Adoption of Chemical Fertilizer for Land Management in the North-West Zone of Nigeria

Abstract

The study aimed at: (i)estimating the rates of adoption and application of inorganic fertilizer; and (ii)determining the farmer-and farm-characteristics conditioning the adoption of inorganic fertilizer in two selected States in the north-west zone of Nigeria, namely, Kano and Katsina States. A two-stage sampling procedure was adopted in the survey, First, two Agricultural De velopment Programme (ADP) zones were purposively sampled in each State on the basis of relative climate. In Kano State, Rano and Danbatta zones were chosen, while in Katsina State, Funtua and Ajiwa zones were selected. Second, 60 farmers were randomly selected from each of the four ADP zones giving a total sample size of 240. The results of the survey showed that the mean rates of adoption of inorganic fertilizer were 85.85% for Kano, 98.35% for Katsina, and 92.10% for both States. These rates of adoption were illustrative of a long history of expo sure to fertilizers. The mean rates of application of inorganic fertilizers of 41.49kg ha-1 for Kano, 67.24kg ha-1 for Katsina and 54.36 kg ha-1 for both States were, however, short of the recommended nutrient levels for the staple food crops grown in the two States. The result of the analysis of the socio-economic factors conditioning adoption of inorganic fertilizer showed that all the factors included in our model influenced the adoption of inorganic fertilizer, but there were locational differences in the significance of these factors. Recommendations made included: the complementary applications of inorganic and organic fertilizers; the adoption of integrated soil fertility management practices; training extension educators and other technical assistants to understand the factors conditioning adoption for more effective targeting and de livery of programmes; the education of the rural populace, encouraging membership of farm ers’ associations; the expansion of farm sizes; improved access to production credit; and the strengthening of existing extension systems.