Response of Cassava and Maize Yield to Varying Spatial Scales of Rainfall and Temperature Scenarios in Port Harcourt

Background and Objective: Climate change is a serious threat to crop productivity in regions that are already food insecure. There is broad interest in the impacts of some climate parameters on agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa and on the most effective efforts to assist adaptation to these changes, yet the scientific basis for evaluating production risks and prioritizing some specific climate variables have been quite limited. This study assessed the impacts of temperature and rainfall on the yield of two major crops (cassava and maize) in Port Harcourt for the period of 2005-2009 spanning 5 years. Materials and Methods: Temperature and rainfall used for the study were sourced from the archive of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Lagos and crop yield data of cassava and maize sourced from the agricultural development programme Port Harcourt using statistical correlation analysis. Results: The study revealed that the temperature has a negative relationship with the yield of both cassava and maize, therefore, indicating that as temperature decreases, the yield of both cassava and maize increases, which means that the minimum temperature plays a significant role in the growth of cassava and maize in Port Harcourt. While rainfall has a moderate influence on the yield of both crops, indicating that high rainfall amount may have a negative impact on the crop yields. Conclusion: The response of crop yields to maximum high temperature might have an adverse effect on agricultural production in the study area, which is not good as it may lead to the shortage of food, hunger and food insecurity in the study area. The study provides insight into the significant impacts of the temperature and rainfall on cassava and maize yield in the study area.