Over the years, climate change has been a major challenge faced by crop farmers and of particular interest to maize farmers. Maize has little or no resistance to drought. As such, many maize farmers had suffered losses due to the erratic climatic conditions in recent years.  According to Olowogbon et al (2019), most of the farmers (88%) were affected by the 2018 erratic rainfall with an estimated average loss of 1.165hectare of maize/farmer equivalent of about N233, 000 ($764). Presently, farmers depend mainly on other farmers/peer influence and historical experience as the basis for initiating annual planting (Olowogbon et al 2019). While these approaches may be useful in limited ways, the mechanisms do not incorporate scientific know-how and agricultural technological innovations. The use of seasonal climate predictions offers a flexible and scientific model to aid climate adaptation strategies. A specific cropping technology or seed variety may not work across agroecosystems, but improved approaches to interpreting and acting on seasonal climate predictions for decision support can contribute to resilience in a wide range of settings-This is what the SOFADRIC app does.    We believe climate information can help farmers better manage climate risk, making the most of favourable climatic conditions while protecting their livelihoods from extreme events.

Professional Recommendations to build resilience to climate change impacts

1. Mind-shift: As a maize farmer ready to succeed despite the climate change challenge, you need a mind shift. Don’t initiate your seasonal planting based on peer pressure or historical experiences. Rather initiate your farming activities based on scientific innovation and climate data predictions.
2. Change in planting frequencies: Our experience and interaction with maize farmers have shown that most farmers are caught in the web of climate-induced crop failures with the second/third batch of maize cropping in the year. You are advised to crop once. Engage the SOFADRIC app to plant at the safest time predictions. For example, if you are used to cropping 1 hectare, two or three times a season. Mobilize your resources together and crop 2 or 3hactare at once in the safest predicted time on the SOFADRIC app based on your location.
3. Engage improved seeds and utilize best agronomic practices: We encourage you to plant early maturing improved maize seeds to help you hedge climate-related risks. It should be noted that about 15 – 20kg of seed is required per hectare. Plant 3 seeds per hole, and thin to 2 at two weeks after planting. Maintain 25 – 30cm between the planting holes in well-prepared land. Apply fertilizer in two doses. The first dose of NPK 15:15:15 should be applied two weeks after planting at the rate of 300kg (6 bags) per hectare. The second dose should be done 4 weeks after planting. Apply Urea at the rate of 100 kg (2 bags) per hectare. Apply fertilizer only after weed control. Please see other best agronomic practices on the SOFADRIC app.