require the cooler conditions of Nigeria highland zones. 1.2.2 Rainfall and water requirements Rainfall amount and distribution across the growing season determine which crops can be grown successfully in a given location without irrigation. Most cereals and legumes require 500 to 1,200 mm of well-distributed rainfall per season; root and tuber crops generally need more (cassava tolerates lower rainfall and is drought-tolerant relative to yam, which needs more consistent moisture). Rainfall distribution matters as much as total amount: a dry spell during flowering or grain filling can severely reduce yield even where total seasonal rainfall is adequate. Water stress at critical growth stages (germination, flowering, grain filling) causes the greatest yield loss, while excess water/waterlogging causes root damage and disease in most field crops except rice, which tolerates flooded conditions. Where rainfall is unreliable or insufficient, irrigation (covered further in later AGE courses) extends production into the dry season, particularly

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