Determinants of Fertilizer Use in Arable Crop Production among Small Holder Farmers in Osun State, Nigeria

Author(s):  
Isiaka Baruwa
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 269-277
Author(s):  
Louis Nkembi ◽  
Njukeng Jetro Nkengafac ◽  
Tankou Christopher Mubeteneh

Smallholder farmer agricultural productivity in developing countries is more often diverse and limited by diverse constraints. For optimal agricultural production and income crops for diversification must be carefully selected and the constraints properly addressed. The objective of this study was to establish a list of the major crops planted in the Bamboutos mountain landscape and the constraints faced by the smallholder farmers. During a survey, 261 household heads responded were randomly selected and the questions administered to them. A majority of the household heads were men and were literate and most of them were younger than 55 years. Crop and livestock production were the main income generating activities of the respondents. Most of the farmers` land sizes were less than 5a and land ownership was through inheritance, purchase or rent. The small holder farmers in the study area planted a variety of both annual and perennial crops. These crops were sold, consumed or had ornamental/cultural values. The farmers faced a number of problems in animal and crop production with the most cited constraints being lack of inputs, lack of capital, bad roads and climate change. The results of this study suggest that crop diversification should be encouraged within the study area, policy and stakeholder intervention should concentrate on solving the cited constraints for sustainable food production and conservation of biodiversity. Keywords: Crops, Constraints, Diversification, Smallholders.


Author(s):  
Marianna Fenzi ◽  
Paul Rogé ◽  
Angel Cruz-Estrada ◽  
John Tuxill ◽  
Devra Jarvis

AbstractLocal seed systems remain the fundamental source of seeds for many crops in developing countries. Climate resilience for small holder farmers continues to depend largely on locally available seeds of traditional crop varieties. High rainfall events can have as significant an impact on crop production as increased temperatures and drought. This article analyzes the dynamics of maize diversity over 3 years in a farming community of Yucatán state, Mexico, where elevated levels of precipitation forced farmers in 2012 to reduce maize diversity in their plots. We study how farmers maintained their agroecosystem resilience through seed networks, examining the drivers influencing maize diversity and seed provisioning in the year preceding and following the 2012 climatic disturbance (2011–2013). We found that, under these challenging circumstances, farmers focused their efforts on their most reliable landraces, disregarding hybrids. We show that farmers were able to recover and restore the diversity usually cultivated in the community in the year following the critical climate event. The maize dynamic assessed in this study demonstrates the importance of community level conservation of crop diversity. Understanding farmer management strategies of agrobiodiversity, especially during a challenging climatic period, is necessary to promote a more tailored response to climate change in traditional farming systems.


2005 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 69-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. O. Fening ◽  
T. Adjei-Gyapong ◽  
E. Yeboah ◽  
E. O. Ampontuah ◽  
G. Quansah ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Abel Kinyondo ◽  
Joseph Magashi

Poverty reduction has been a difficult milestone for Tanzania to achieve despite recording remarkable economic growth over the past decade. This is because the attained growth is not inclusive, in that sectors contributing to this growth employ fewer people. Given the fact that agriculture continues to employ the majority of people in Tanzania, efforts to improve livelihoods should necessarily be geared towards transforming the sector. It is in this context that using a sample of 3,000 farmers from 13 regions of Tanzania; this Tanzania, this study set out to examine challenges facing farmers and their respective solutions following the sustainable livelihood framework. Findings show that improving farmers’ livelihoods would entail concerted efforts by the government to avail to farmers, quality and affordable seeds, fertilizer, agricultural infrastructures, subsidies, extension services, markets, information alert, affordable loans, and areas for pastures. This implies that the government needs to allocate enough funds to the agricultural sector if farmers’ needs are to be met. We note, however, that government’s allocation to the sector has alarmingly generally been exhibiting a declining trend for the past four years. It is against this background that we strongly recommend that the government rethinks its position and prioritize the agricultural sector in its budget.


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