Farm Systems and Soil Fertility Management Methods in Relation to Crop Yield of Smallholders in Ekiti State, Nigeria

This study assesses the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of smallholder farmers and their farm management practices in Ekiti 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 (87.3%), the mean age of the respondents was 55 years. The majority of the respondents (84%) were married, 82.3% 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 (86.7%), yam (76%) and maize (72%). 64.7% of the farmers are familiar with agroforestry practices, multipurpose trees on farmland is the most recognized practice (46%) The result showed that a significant majority (83.3%) of the respondents do not integrate any form of agroforestry practices on their farms. Barriers to adopting agroforestry practices recognized by the farmers include initial cost of implementing agroforestry practices (34%), lack of knowledge (25.3%) and lack of seedlings (16.7%). The findings revealed that 24.7% of the respondents believe that training and education support is necessary for adopting agroforestry, 46% of the respondents indicated that financial support is crucial for adopting agroforestry and 15.3% 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 Ekiti State, Nigeria.