The objective of the IITA Farming Systems Program is to replace existing food crop production systems by more efficient systems that attain good yields of improved crop varieties on a sustained basis through:- developing suitable land clearing and soil management techniques that minimize erosion and soil deterioration; use of appropriate crop combinations, sequences and management practices that minimize use of costly inputs e.g. fertilizers and pesticides; development of appropriate technologies that increase agricultural productivity while minimizing drudgery, and accurate monitoring of environmental conditions and changes in such a way as to reliably relate these to crop performance, guide timing of operations and for predictive purposes.