Main Article Content
Farmers’ Awareness And Use Of Improved Land Managegment Practices In Umuahia North Local Government Area Of Abia State, Nigeria
Abstract
The study was conducted to assess farmers’ awareness and use of land improved management practices in Umuahia North Local Government Areas, Abia State Nigeria: Multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select one hundred and fifty (150) farmers from ten villages from the two communities in the study areas. Structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were use for
the analyses. Result showed that 58% of the respondents were educated at primary school level. 53.3% had 11-15 years of farming experience. The results also revealed that all the respondents (100%) were engaged in bush fallowing, multiple cropping and minimum tillage. Eighty percent (80%) of the farmers used crop rotation while 73.33% and 69.33% used
mulching and cover crop planting respectively. Result of the Chi-square analyses showed that there is significant relationship between farmers awareness and the use of the land management practices hence null hypothesis of no significant relationship was rejected (X2 = 451.26, P > 0.05). It is recommended that effective extension education on impvd and modern methods of farming which will aid in land management and improvement should intensified for the farmers. Incentives and opportunities should be given to farmers to make-up educational deficiencies through adult literacy programmes. Government should also
establish Department of Agro-land Environmental Extension Service to carry out public extension education of land users on environmentally friendly techniques.
the analyses. Result showed that 58% of the respondents were educated at primary school level. 53.3% had 11-15 years of farming experience. The results also revealed that all the respondents (100%) were engaged in bush fallowing, multiple cropping and minimum tillage. Eighty percent (80%) of the farmers used crop rotation while 73.33% and 69.33% used
mulching and cover crop planting respectively. Result of the Chi-square analyses showed that there is significant relationship between farmers awareness and the use of the land management practices hence null hypothesis of no significant relationship was rejected (X2 = 451.26, P > 0.05). It is recommended that effective extension education on impvd and modern methods of farming which will aid in land management and improvement should intensified for the farmers. Incentives and opportunities should be given to farmers to make-up educational deficiencies through adult literacy programmes. Government should also
establish Department of Agro-land Environmental Extension Service to carry out public extension education of land users on environmentally friendly techniques.
