Effects of climate change on pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum [L. R. Br.]) production in Nigeria

This paper attempts to examine the relationship between climate change and pearl millet production in Nigeria. It discusses the origin, distribution of the species with some of their properties including production constraints in the Sub Saharan Africa and Nigeria in particular. Northern states of Nigeria were found to be the dominant producers of pearl millets with Sokoto state having a total cultivated area of 747,580ha. Pearl millet was also found to be the major crop amongst others, useful for minimizing the adverse effect of climate change, hence facilitating income and food security among farming communities. Major production constraint of the crop in the Sub Saharan Africa, particularly in Nigeria is yield reduction and/or total crop failure caused by erratic seasonal rainfalls, floods, failing soil fertility and poor crop management practices. Biotic stress due to weeds such as Striga spp as well as insect pests and diseases pestilences is a constraint. Therefore, appropriate climate change mitigation efforts to improve pearl millet production and enhance food security should be adopted in the Sub Saharan Africa and Nigeria. Keywords: Climate change, pearl millet, Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria

[1]  Yan Lv,et al.  Impact of Climate Change on Crops Adaptation and Strategies to Tackle Its Outcome: A Review , 2019, Plants.

[2]  D. Coumou,et al.  Climate change impacts in Sub-Saharan Africa: from physical changes to their social repercussions , 2017, Regional Environmental Change.

[3]  C. Gowda,et al.  Crops that feed the world 11. Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.): an important source of food security, nutrition and health in the arid and semi-arid tropics , 2016, Food Security.

[4]  S. Ladan.  An appraisal of climate change and agriculture in Nigeria , 2014 .

[5]  Gloria Chitalu.  Genetic characterization of pearl millet(Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br) genotypes in Zambia , 2014 .

[6]  J. Antle,et al.  ASSESSING CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS AND ADAPTATION STRATEGIES FORSMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS IN UGANDA , 2012 .

[7]  F. Tubiello,et al.  Global food security under climate change , 2007, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

[8]  M. O’Kennedy.  Genetic enhancement of pearl millet , 2004 .

[9]  D. S. Murty,et al.  Genetic enhancement of pearl millet and sorghum for the semi-arid tropics of Asia and Africa , 1999 .

[10]  F. Bidinger,et al.  Crop physiology and breeding for drought tolerance: research and development , 1991 .

[11]  V. Mahalakshmi,et al.  Water stress and time of floral initiation in pearl millet , 1985, The Journal of Agricultural Science.

[12]  P. Tongoona,et al.  Farmers’ Production Constraints, Knowledge of Striga andPreferred Traits of Pearl Millet in Jigawa State, Nigeria , 2017 .

[13]  B. Rajpurohit,et al.  Pearl Millet Crop Management and Seed Production Manual , 2007 .

[14]  Extension,et al.  Econometric analysis of the relationship between drought and millet production in the arid zone of Nigeria: A case study of Borno and Yobe states , 2006 .

[15]  Josep A. Garí.  Review of the African millet diversity , 2002 .