A Professor of soil science at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, MOUAU, Abia State, Professor Mabel Ifeoma Onwuka has warned farmers against planting crops at dumpsites, noting that it could lead to cancer.
This is also as she expressed worries over poor soil texture in the southeast region, advocating for proactive measures to mitigate looming food insecurity.
Onwuka, who disclosed this on Tuesday during a community outreach organized in collaboration with Peri-Urban Agricultural unit of National Roots Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) Umudike, at Umuajata Olokoro, Umuahia South LGA, disclosed that some cultural practices were detrimental to soil fertility.
She identified bush burning, population pressure, climate change, erosion, indiscriminate use of fertilizers, among others as major factors that affect the soil negatively and lead to poor yields.
While warning farmers to avoid planting crops at waste dump sites, she explained that the presence of heavy metals like mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), thallium (Tl), among others would be absorbed by crops and may lead to cancer and other health conditions.
Prof. Onwuka also decried the recent exponential increase in the price of sundry food items, enjoining Nigerians to grow some of the crops they consume.
She demonstrated to the women Biochar Production and how to convert their domestic and agricultural waste into organic fertilizer, urged Abia farmers to take advantage of MOUAU community services outreaches to boost food production.
Onwuka, who lamented the inability of the rural women to access fertilizers, said that the essence of the rural outreach to farmers was to extend new research innovations in order to boost food production in Abia and Nigeria at large.