AGRICULTURAL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
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Item Farm structures and environment: The indispensable but unappreciated specialization of agricultural engineering in Nigeria.(The Nigeiran Society of Engineers, 2011) Mijinyawa, Y.Farm structures, a vital component of agricultural engineering is given very little recognition because of conflicts and ignorance. Neglected in terms of man power and facilities, its numerous potentials for agricultural development remain untapped. Climate change and noise from increasing farm mechanization activities are becoming threats to agricultural practice and a challenge to the farm structures experts. To appropriately respond to these challenges, due attention need to be given to the theory and practice of the profession while collaboration and information exchange among the experts need to be strengthened.Item Assessment of Kwara state tractor hiring unit(The Nigerian institution of Agricultural Engineers, 2010) Mijinyawa, Y.; Adebayo, S.A survey was undertaken to assess the Kwara State Tractor Hiring Unit using fleet of equipment, personnel and workshop facilities, and its impact on the farming populace in the state as assessment criteria. The study adopted the use of a questionnaire and interview schedules, focused group discussion and personal observation for data collection. Records available at the headquarters of the unit provided additional source of information. The unit has a total of 38 tractors which comprises of 29 Ursus 5312, six New Holland 5635, three heavy duty tractors, 22 disc ploughs, seven mouldboard ploughs, 18 disc harrows, eight disc ridgers, 10 trailers, two rice shellers, five multipurpose shellers, two maize shellers and one fourwheel drive jeep car. Majority (81%) of the equipment were functional, a few (13%) required minor repairs to be used on the farm and 6% were scraps. The unit has neither a workshop nor an implement shed thus exposing the machinery to inclement weather. Personnel in the unit are adequate but the maintenance culture is service driven. There has been a general increase in farm sizes since the introduction of the unit even though only a few farmers have been able to access the services rendered by the unit. Several reasons accounted for the limited beneficiaries from the activities of the unit prominent among which are inability to raise the cost of hiring, delay in service delivery, remoteness of farms and small holdings.The unit has great potentials for improving the agricultural productivity of the state if the equipment available can be effectively utilized. Towards achieving this, it is recommended that a functional workshop and implement sheds be provided at the headquarters and area offices, the activities should be decentralized while adopting a regular maintenance culture. As an agency of the government, there should be adequate funding by the state government.Item Analysis of climatic factors for the selection of greenhouse glazing materials in Ilorin, Nigeria(The Nigerian institution of Agricultural Engineers, 2011) Mijinyawa, Y.; Ajayi, S. A.The effect of climate change in recent times has necessitated the need for a controlled environment for the cultivation of many crops which were hitherto cultivated under natural tropical condition. An appropriate method of accomplishing this is through the use of greenhouses which modify the environment to produce a micro-climate suitable for optimum plant growth. The successful use of greenhouses depends on the choice of appropriate glazing material. Tomatoes are precious crop demanded all year round but the production of which is being reduced by the effect of climate change. Desirous to increase the level of production, the study attempts to identify appropriate glazing material for greenhouse: for the production of tomatoes in Ilorin, Nigeria. Climatological data were collected from the Ilorin International Airport and analyzed in order to identify appropriate - covering materials for the development of greenhouse structures in Ilorin. Double layer polyethylene and white corrugated polyvinylchloride were the two glazing materials that have the lowest inner surface temperatures arid also satisfy the condition of heat load. To derive the maximum benefits of greenhouses, in addition to using these materials, Proper ventilation and shading of the greenhouses are recommended.Item The status of greenhouses utilization in Oyo State, Nigeria(Scholarlink Research Institute, 2011) Mijinyawa, Y.; Osiade, G. I.The toll of climate change on the Nigerian agricultural system in recent times has resulted in the decline of agricultural production constituting a threat to food security. There is therefore an urgent need for strategies to reverse the situation and greenhouse farming is contemplated as a possible option. Towards the successful adoption of this strategy, a survey was conducted using Oyo State as a case study to establish