Determination of Climate Change Impact on Growing Season Rainfall, Temperature and Crop Yields in Abia State, South-Eastern Nigeria | Chapter 5 | Current Advances in Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences Vol.2

 Climate change poses a significant threat to agriculture by modifying crop growth seasons, putting food production in jeopardy. The goal of this research is to see how climate change affects growing season rainfall and temperature on agricultural productivity. As a result, the impact of climate change on maize (Zea mays) and cassava (Manihot esculenta) yields in Abia State, South-Eastern Nigeria, was investigated in this study. For a period of 30 years, rainfall and temperature data were obtained from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), and crop yield was derived from the archives of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture (FMA) and the Agricultural Development Program (ADP), and was analysed using descriptive statistics, trend graphs, anomalies, and a regression model. As a result, the correlational research method was used. Annual mean maximum temperature increased by 0.0205 per annually, mean minimum temperature increased by 0.0143 per annum, and mean temperature increased by 0.0199 per annum, while annual growing season rainfall decreased by -0.3325 per annum. The mean temperature anomalies have been steadily increasing, particularly in the last five years (2012–2016), and rainfall anomalies have been decreasing in recent years (2007-2016). The multiple regression model revealed r2 values ranging from 0.30 to 0.89, indicating that rainfall and temperature in the states could explain 30 to 89 percent of cassava and maize yields, and the finding was significant at p0.05. It demonstrates that rainfall and temperature have a major impact on cassava and maize yields. The findings suggest a rise in temperature and a drop in growing season rainfall, both of which require immediate action because people in this part of Nigeria rely heavily on rainfall for agricultural purposes. For the country's long-term food security, it is advised that the government and private sector collaborate on agricultural irrigation and water borehole drilling, as well as raising farmer understanding of climate change challenges.

Author(s) Details:

Susan I. Ajiere,
Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Moses Okemini Nwagbara,
Department of Soil Science and Meteorology, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Abia State, Nigeria.

Nwaerema Peace,
Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/CAGEES-V2/article/view/5949