SOIL FERTILITY MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES AMONG ARABLE CROP FARMERS IN SOUTHWEST, NIGERIA

Abstract

Soil fertility management techniques (SFMT) among arable crop farmers in southwest, Nigeria was examined. Multiphase techniques were employed in selecting three hundred and fifty (350) arable crop farmers. Data were harvested using a structured interview schedule and analysis was done using descriptive statistics and Person-Product-Moment-Correlation (PPMC). Results indicated that the farmers were majorly married males, mostly aged 50 years using an average of 2.3 ha, cropping mainly cassava (90.0%), maize (82.6%), and yam (70.9%). The respondents used cultural methods, synthetic fertilizers, and organic manure in that order as SFMT. The level of utilization of SFMT was predominantly cultural methods of ridging across the slope with a weighted mean score (WMS) of 2.72, mulching (WMS=2.60), and rotational cropping (WMS=2.26); synthetic fertilizers: NPK (WMS=1.99) and urea (WMS=1.96); organic manure: poultry manure (WMS=0.95) and animal dung (WMS=0.67). PPMC analysis showed that age (r=0.22*) and farm size (r=0.16*) were significantly related to the utilization of SFMT. In conclusion, the respondents were small-scale farmers who utilized majorly cultural methods of SFMT and were mainly influenced by crop type as a function of age and farm size.