NISS Trains South West Soil Scientists To Boost Soil Through Modern Technology

Soil scientists have been advised to make use of technological improvements to ensure that soil is properly managed for better productivity, and farmers are expected to be educated by soil scientists to boost food productions in the country.

This advice was given by the President and Chairman of the Nigeria Institute of Soil Science, Professor Ayo Ogunkunle, during the capacity Building Workshop for Soil Scientists in South West, Nigeria at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, IAR&T, Moor Plantation, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Ogunkunle said in his opening remarks that technological advancement is taking place in all the spheres of life and urged soil scientists to key into the system so that their impact will be felt in the society, which, according to him, will make them relevant.

“It is better we follow the trend and use modern equipment so that we will not lag behind but improved in our dealings to avoid been primitive.

“We have to improve ourselves so as to catch up with the improvement that is going on in the world,” he said.

He however, expressed satisfaction that the institute has made tremendous impact in the lives of soil scientists and farmers in the five years existence of the institute with the use of modern technicalities to improve the lives of farmers.

He maintained that the existence of NISS in IAR&T is for mutual establishment, while pledging to add to the benefits of the institute.

He however, urged the participants to use their acquired knowledge at the workshop to boost food production in the country.

Earlier in her welcome address at the workshop, the Director of IAR&T Professor Veronica Obatolu urged the participants to use the workshop to develop new ideas on how the soil can work together with other natural resources to boost agricultural productions.

She also encouraged them to work on how to have better people within the country to work with the Federal Government to contribute to the growth of soil science through agriculture.

In his own words, the Registrar of NISS Professor Victor Chude, who was represented by Ms Acquine Onwukwe, disclosed that the training is very crucial to the NISS, which she said is the reason for organising it in all the geo- political zones of the country simultaneously.

She stated that the training is crucial to making provision for how to manage the soil for positive and better agricultural productions .

“The population is growing and the soil is not expanding and because of that there should be adequate training on how to improve the soil for better production,” she said.

The South West NISS Coordinator, Professor James Adediran, while welcoming the participants, enumerated some of the tremendous achievements of the NISS.

He stated that the workshop was organised to acquaint the Registered Soil Scientists with the activities of NISS nationally and in the South West to boost their strategies for sustainable soil management, which he said will equip them for the tasks ahead.