Improving food crop production in the Sudan Savanna zone of Northern Nigeria

Poor rainfall in 1972 and 1973 led to much of the area in the Sudan Savanna zone of Nigeria being declared a disaster area due to the widespread failures of major food crops under indigenous practices. However, in the same circumstances, a group of farmers using improved seed, fertilizer and better methods, obtained yields which were satisfactory. Crop losses from “drought” are a strong function of the cultivars grown and of the level of crop husbandry.