EVALUATION OF THE LOCAL KNOWLEDGE OF LOCUST BEAN (Parkia biglobosa) IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

Various parts of the locust bean tree are used for medicinal and food purposes has a long gestation period which discourages most young farmers from investing in its plantation. Moreover, its value as a timber exposes it to illegal logging, hence, P. biglobosa is at risk of extinction. This was why the study was conducted to evaluate the local knowledge on Parkia in Kwara State. Also, objectives considered in the study were personal characteristics of respondents, means of propagation, storage and utilization of Parkia biglobosa, pests and diseases of Parkia biglobosa, management practices involved in Parkia production, and different challenges faced in the cultivation of Parkia. Empirical data was collected in Kwara State, Nigeria, and 3 communities were randomly selected from 3 different local governments. A total of 98 respondents were randomly sampled for this study, data were collected with the aid of structured interview guide and were analysed using frequencies and percentages. The result reveals that majority (89.8%, 59.2%) of the respondents were married and had a large family size respectively. Most of the respondents stated that they have Parkia on their farm and majority (87.8%) attested to the fact that Parkia is being propagated through seed on its own. It was concluded that, indeed, P. biglobosa is at risk of extinction and there is a need for urgent intervention through afforestation programs. Also, it will be ideal for Extension agents and those in development studies to look into the challenges facing the propagation of this tree crop and find a means of preventing it from going into extinction.