Paper Details

Rainfall and Temperature are notable climatic variables affecting the growth and yield of maize in the rainforest environment of Ondo State, thus, a study was carried out to assess the influence of climatic variable patterns on maize yield. The study employs secondary climatic data of Ondo state from 2000-2024 and yearly yield data of maize from Agricultural Development Programme. Daily climatic variables were summarized and analyzed using regression and correlation. The correlation analysis revealed a non-significant negative relationship between maize yield and solar radiation (r² = -0.119), maximum temperature (r² = -0.366), and rainfall (r² = -0.104). Conversely, minimum temperature exhibited a slight positive correlation with yield (r² = 0.028). The results also showed a positive correlation between solar radiation and both maximum (r² = 0.235) and minimum (r² = 0.279) temperatures, while rainfall displayed a negative correlation with these variables (r² = -0.271). Trend analysis indicated an upward positive trend in maize yield, despite fluctuations in temperature and rainfall. Regression analysis further demonstrated that solar radiation, temperature, and rainfall collectively explained 50.6% of the variability in maize yield (R² = 0.506). The most significant impact on yield was attributed to solar radiation (β = 3.747, p < 0.01), followed by temperature, with rising temperatures contributing to decreased yields. These findings suggest that while maize production in Ondo State is influenced by multiple agro-climatic factors, the significant role of solar radiation highlights the need for adaptive agricultural practices to mitigate the adverse effects of increasing temperatures on maize yield.