Akperan Orshi Polytechnic Yandev, formerly the Akperan Orshi College of Agriculture, is receiving a significant boost to its educational and research capabilities thanks to the establishment of a 5-hectare agroforestry model farm by the Benue ACReSAL (Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes) Project. This initiative addresses long-standing challenges faced by the institution, including a lack of adequate facilities for practical learning across its various departments, which include crops, animal health, fisheries, agricultural engineering, and forestry etc.
The agroforestry model, a comprehensive and sustainable agricultural system, features a diverse range of components. It includes sections dedicated to animal husbandry with cattle, goat, and poultry sheds; a vegetable crop area; two plant nursery sheds; an afforestation zone with mahogany and acacia trees; a fruit orchard comprised of mangoes, oranges, soursop, tenera palms, and bananas; and a stable crop section. Furthermore, the model boasts an apiary with five beehive stands for honey production.
To ensure consistent productivity, the project has installed an irrigation system with a 36 cubic meter reservoir. Manual irrigation is used for the fruit tree and afforestation areas, while a sprinkler system irrigates the stable and vegetable crops. Initial trials, including successful harvests of watermelon, tomatoes, and pepper, demonstrate the model’s potential. Currently, bitter leaf, pumpkin, and zobo crops are being cultivated.
Despite initial challenges such as the sandy and porous soil, fungal infections, cation deficiencies, and insect infestations, the project successfully implemented solutions. Irrigation and the Zai method addressed soil drainage, environmentally friendly fungicides combated fungal issues, organic fertilizers enriched the soil with potassium and calcium, and neem extracts managed insect populations.
The establishment of this agroforestry model has already yielded significant positive impacts. It has facilitated the accreditation of programs within the school, contributed to environmental benefits such as carbon sequestration, soil improvement, and biodiversity conservation, and fostered practical learning opportunities for students.
The model also serves as a research platform for studies on climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, and ecological interactions, and is poised to become an innovation hub for the development of new agroforestry techniques and sustainable practices. This intervention by the Benue ACReSAL Project is proving to be a vital lifeline, empowering Akperan Orshi Polytechnic Yandev to better serve its students and contribute to a more sustainable future.