PERCEPTION OF RURAL FARMERS ON THE EFFECTS OF LAND DEGRADATION ON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY IN IMO STATE, NIGERIA

Despite several decades of effort to curb land degradation, the phenomenon has continued to negatively affect the quality of land particularly in eastern Nigeria. This study examined the perception of rural farmers on the effects of land degradation on agricultural productivity in Imo State. Specifically, the study investigates the type of land degradation in the study area, causes of agricultural land degradation, effects of land degradation on productivities and strategies for improving the degraded area. Multistage sampling technique was employed in the selection of one hundred and twenty (120) respondents. Questionnaire and oral interviews were the major instruments used for data collection. The data obtained for this study were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results of analysis on the type of land degradation show that 58% of the respondents identified soil erosion as the main type of land degradation in the study area. Oil pollution was identified as the least type of land degradation. Results on causes of land degradation on agricultural land revealed that intensity of rain fall (45%). was the main driver of land degradation in the study area. All the items listed on effects of land degradation on agricultural land use and productivities in Imo state of Nigeria was accepted because all the items were rated high and had an acceptable overall discrimination score (x= ≥ 2.50). The result showed that most of the respondent (53%) uses conservation method like cross-slope (33%) as one of the strategies for improving the degraded area, followed by terraces (8%), under agronomic method cover cropping (8%) ranked highest followed by mulching (6%) and the least was reduced tillage (3%). The research concludes that the roles of the people and the government should be complementary to achieve the best for the community in fighting this ugly situation caused by land degradation. Based on the findings, it was recommended that public campaign should be carried out by government agencies concerned on the importance of conserving or protecting land for future use.