The study assessed the adoption of improved aquaculture technologies among fish farmers in Lagos State, Nigeria. A total of 90 fish farmers were sampled through the multistage sampling technique. A validated and pretested interview schedule was used to obtain primary information from the fish farmers. Obtained data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results obtained revealed that more than half and about one-third of the fish farmers sourced credit facilities from cooperative societies and Esusu, respectively, while almost all sold their fishes as smoked fish. Higher proportions of the fish farmers were aware, tried and adopted most of the improved aquaculture technologies with some of the fish farmers also discontinuing most of the previously adopted technologies. The findings of the study also reported that the fish farmers had positive attitude towards the adoption of improved aquaculture technologies. Results of regression analysis revealed that secondary occupation of the fish farmers (β=−0.324, p<0.01), annual income level (β=−0.471, p<0.05), cost of pond construction (β=0.477, p<0.05) and total profit realized (β=−0.466, p<0.05) were significant predictors of the adoption of improved technologies by the fish farmers with an R2 implying that 46.0% of the variability in the fish farmers’ adoption of improved aquaculture technologies is explained by the socio-economic and production characteristics of the fish farmers. The study concluded that the adoption of improved aquaculture technologies is dynamic and highly influenced by the socio-economic characteristics of the fish farmers which also change with time. It is therefore recommended that technologies that received low level of adoption or which discontinued after earlier adoption should be worked on so that the adoption of those technologies would translate to increased income level of fish farmers, reduced cost of pond construction and increased profit of the fish farmers.
This study examined factors influencing the adoption of sawah technology in Kebbi State, Nigeria. Sawah refers to levelled rice field surrounded by banks with inlet and outlet for irrigation and drainage. Using pre-tested interview guide, data were collected from 300 sawah farmers in the study area. Data collected were analysed with both descriptive and inferential statistics using STATA package. The results showed that respondents were predominantly male, married and had no formal education. The mean age of was 48.13 years with mean household size of 14 persons; farm sizes ranged from 1–50 hectares with average of 4.70 ha, the mean yield was 6.88 tꞏha−1. The results further showed that bond construction had 100% adoption, nursery 99%, puddling 98%, flooding 95%, leveling and smoothening 94% and power tiller use 88% adoption. Adoption of sawah technology was influenced by socio economic characteristics which include sex, age, educational level, farm size, yield and income of the farmers. The study also showed that the attributes of sawah, production factors, information and extension and perception of respondent toward sawah technology influenced adoption. It is concluded that the sawah eco-technology is widely adopted by rice farmers in Kebbi State. The study therefore recommended that dissemination of sawah to other states in Nigeria need to consider factors that promote its adoption. Improvement of those factors that significantly affect adoption of sawah technology is also recommended.
Assessment of land-use types has conventionally been on spatial rather than temporal scales, thus limiting the inference on relative potential of land-use types against soil degradation, needed to validate their allotment to ecosystems on agricultural watersheds. The study assessed the changes in key indices of soil degradation among four land-use systems of West African 'watershed' agroforestry development over about a decade (1999-2011) along a toposequence in Central Ghana. The land-use systems were grass-dominated natural fallow (Fallow), cocoa plantation (CPT), traditional rice farm (TRF), and Sawah ecotechnology for wet inland valley rice farm (Sawah), with sampled land areas covering 2,000, 1,500, 4,500, and 6400 m 2 , respectively. In 1999 and 2011, soil samples were taken from 0-20, 20-40, and 40-60-cm depths. Samples were collected from about the same spots in both years. The samples were analyzed for selected physicochemical parameters and, for each land-use option and depth, comparison made between 1999 and 2011. A mean-weighted decadal change in degradation status was used to rank the land-use options. Most of the decadal changes in soil properties (including available micronutrients) were negative, with about two-third of the significant changes in the top (0-20 cm) soils. For instance, soil pH tended to decrease in 2011 compared with 1999; the decreases (14.51%) were significant in the topsoils under Sawah where no other index showed significant decline. Topsoil total carbon decreased under TRF (49.08%) and CPT (32.80%). Available phosphorus marginally increased only under Sawah. The overall aggregate scores for the mean-weighted decadal change in degradation status showed that the land-use options differed in their potential to resist degradation: Sawah (slight), Fallow (mild), and TRF/CPT (moderate).Our findings highlight the extent of temporal changes in soil degradation under different topo-positions in tropical African ecosystems while pointing to the superiority of Sawah ecotechnology. Increased use of this soil-and-water management system in lowland rice farming could, therefore, have some soil conservation benefits.
This paper examined the effects of coworkers and supervisor interactional fairness on employees’ job satisfaction, distress, and aggressive behavior. Surveys were employed to elicit data from 270 extension personnel from two Agricultural Development Programs in Nigeria. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that fairness from both supervisors and coworkers were negatively related to job distress and aggressive behaviors and employees would respond with dissatisfaction to unfair treatments from their supervisors. The implications of findings are discussed.
Snails are common in the rainforest region especially during the rainy season, but its population in the wild is decreasing due to human and environmental activities. This affect quantity available for consumption and it prompts the reason to encourage snail production. The study examined snail consumer's willingness to choose snail production as means of livelihoods. Snowball sampling technique was used to select 120 consumers. Data were obtained through questionnaires and analysed using descriptive and correlation analyses. The result shows that many (60%) of the respondents were male, 48.7% were married with an average income of N78,983.64 and 37 years of age. Level of snail consumption was high (63.4%) and more than 50% were willing to choose snail production as a means of livelihood. Meanwhile, poor supply of feeding materials (43.5%) and inadequate skills in snail rearing (39.1%) were perceived as major constraints. Correlation result shows significant relationship between age (r = 0.346, p < 0.05), level of snail consumption(r = 0.200, p < 0.05) and willingness to choose snail production as means of livelihoods. The study concluded that people that consume more snails were willing to choose snail production. It is recommended that concerned agencies for capacity building should consider training people especially snail consumers in snail production and provide palliative resources to overcome challenges in snail production for sustainability and transformation of the agricultural system.
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