Abstract: Increasing productivity in agriculture depends heavily on a number of factors including weather and climate conditions. Crop yield, biodiversity water use, health as well as soils are directly affected by a changing climate. Climate Change incidence is one of the major problems of Nigeria’s agricultural system. This paper analyzed climate change incidence and its implication on the yields of grain legumes in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Thus, yields of grain legumes rainfall and temperature data for the periods of thirty (30) years (1987-2016) were sourced and analyzed from the National Bureau of statistics, Abuja, National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services, Zaria and Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Abuja. Standardized coefficients of Skewness (Z1) and Kurtosis (Z2) were used to test for the normality in the seasonal rainfall series (April to October) for the study area. Similarly, relationship between Climate data (rainfall and temperature values) and cowpea yield were tested using Bivariate correlation analysis. The result revealed that Z1 (rainfall=0.23 and temperature=0.21) and Z2 (rainfall = -0.38 and temperature = 0.88) for the study area were accepted as normal at 95% confidence level. The results of the correlation analysis indicated a positive (weak) relationship between rainfall and temperature values and yields of grain legumes. In view of this, the study recommended the need for development of comprehensive agricultural and climate change policy that takes into account the risks of grain legumes yields particularly in the study area.
Key words: Climate change, Grain legumes, Rainfall, Temperature