Determinants of Fertilizer Usage in Dry Season Amaranthus Vegetable Production in Kwara State, Nigeria

Abstract

Amaranthus vegetable is often considered as one of the most important leafy vegetables in the tropics because of its high dietary value. In spite of its importance however, its production fall short of the ever increasing domestic demand for it. Soil nutrient depletion following intensification without proper soil fertility management practices hve been identified as one of the most important factor militating against its production. This study therefore carried out an assessment of the usage of recommended soil fertility management practices in dry season amaranthus vegetable production in Kwara state, Nigeria. A three-stage sampling technique was used to select a sample of 120 amaranthus vegetable farmers for the study. Major tools of analysis used for the study were descriptive statistics and the logistic regression model. The result of analysis revealed that the usage of recommended soil fertility management practices in the study area is low. Furthermore, results of the logistic regression model showed that farm size, contacts with extension agents and the educational status of the farmer had significant effects on the usage of recommended soil fertility management practices in the study area. The study therefore recommends that government should employ and train more agricultural extension agents to cater for the majority of farmers who lack access to information on the usage of recommended soil fertility management practices. Also, the farmers should be given appropriate orientation on the need to cultivate manageable farm size to ensure increased productivity and sustainability of available land put into use.

Keywords: soil fertility management, Chemical Fertilizer, Manure, Amaranthus vegetable, logistic regression model.