Assessment of Physiological Responses and Field Performances of Smallholder Oxen for the Development of Precision-Based Animal-Drawn Plough for Semi-Arid Nigeria

This study focuses on assessing the physiological responses and field performances of smallholder oxen to develop a precision-based animal-drawn plough suitable for use in the semi-arid region of Nigeria. The research was carried out to contribute to enhancement of technology for improving productivity of smallholder farmers who heavily rely on draught animal power. The physiological parameters and field performance characteristics of oxen (n=32 teams) working under climate condition of semi-arid Nigeria were recorded and analyzed. The results indicated a significant difference in both parameters based on oxen’s breed types (p<0.05). There was a crossbred oxen which demonstrated a superior field capacity and ploughing efficiency, while a popular West African indigenous breed native to Nigeria exhibited the highest draught animal power generation among the oxen investigated. These findings highlight the importance of breeds and their potential for the development of a specialized cattle breed with superior draught power capability through crossbreeding. This can facilitate the development of precision-based animal-drawn ploughs as a tool for sustainable agricultural practice through the promotion of reduced soil erosion, minimizing water requirements, and optimizing fertilizer usage which could have implications for promoting climate-smart agricultural practices. Keywords: Smallholder oxen; Precision-based animal-drawn plough; Physiological responses; Field performances; Semi-arid regions; Climate smart agricultural development.