the present status of the use of greenhouses in the region. A total of 114 greenhouses in six locations within the teaching and research institutions and primarily used for the purpose of research and as nurseries were identified. The materials used in the construction of various parts include welded mesh, aluminium, iron, glass sheet and polythene films. These greenhouses have been successfully used in the cultivation of sugarcane, sweet potato, Irish potatoes, onions, greenbean, carrot, cucumber, olive tree, citrus seedlings, seedlings of obeche and other hardwoods. Infrequent research activities have led to the abandonment of many greenhouses. Prohibitive cost of construction and maintenance has discouraged individuals from venturing into greenhouse farming. Based on the performance of the crops cultivated in these greenhouses, it is believed that whatever investment may be made in the erection of greenhouses, such could be recovered within a short period of time and hence the introduction of greenhouses for crop production as one of the many options of combating the negative effects of climate change in Nigeria is advocated. Towards this accomplishment, it is recommended that the existing greenhouses be effectively utilized, there should be public enlightenment on the potentials of greenhouses, there should be sourcing for local construction materials to reduce cost, interested individuals especially the youths should be trained on greenhouse construction and maintenance while government intervention is required.Item Greenhouse farming as adaptation to climate change in Nigeria(David Publishing, 2011-11) Mijinyawa, Y.The effect of climate change in recent times has disrupted the onset and duration of seasons in Nigeria manifesting in the reduction of both staple and cash crops, and livestock yields. This has transformed the country to a major importer of those agricultural produce she hitherto exported. As a country where over 70% of the population depends on agriculture for survival, the impacts of climate change are a major threat to both food security and the general economy. Remedial measures which have been suggested including adoption of agronomic and tested practices, reduced burning and afforestation. An option that could be of great potential in ameliorating this situation but which has not been practiced especially in the production of specialty crops is the use of greenhouse farming. This paper discusses the impact of climate change on Nigerian agriculture. The potentials and logistics are required for effective use of greenhouse farming as an adaptation to climate change in Nigeria. It is suggested that research should be carried out to select appropriate glazing materials. The provisions of training and credit facilities for interested farmers are recommended for effective utilization of the system.Item Development of a greenhouse roof cleaner(Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers, 2011-12) Mijinyawa, Y.; Akpenpuun, T. D.The efficiency of a greenhouse is influenced by the cleanliness of the glazing material through which heat and light penetrate into the enclosure. The common cleaning method for most greenhouses in developing countries is the use of a ladder to climb onto the roof to clean which is labour intensive, time-consuming, imposes severe loads on the roof that could cause failure and is dangerous to the cleaner. Consequently, many greenhouse roofs are rarely cleaned and the accumulated dirt reduce the amount of light and heat penetrating into the house. Experimental studies in such greenhouses may fail to produce valid findings while crop production may not yield the desired produce. There is therefore the need for appropriate equipment for effective cleaning of greenhouse roofs in order to eliminate the disadvantages of the existing common method. The focus of this study was to develop simple equipment that could be used for the cleaning of a greenhouse roof. A manually operated brush type greenhouse roof cleaner was designed, fabricated and tested. The equipment consisted of a roughly cylindrical brush mounted on a frame attached to a handle made of three concentric and adjustable cylindrical pipes. The equipment was fitted with a wash mix dispenser operated by a 1 hp sump pump. The equipment testing involved recording the illumination within and outside three greenhouses before and after washing with the equipment. Increases of 6.03, 13.19 and 16.36 % in transmittances of the roofs following washing with the equipment were recorded. A simple, easy to set-up, operate and maintain equipment for the cleaning of greenhouse roof has been designed and demonstrated great potentials in cleaning. Further studies aimed at reducing the weight, prolonging service life and improving efficiency are required.Item Development of a wind rosette for farmstead planning in Ibadan environ, Nigeria(Scholarlink Research Institute, 2011) Mijinyawa, Y.; Awogbuyi, T.The prevailing wind speed and direction