Land use efficiency under maize-based croping system in Zaria, Nigeria

Abstract

This paper examined land use efficiency under maize-based cropping system in Zaria. Stratified random sampling technique was adopted to select a total of 100 maize farmers comprising 20 farmers from each of the five identified crop mixtures namely maize/cowpea, maize/groundnut, Maize/soybean, Maize/soybean/cowpea and Maize/soybean/groundnut. Descriptive statistics such as chi-square and Regression model were used to analyse the data. Results showed that 36% of the farmers inherited their land while 64% acquired land through renting and outright/purchase. Significant relationship (9.44) between farm size and Maize-based cropping system was observed. The amount of land devoted to the roping systems by each farmer was relatively low (1-3.45ha). Land was ineffectively utilized in all crop mixtures even though intercropping maize with more than one crop recorded higher yields implying that Maize-based cropping system is a good strategy of maximizing land in the face of land scarcity. Therefore, it is recommended that appropriate step or policy be initiated to redefine the land use act to improve easy land acquisition by farmers while farmers should be encouraged to practice intercropping system.

Keywords: land use efficiency, maize-based cropping system

Journal of Agriculture, Forestry and the Social Sciences Vol 3(1) 2005: 114-120