THE EFFECT OF MECHANICAL CLEARING AND TILLAGE ON TROPICAL SOILS

In Nigeria, of the total food production, over 90% comes from the peasant farmers who are about 80% of farming population (Adegboyega, 1988). However, one of the hanging issues in Nigeria agriculture is that the use of manual labour technique by the peasant farmers is perhaps the cause of low food production. The educated youths believe that tractorization can bring solution to low agricultural production and mass exodus from rural farmlands. Undoubtedly, judicious use of farm machines will make farming more attractive, increase crop output per unit and save time and energy, assist weed control and larger hands will be engaged in agricultural sector to solve the problem of Nigerian food crises through large area of land cultivation.