in an environment are critical factors in farmstead planning they influence the appropriate location and orientation of structures in order to reduce wind load impact and promote a healthy environment. The failure of farm structures especially with roof blown-off arising from wind load has become rampant in lbadan environ in recent time and an urgent solution is desirable. In this work, an attempt is made to develop a wind rosette for lbadan environ using 20 year climatic data. The prevailing wind direction was established to be southwesterly indicating that it originates in the south western direction and progresses in the northeastern direction while the average wind speed is 1.9m/s. A design speed of 2.1m/s being the highest recorded over the 20 year period is recommended for use in determining wind load. In order to minimize the impact of wind loads, the least projected area of buildings should be oriented in the southeast direction: shelterbelts should also be planted in the southeast direction in order to offer maximum protection. Using this prevailing wind direction as a guide, all odour producing facilities such as livestock units and waste treatment plants should be located on the leeward side of residential buildings.Item Design construction and testing of a livestock loading and unloading ramp(Global Institute of Research and Education, 2010) Mijinyawa, Y.; Atanda, S.Loading and unloading constitute major aspects of livestock transportation. In many circumstances, they are accomplished with a lot of drudgery and harm to both the livestock and handler. More friendly handling methods are desirable. A simple wooden ramp was designed and constructed at the dairy unit of the teaching and research farm of the University of Ibadan. The ramp was tested by loading cattle into a trailer while observing any physical damage and consolidation movement of the columns. The integrity of the structure was maintained while no consolidation movement was observed. Animal exhibited reluctance during loading but unloaded with ease. An extended curved race and screening are desirable in order to derive maximum benefits from the use of the ramp. Tests of longer duration should form the thrust of future work.Item A comparative analysis of barn and platform as storage structures for yam tuber in Ibadan, Nigeria(Global Institute of Research and Education, 2010-03) Mijinyawa, Y.; Alaba, J. O.An experimental study was undertaken to evaluate and compare the performances of a local barn and a platform, as storage structures for yam tubers (Dioscorea rotundata poir.) The criteria used for evaluation and comparison were the degree of weight loss during storage, tuber sprouting and rotting of yam tubers during a 17 week storage duration between March and June 2008. Measurements of temperatures and relative humidity in the storage environment were taken thrice daily during the period. Weight loss in each tuber was measured weekly while sprouts were removed from tubers fortnightly. Results show that the average temperature and relative humidity on the platform were 30.4°C and 57.3% respectively while for the barn, they were 26.5°C and 55.5% respectively. The average weight loss in tubers in the barn during the duration was 32.8% while for tubers on the platform, it was 30.3%. Yam tubers on the platform recorded 5.4% sprouting while those in the barn had 4.9% sprouting. Palm leaves cover for yam tubers on the platform protected the tubers from excessive heat and moisture loss. Rotting was observed in 10% of the tubers stored in the barn but was completely absent from those stored on the platform.Item Assessment of the noise level generated during ploughing and harrowing operations in Ibadan Nigeria(Asian Researching Publishing Network, 2012-08) Mijinyawa, Y.; Akiyemi, B. A.In an attempt to meet the food demand by the ever increasing human population, the use of machines in the performance of agricultural operations is increasingly being emphasized. Two of the most common operations for which machines are used on the farm are ploughing and harrowing. Tractor operators who perform these functions are known to spend long period of time working with the machines and various implements which generate substantial noise. Exposure to excessive noise could be harmful to human health if not regulated. The focus of this study was to investigate the level of noise to which tractor operators are exposed during ploughing and harrowing operations using MF260 and MF 265 tractors the noise level generated varied from 88.6 to 89.4dBA for ploughing and 86.5 to 88.4 dBA for harrowing. These levels are more than the recommended level of 85dB which indicate that the operators are under threat from noise and precautionary measures are desirable. A good maintenance culture especially the lubrication of parts to reduce noise, the use of ear protector such as ear muffs and plugs and cabins on tractors are recommended as ways by which the noise exposure could be minimized.