Usage of Herbicides among Smallholder Cassava Farmers in Selected Local Government Areas of Oyo State, Nigeria.

Abstract

The study assessed the usage of herbicides among smallholder cassava farmers in Oyo State, Nigeria.
A two-stage sampling procedure was used.
Saki East and Ibarapa East Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Oyo state were purposively selected from Oyo state. Thereafter,15% of registered cassava farmers were randomly selected from each LGA to give a total of 247 respondents. Data were collected using interview schedule and analysed using descriptive
statistics, chi-square and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The mean age, household size and years of farming experience were 48.4±6.5, 5.7±1.3 and 21.8±4.9, respectively.
Majority of the respondents were male (75.3%), married (82.6%), practiced Islam (60.7%) and possessed at least primary education qualification (64.8%). Respondents’ usage of herbicides was high (69%) among the majority who also indicated that information on herbicide usage was mostly conveyed through radio (92.7%). Pre-emergence herbicide (1.87±0.43) was the main type of herbicide available to farmers while non-selective herbicide (1.71±0.57) was the most preferred type of herbicide.
A considerable proportion of the respondents (46.1%) however had low knowledge of herbicides specification.
Farmers usage of herbicides was limited by high cost of herbicides (1.60±0.73). Significant relationships existed between age (r = 0.261, p = 0.000), years of farming experience (r = 0.275, p = 0.000) and usage of herbicides. Cassava farmers’ usage of herbicides in the study area was generally high, but low knowledge on specifications among a considerable proportion of the users calls for concern.
Extension and agrochemical outfits should increase awareness campaigns and trainings on safe use of herbicides to enhance farmers and consumers’ safety.