SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND STAPLE CROP PRODUCTIONS AMONG SMALL HOLDER FARMERS IN EBONYI STATE NIGERIA

Abstract

The study assessed the sustainable land management practices in staple crop production among farmers in Ebonyi state, Nigeria. Multi stage random sampling was adopted to select a total of one hundred and twenty farmers for the study. Data was collected through the use of a well structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistical tools, four point likert- type scale and binary logistic regression model were used to analyze data. The study revealed that crop rotation was mostly adopted by all the staple crop farmers while irrigation was the least adopted by only 4.4% of the respondents. Farm size, age, education, number of contact with extension agents, household size and number of plots of the respondents were the significant factors affecting the adoption of sustainable land management practices among the farmers. Major constraints to the use of sustainable land management practices were : inadequate fertilizer, poor knowledge of improved agricultural practices, poor transportation, low produce prices among others. The study recommended the training programme for the use of appropriate land management practices, Government’s implementation of policies that encourage land tenure system of farmers.