Modelling the link between soil erosion and arable crop farmers income in Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study aimed at analyzing the link between soil erosion and income of arable crop farmers in Delta State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used. A survey of one hundred and eighty farmers was erratically chosen with a structured questionnaire. The analytical tools used were descriptive statistics and regression model. The results showed that widely held respondents were male. The educational level of respondents was low. The mean farming experience of respondents was 12 years with a mean age of 47 years. The mean family size was 6 persons with a mean farm size of 1.55ha. The most prevalent soil erosion types were gully, rill and sheet erosion. The majority of respondents reported a high level of soil erosion. The most widely used soil erosion resilience measures were mulching, planting of trees, terracing and contour and strip cropping. The major perceived effects of soil erosion were reduction of arable land, loss in productivity of cropping lands, and drop in output. The parameters that affect the income of respondents were drop in output, reduction of arable land, high input, and management, loss of productivity of cropping land, labor shifting out of agriculture and submerges of fertile arable land. The factors that influence the adoption of resilience measures were age, education, household size, farm size, income, extension visit, and farming experience. It is recommended that the Government should enact policies to discourage bush burning, deforestation, and excavation on the farming environment.