Farmers\' Perception Of Improved And Local Cassava Cultivars In Isoko North Local Government Area Of Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study dealt with farmers' perception of two improved cassava cultivars (TMS 30555 & TMS 4(2) 1425), and two local cassava cultivars (ogbeku & eduyeye) in Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State. It collected data through questionnaire from 150 farmers in 8 extension cells. It used Likert-type scale that ranged from 0 to 3 to measure perception on each cultivar of cassava. Mean scores and regression analysis were used to analyse the data. It was found that farmers had an overall mean perception score of 1.56 for TMS 30555 indicating low perception, TMS 4(2) 1425 had moderate perception level of 2.38, Ogbeku had high perception score of 2.72, while Eduyeye had a moderate perception score of 2.41. TMS 30555 had a low score because of its low starch content and low gari quantity when processed, though it scored high on early maturity and taste of processed gari. Ogbeku as a local cultivar has high starch and gari content with good taste and has tubers that stay longer in the soil without getting rotten. Quantity of the byproduct of cassava, taste of byproduct, maturity time and disease resistance significantly contributed to farmers' perception of the cassava cultivars. Apart from good agronomic characteristics of disease resistance and early maturity, farmers' perception of cultivars is also tied to food value issues, field storability and socioeconomic issues. These non-agronomic factors should be considered by crop breeders in entrenching desirable traits in crop cultivars to ensure a sustained acceptability of improved crop cultivars and better contribute to food security in local communities.

Keywords: Cassava, Cultivars, Perception

Global Approaches to Extension Practice Vol. 3 (2) 2007: pp. 1-8