Utilization of Improved Cassava varieties among extension agents (EAs) in Benue State, Nigeria was appraised in 2006. The data were collected using structured questionnaire, and analyzed using simple descriptive statistics (frequency and percentages), and linear regression analysis. Results showed that TMS 30572 was utilized more than other varieties studied. The factors that contributed to utilization included high fresh tuber yield, early maturity and high quality gari and other products. Constraints to utilization included scarcity and high cost of planting materials (cassava stems) and inadequate information about some varieties (NR8083). The regression analysis showed that sex and education had a positive and significant relationship with utilization at 1% level, while age had negative but significant relationship with utilization at 1% level. It was recommended that efforts should be made to massively multiply improved cassava stems and effectively distribute at affordable prices to increase utilization of the improved varieties.
Improved production technologies of sweet potato were jointly developed by International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan and National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) Umudike to eliminate constraints associated with farmers' use of local production technologies. Several years after introduction of the technologies to farmers, sweet potato production in Abia State has remained low and unimpressive despite the relevance of the crop in household food security. This paper therefore seeks to evaluate farmers' adoption of sweet potato production technologies in the state. A three-staged random sampling technique was employed to select 150 respondents from the three agricultural zones in the state. Data were collected from respondents with use of structured questionnaires and analyzed with descriptive statistics as well as multiple regression analysis. Result of analysis revealed an R 2 value of 0.280 indicating that 28% of variation in the adoption of the improved production technologies was accounted for by the variables considered in this study. Adoption of sweet potato production technologies was relatively at a medium level. Also, the result indicated that accruable farm income, farm size cultivated as well as sweet potato output was positively related to farmers' adoption of the technologies. Thus it was recommended that the mass media should be used to promote and popularize sweet potato and its improved production practices. Soft loans should be provided to farmers for more investment in sweet potato production since expectation of increased income would stimulate adoption of technologies.
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