Changing Pattern in Sweet Potato Cultivation in Semi-Arid Environment, Nigeria

J.O Adejuwon,A.O Olawole,N.O Adeoye

doi:10.4314/jasem.v23i7.7

Abstract

Sweet potato, an herbaceous perennial vine is a sweet tasting tuberous root vegetable. Its importance lies on its sweetness and nutritional value. The varieties ranged from wild accessions to farmer varieties. In this study, thechanging pattern in sweet potato cultivation in the semi-arid environment in Nigeria is examined. Questionnaire was administered to 450 respondents from 15 agricultural settlements in 15 local governments in the study area, using clustered sampling technique. Data was analyzed using frequency counts, percentage and pairwise t-test. Results show twenty-seven varieties of sweet potatoes were cultivated in the basin, with 19 varieties planted in 1970’s and 24 varieties cultivated in 2000’s. Farmers no longer plant 3 varieties while 8 varieties were newly introduced. The farmers planting these varieties ranged from 0.2% to 20%. The planting of 7 varieties have reduced while there is an increase in the planting of 9 varieties. White sweet potato was the most popular and widely planted varieties, accounting for 18% and 20% in the 1970’s and 2000’s respectively. Factors that determine choice of the varieties planted include farmers’ choice of sweet potatoes is determined by nutritional value, skin colour, flesh colour, taste, size, personal preference, market value, demand, yield, appearance as well as resistance to pests and diseases. Farmers cultivating sweet potatoes in the basin have increased by 1.4% from 82.3% in 1970’s to 83.7% in 2000’s. Pairwise t-test showed that there is no significant difference in sweet potatoes varieties cultivated between 1970's and 2000's.Keywords: sweet potato, varieties, farmers, changing pattern, Sokoto-Rima River Basin

Highlights

The sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), an important sweet tasting tuberous root vegetable, is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvulaceae (Purseglove, 1991)
Austin maintained that the center of origin of sweet potatoes was between the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico and the mouth of the Orinoco River in Venezuela It spread from this area by the local people to the Caribbean and South America by 2500 BC
This study revealed changes in the planting of sweet potato varieties in Sokoto-Rima River Basin

Summary

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Study Area: The study area lies between latitude 10.8o N and 13.58oN and longitude 3.30o E and 7.13o E (Figure 1) It exhibits a tropical climate, with a definite and marked wet and dry season. The humidity of the wet season is high reaching an average of 80% in the southern area but lower to about 30% in the dry season and a mean value of 20 or 25% in January and April (Adejuwon, 2017). Diurnal values may fall from 50% at dawn to 10% in the afternoon This is feature of the harmattan when the dry and dust-laden North East trade winds are blowing from the Sahara under cloudless but dusty conditions. 450 respondents were sampled from 15 agricultural settlements in 15 local governments in the study area in 2009 (table 1). Data was analyzed using descriptive frequency counts, percentage and pairwise t-test with Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 16)

AND DISCUSSION

Findings

Conclusion