Natural Hazard and Crop Yield in Oleh, South-South Nigeria: Flooding in Perspective
Received Date: Dec 10, 2013 / Accepted Date: Jan 17, 2014 / Published Date: Jan 22, 2014
Abstract
We examined the effects of flooding on crop yield in Oleh, South-South Nigeria. The length of the different farmlands were taken, the length of the flooded period, the percentage of total length and the depth of the flood water were all recorded and used for the study. The period of water retention on the farmlands was measured and the flood type categorized. The estimated yield and estimated loss from the farmlands for the two years (2011 and 2012) were recorded and analyzed. The study revealed that there was a high level of inundation in farmlands in Oleh soon after every rain event. A mean value of 0.608 kilometers of flooded portion was recorded at Odah in 2011, 0.441 kilometers at Iwhreotah in 2011, 0.547 kilometers at Erorin in 2011 and 0.485 kilometers at Odah in 2012, 0.425 kilometers at Iwhreotah in 2012 and 0.598 kilometers of flooded portion in 2012 at Erorin quarters were generally observed in the farm lands. The study revealed that all the crops cultivated in the area (cassava, melon, yam, maize, plantain) were affected by flooding above 50 percent of total yield of each crop cultivated in the area except yam (46.9%). We recommend that fast growing and quick yielding species of plants be introduced in the area as well as the ridge and furrow method of farming. The ridge will be used to plant the crops, while the furrow acts as a check to the excess water found on the farmland.
Keywords: Oleh; Crop yield; Natural hazard; Flooding; Nigeria
Citation: Ojeh VN, Victor-Orivoh AF (2014) Natural Hazard and Crop Yield in Oleh, South-South Nigeria: Flooding in Perspective. J Earth Sci Clim Change 5: 181. Doi: 10.4172/2157-7617.1000181
Copyright: ©2014 Ojeh VN, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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