Perception of Soil Fertility for Agricultural Sustainability among Peasant Farmers in Asa L.G.A. Kwara State,Nigeria
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Date
2020
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Journal ISSN
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Department of Geography, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto
Abstract
The inability of farmers to follow through with appropriate soil fertility management can affect
agricultural sustainability in the area which will in turn lead to food shortage. The importance of
indigenous knowledge has been realized in the design and implementation of sustainable development
projects; however, little has been done to incorporate this into formal soil fertility management strategies.
The study was carried out to analyze the perception of soil fertility for agricultural sustainability among
peasant formers in Asa local government area of Kwara State Nigeria. The specific objectives were to (1)
determine the socio-economic characteristics of farmers in the study area; (2) identify farmers' indicators
for soil fertility decline in the study area;/3) identify the indigenous knowledge system for soil fertility
management employed by the farmers;(4) assess the impact of the application of indigenous knowledge
system on formers yield and agricultural sustainability, and (5) examine the constraints to the use of
indigenous knowledge system for soil fertility management. A multi-stage sampling technique was used
to select 85 farmers for the study. Descriptive statistics were used to describe socioeconomic and
institutional characteristics, indicators for fertility decline and management practices employed by the
formers. Logit regression analysis was employed to analyze the socio-economic characteristics influencing
the adoption of indigenous knowledge system for soil fertility management. The result revealed that 58.
8%of the farmers ore between the ages of 50-60 years which implies that most farmers in the study area
ore still in their economically active age. Mixed cropping, application of orgonic manure, supplementation
of orgonic fertilizer with inorganic fertilizers and crop residues were the frequently used indigenous
methods of maintaining soil fertility in the study area. The impact of indigenous knowledge system for soil
fertility management on the farmers yield was statistically significant of 1% level of probability. The result
further reveal that there were various constraints that prevent farmers from practicing indigenous
knowledge system for soil fertility management. The study recommends that for Indigenous knowledge
System in soil fertility management to be preserved and transmitted to the younger generation, it must be
practiced and be included in the education system as well as legislative policy thot con help to integrate
into current social system.
Description
Keywords
Perception, Soil, Fertility, Agricultural sustainability, Peasant farmers, Indigenous Knowledge
Citation
9. Ajibade, L. T, Agaja, T. M. and Solomon, O (2020): Perception of Soil Fertility for Agricultural Sustainability Among Peasant Farmers in Asa L.G.A. Kwara State Nigeria. Sokoto Journal of Geography and the Environment (SJGE), 2, 93-103 Published by the Department of Geography Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto