Farm Management Practice, Crop yields and Soil Fertility Maintenance Strategy of Smallholder farms in Ondo State Nigeria

Abstract

This study assesses the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of smallholder farmers and their farm management practices in Ondo State, Nigeria, with a focus on agroforestry potential. A total of 150 respondents were sampled using multistage sampling procedure. The study revealed among others that the majority of the respondents were male (61.3%), the mean age of the respondents was 57 years. The majority of the respondents (79.3%) were married, 75.3% of the respondents had one form of education or the other. The majority of the respondents have manageable household size of five (7) persons that can assist on the farm. The result showed that the crops that are mainly grown by the smallholder farmers are cassava (68%), maize (54%) and cocoa (41.3%). 34.7% of the farmers are familiar with agroforestry practices, alley cropping is the most recognized practice (27.3%) The result showed that a significant majority (91.3%) of the respondents do not integrate any form of agroforestry practices on their farms. Barriers to adopting agroforestry practices recognized by the farmers include lack of knowledge (59.3%), initial cost of implementing agroforestry practices (52%) and lack of seedlings (27.3%). The findings revealed that 61.3% of the respondents believe that training and education support is necessary for adopting agroforestry, 62.7% of the respondents indicate that financial support is crucial for adopting agroforestry, and 28.7% of respondents believe that access to seedlings is important for adopting agroforestry. This research provides insights into smallholder farm management and offers a foundation for designing tailored agroforestry interventions that can meet the needs of local farmers in Ondo State, Nigeria.

Keywords— smallholder farming, agroforestry, farm management, crop yield, sustainability, rural development.

DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/15-1-07

Publication date: March 30th 2025