Reducing Food Losses Through Sustainable Methods Of Plant Disease Management: An Imperative For Actualization Of Food Security In Nigeria [Inaugural Lecture]
INTRODUCTION
Plants not only sustain man and animals but also source of food for other organisms including microorganisms living in the ecosystem. Efforts of man is to subjugate plants and animals for his own use but competing microorganisms still defy his efforts and claim appreciable tones of agricultural products annually. Attacks by these pathogenic (disease-causing) organisms therefore constitute a stubborn barrier to the rapid progress in food production, agricultural development and food security in Nigeria.
The most common response to this growing problem of plant diseases in Nigeria as an agrarian country is the use of synthetic pesticides. Apart from hazards involved in using these chemicals to both the environment and the farmers who lack the necessary expertise in pesticide application, most of the plant pathogenic organisms and insect pests have developed resistance to some of these chemicals (Amadioha and Obi, 1999). Also, synthetic pesticides are usually scarce and when available, too expensive for resource • .juor farmers who produce over 98% of food consumed in Nigeria (Afin, et. al., 1991).
Natural plant products and their analogues have been found to be an important source of new agricultural chemicals used to counter the obvious environmental pollution problems .nd hazards associated with the use of synthetic chemicals (Amadioha and Obi, 1998; Amadioha, 1998a). Natural plant materials as pesticide alternatives have been reported to. be non-phytotoxic, systemic, biodegradable, cheap, readily available, environmentally friendlier and cost effective in developing countries like Nigeria where synthetic chemicals are scarce and expensive when available, for resource poor farmers (Amadioha, 2000a).
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MICHAEL, U (2023). Reducing Food Losses Through Sustainable Methods Of Plant Disease Management: An Imperative For Actualization Of Food Security In Nigeria [Inaugural Lecture]. Repository.mouau.edu.ng: Retrieved Nov 21, 2024, from https://repository.mouau.edu.ng/work/view/reducing-food-losses-through-sustainable-methods-of-plant-disease-management-an-imperative-for-actualization-of-food-security-in-nigeria-%5Binaugural-lecture%5D-7-2
UNIVERSITY, MICHAEL. "Reducing Food Losses Through Sustainable Methods Of Plant Disease Management: An Imperative For Actualization Of Food Security In Nigeria [Inaugural Lecture]" Repository.mouau.edu.ng. Repository.mouau.edu.ng, 11 Aug. 2023, https://repository.mouau.edu.ng/work/view/reducing-food-losses-through-sustainable-methods-of-plant-disease-management-an-imperative-for-actualization-of-food-security-in-nigeria-%5Binaugural-lecture%5D-7-2. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
UNIVERSITY, MICHAEL. "Reducing Food Losses Through Sustainable Methods Of Plant Disease Management: An Imperative For Actualization Of Food Security In Nigeria [Inaugural Lecture]". Repository.mouau.edu.ng, Repository.mouau.edu.ng, 11 Aug. 2023. Web. 21 Nov. 2024. < https://repository.mouau.edu.ng/work/view/reducing-food-losses-through-sustainable-methods-of-plant-disease-management-an-imperative-for-actualization-of-food-security-in-nigeria-%5Binaugural-lecture%5D-7-2 >.
UNIVERSITY, MICHAEL. "Reducing Food Losses Through Sustainable Methods Of Plant Disease Management: An Imperative For Actualization Of Food Security In Nigeria [Inaugural Lecture]" Repository.mouau.edu.ng (2023). Accessed 21 Nov. 2024. https://repository.mouau.edu.ng/work/view/reducing-food-losses-through-sustainable-methods-of-plant-disease-management-an-imperative-for-actualization-of-food-security-in-nigeria-%5Binaugural-lecture%5D-7-2