Rainfall Variation Effect on Soya Beans Yield in Ushongo Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria
Keywords:
Rainfall, Variation, Soya beans, regression, cessationAbstract
This study examines the variations in rainfall characteristics and their impact on Soya beans yield in Ushongo Local Government Area of Benue State. Rainfall data for (2002-2012) were collected from the archive of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) at headquarters tactical air command Makurdi. Data on soya beans yield for eleven years (2002-2012) were obtained from the Benue State Agricultural and Rural Development Agency (BNARDA) Makurdi. From the rainfall data, the rainfall characteristics of onset, cessation and annual totals were derived. Partial correlation and multiple linear regressions (MLR) were used in analyzing the data in order to determine the effect of rainfall on soya beans yield. The result indicates low variability in rainfall characteristics. The result also shows that dates of cessation and annual rainfall totals have a relatively strong correlation with soya beans yield. However cessation was found to account more for the annual variation in soya bean yield. The study recommends establishment of more weather stations for more climatic data generation, seasonal forecast of rainfall characteristics and the application of climatic information by farmers to enhance productivity.
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