DECADAL CHARACTERISTICS OF TEMPERATURE TRENDS OVER CONTRASTING CLIMATIC BELTS OF NIGERIA FROM 1980 – 2019.

Résumé

Rainfall and Temperature are very important elements and factors of weather and climate needed in the successful sustainable agricultural and water resource planning. Therefore, this study Examine the decadal characteristics of rainfall trends over contrasting climatic belts of Nigeria from 1980 – 2019. Rainfall and temperature data were obtained for the study from Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Abuja while ginger yield data were collected from the experimental farms of National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) and Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, Abuja. These data covered a period of 40 years (1980 -2019) and were analysed using simple linear regression, correlation and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Results obtained showed that the Tropical Monsoon Climate belt, there has been a steady rise from the first decade of 1980-1989 with temperature values of 26.9oC to the last decade of 2010-2019 with temperature values of 28.6oC. This represented a rise of 1.7oC. In the Warm Desert Climate, the temperature dropped from the first decade 1980-1989 to the second decade of 2000-2009 with a difference of 0.3oC. The temperature value still reduced further in the third decade with difference of 0.1oC and also in Warm Semi-arid Climate belt. Temperature increased in this belt following the pattern witnessed in the Tropical Monsoon Climate, although not with the same magnitude. The rise in temperature represented 1.2oC. Based on the results, the decadal temperature of the four climate belts are increasing in line with the global trend. WDC recorded the highest increase in rate followed by TS, TM and WSC accordingly. This study therefore recommends that, farmer education on the changing climate, and the relevance of agricultural planning to sustainable income should be championed by government and all concerned; while developing a root crop blueprint for farmers and input into farming in funds and machinery.