Environmental Factors Affecting Agricultural Production

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Table Of Contents

Meaning and Element/Factors of Climate

Definition: Climate is defined as the average weather condition of a place, measured over a long period of time (over 35 years).

Factors of Climate

Factors or element of climate includes:

Importance of Climate in Agriculture

How Climate determines the Types of Crops and Animals found in Nigeria

Essential factors of climate which determines the type of crops and animals found in Nigeria are rainfall and temperature.

Rainfall

Rainfall is defined as the amount and distribution of water precipitation within a given time, in a given area.
It is brought about by southwest trade winds which blows from the Atlantic Ocean.
As the wind blows from the ocean to inland, it dropped the water it is carrying.

As a result of this, the coastal area receive more rainfall per annum than the rest of the region.
As the moisture – laden wind moves further inland, the amount of rainfall decreases.
By the time this wind gets to the northern part of the country, there is little or no moisture left in it.

In the northern areas, less rainfall is experienced per year.
In the coastal areas, rainy seasons ranges from eight months to all the year round while in the North, rainy seasons last for only three to four months.
This moisture regime affects crops and livestock distribution.

In the coastal areas, which are the more humid southern part, crops which adapt to heavy rainfall are predominant, e.g, rice, maze, fruit, cocoa, forest trees, yams and banana.
Much animal rearing does not take place in heavy rainfall areas because of high humidity and tsetse fly infection.
Consequently, only animals such as dwarf sheep, goat, poultry, muturu and N’dama cattle which are resistant to trypanosomasis can be reared.

In the northern parts, with little rainfall, crops which are drought – resistance like Guinea corn, Millet, beniseed are grown.
These crops normally complete their life cycle within three to four months of rainfall. This area is the animal-rearing zone because of few or no tsetse fly.
Animals like donkeys, capital, sheep, goats, Camels and horses are reared here successfully because of sufficient grassland for grazing them.

Temperature

Temperature is defined as a measure of the heat energy which a body contains or the degree of hotness and coldness of a place at a point in time.
There is variance of temperature from the coastal area to the extreme north.

During the dry season, temperature is extremely high in the North but not as high in the coastal areas.
Though many farming activities do not take place in the dry season, the crops found in the North are high temperature-loving plants, like to tobacco.
The average minimum temperature varies from 20°C in the coastal areas, e.g, Calabar, during the coldest month of the year to about 13°C in the northern areas, e.g, Nguru, during the coldest harmattan season.

Owing to this coldness, wheat can be successfully grown in the North under irrigation, while it cannot be grown in the coastal areas.
Animals found in the northern areas are also well adapted to withstand the severe heat of the sun.

Environmental Factors Affecting Agricultural Production

Environmental factors affecting agricultural production are grouped into three major classes:

Revision Questions

List five importance of climate in agriculture.
How can climate determines the types of crops and animals found in Nigeria?
What are the three major classes of environmental factors affecting agricultural production?