A Professor of Plant Nutrition, Mufutau Atayese, has called on researchers and farmers to focus on sustainable crop nutrition practices such as organic farming, biofertilization, precision agriculture, and integrated nutrient management, to increase crop yield and quality while minimising environmental impact. He made the call while delivering the 83rd Inaugural Lecture of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, held at the Oluwafemi Balogun Ceremonial Building. Prof. Atayese, who is of the College of Plant Science and Crop Production (COLPLANT), FUNAAB, charged government agencies and agro-allied industries to support research initiatives focused on crop nutrition, soil health and sustainable agriculture, to boost agricultural productivity.
According to him, “Nigerians should consider heavy investment in agriculture, as it is done in other sectors of the economy like oil and gas and real estate, among others for the country to be food sufficient”. The inaugural lecturer reiterated that the Federal Universities of Agriculture should emphasise on innovative nutrient management techniques in agricultural training to elicit the interest of students and farmers. Meanwhile, he urged the National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) to promote recent developments and sustainable innovations in their research activities to educate and empower farmers, stressing that they should also educate consumers about the importance of nutrient-rich foods and the role of sustainable crop production in ensuring nutritional security.