Main Article Content
Sustainable soil management practices of crop farmers in Mkpat-Enin local government area of Akwa-Ibom State.
Abstract
Sustainability which is the successful management of resources for agriculture to satisfy the changing human needs and the capacity to remain productive and at the same time conserving the resource base, is the focus of this study. Therefore, the various conventional methods of managing soil, which are commonly being practiced by crop farmers were considered.
The study examines the sustainable soil management practices of crop farmers in Mkpat-Enin Local Government Area of Akwa- Ibom state. A sample of 150 farmers were selected through multi-stage random sampling technique.
Results show that majority of the crop farmers were females in their working population with educational status of less than secondary education. It shows that there is no significant relationship between the demographic characteristics of crop farmers and their use of sustainable soil management practices. The result also revealed the level of use of sustainable soil management practices. The result shows that there is no significant relationship between sustainable soil management practices used and yield of crops (r = -0.0162, p= -0.8450). It also shows that productivity of farmers is significantly related to the sustainable soil management practices used (r =0.2602, p = 0.001) and there is significant relationship between farmers yields and farm size (r = 0.9905; p = 0.001) while productivity also showed significant relationship with farm size (r = 0.9947, p = 0.000). There is therefore, the need to encourage farmers to use sustainable soil management practices through removing the constraints they encounter.
[JEXT Vol.3 2002: 80-88]
The study examines the sustainable soil management practices of crop farmers in Mkpat-Enin Local Government Area of Akwa- Ibom state. A sample of 150 farmers were selected through multi-stage random sampling technique.
Results show that majority of the crop farmers were females in their working population with educational status of less than secondary education. It shows that there is no significant relationship between the demographic characteristics of crop farmers and their use of sustainable soil management practices. The result also revealed the level of use of sustainable soil management practices. The result shows that there is no significant relationship between sustainable soil management practices used and yield of crops (r = -0.0162, p= -0.8450). It also shows that productivity of farmers is significantly related to the sustainable soil management practices used (r =0.2602, p = 0.001) and there is significant relationship between farmers yields and farm size (r = 0.9905; p = 0.001) while productivity also showed significant relationship with farm size (r = 0.9947, p = 0.000). There is therefore, the need to encourage farmers to use sustainable soil management practices through removing the constraints they encounter.
[JEXT Vol.3 2002: 80-88]
