FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE

Introduction

The Faculty of Agriculture was established in 2002 with the aim of contributing to the nation's quest for food security and self-sufficiency in agricultural production. The vision of the Faculty of Agriculture at Bayero University Kano is to run a community based participatory programme which emphasizes routine interaction with the catchment communities of the university. Currently, the Faculty has five departments, namely Agronomy, Animal Science, Agricultural Economics and Extension, Crop Protection, and Soil Science. Academic Activities The Faculty runs undergraduate, Masters and Ph.D programmes in the following areas: B. Agriculture with options in Agronomy, Crop Protection, Soil Science, Animal Science and Agricultural Economics and Extension. M.Sc. and Ph.D programmes in Agronomy, Animal Science and Agricultural Economics. The Faculty also hosted five (5) important conferences/workshops as follows: • National Workshop on Curriculum Review for Sasakawa Africa Fund for Extension Education (B.Sc Agricultural Extension). • National Workshop on Review of Draft Proposal on Sasakawa Africa Association/Bill Milinda Gate Funds project for Nigeria. • National Workshop on Emerging/New Trends in Agricultural Extension in Nigeria. • National Workshop on Gender Participation in Agricultural Extension. • The 37~ Annual Conference of the Weed Science Society of Nigeria (Kano, 2009). • The Faculty is currently running a specialized programme on agricultural extension with funding from Sasakawa Africa Fund for Extension Education (SAFE). Research and Publications The Faculty's vision on research activities is to continuously address sustainable agricultural production and capacity building in fragile ecologically unstable Sahelian region, thereby contributing to the nation's quest for NationalFood Security and Self-sufficiency. In the year under review, the Faculty has been involved in the following research efforts: On-going research activities funded by the University: 1. Evaluation of different tillage practices on crop productivity and soil physico-chemical properties. 2. Effect of gibberellic acid on growth and fruit yield of fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis). 3. Soil carbon sequestration for sustainable crop yields in the Sudan Savanna. 4. Bio-efficiency of some plant derivatives on the suppression of cowpea Bruchids (Callosobruchus maculates F.) development and damage in stored cowpea. 5. Study on the protective properties of Calotropis procera leaf powder against storage pests of maize and cowpea seeds. 6. Effect of heating on soil physico-chemical properties and the subsequent growth and yield of maize in dry sub-humid Nigeria. 7. Influence of some agronomic practices on the growth, yield and nutritional quality of Moringa (Moringa o/eifera Lam). 8. Market valuation of fruits characteristics in Kano metropolis. 9. Effective utilisation of agricultural input sources by selected farmers in Kano State. 10. Consumer preference for cattle, sheep and goats in Kano. Collaborative Research Projects: 1. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Tropical Legumes II Project. Collaborators: ICRISAT, IAR/ABU, BUK, ADP's. 2. International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (liTA) Kano, Katsina, Maradi Pilot Study on Sustainable Agricultural Production. 3. Purdue Improved Cowpea Storage (PICS) with Purdue University. In addition to the above, many staff members have attended and presented papers at various learned conferences. Again, some of them conducted various forms of research in their academic fields and got some of the research outputs published as articles in peer reviewed journals and chapters in books. Staff Development During the year under review, many staff of the Faculty were promoted, including two (2) Readers and two staff of the Faculty were sponsored by theUniversity under the McArthur Foundation for overseas training. Accomplishment The faculty has moved into its brand new building complex comprising offices, lecture theatres and halls, etcetera, also situated at the new campus.