Assessment of past and present soil conservation initiatives in Nigeria

In Nigeria, soil degradation has been one of t he most critical environmental problems for a long time. Hence, there has been and still is an urgent need t o develop effective soil resource management system s that can reverse the trend and sustain soil product ivity to enhance food security and...

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Main Authors: Junge, B., Deji , O., Abaidoo, Robert C., Chikoye, David, Stahr, Karl
Format: Conference Proceedings
Language:Inglés
Published: 2008
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/90748
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author Junge, B.
Deji , O.
Abaidoo, Robert C.
Chikoye, David
Stahr, Karl
author_browse Abaidoo, Robert C.
Chikoye, David
Deji , O.
Junge, B.
Stahr, Karl
author_facet Junge, B.
Deji , O.
Abaidoo, Robert C.
Chikoye, David
Stahr, Karl
author_sort Junge, B.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description In Nigeria, soil degradation has been one of t he most critical environmental problems for a long time. Hence, there has been and still is an urgent need t o develop effective soil resource management system s that can reverse the trend and sustain soil product ivity to enhance food security and alleviate povert y. An extensive literature search that started in 2006 ha s shown that soil conservation has a long tradition and earlier and present initiatives have resulted in va rious so-called on-farm and off-farm technologies. Indigenous techniques focused on soil and water con servation by ridging, mulching, constructing earth bunds and terraces, multiple cropping, fallowing, a nd the planting of trees. In colonial times, large- scale projects on soil loss control were started by the B ritish Government but many failed, as the imported technologies had little relevance in the tropics. A fter independence, more emphasis was put on soil fertility issues. Decreasing funds at the end of th e oil boom in the 1980s also restricted soil conser vation schemes. The review also revealed that most of the projects on soil conservation were carried out on research farms and only a few on-farm with the part icipation of farmers. As these have rarely been evaluated to establish ad option rates, an assessment study was performed in 2007 to analyze the effectiveness and adoption of p ast and present soil conservation initiatives, incl uding the sociological, technological, and economic aspec ts. Villages with different types of conservation technologies were visited and farmers in southwest Nigeria were interviewed to obtain information on t heir experiences. Mulching, cover cropping, and contour tillage are likely to be effective on-farm soil conservation measures practiced in Nigeria. They ar e generally adopted by farmers as they are compatible with the existing farming system, cheap and easy to install and to maintain. Agroforestry i s not popular and cut-off drainage is often rejected as i t is culturally incompatible. Education, knowledge on soil conservation, labor availability, and membership in organizations have a positive influence on the adoption rate of technologies.
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spelling CGSpace907482023-08-03T08:11:17Z Assessment of past and present soil conservation initiatives in Nigeria Junge, B. Deji , O. Abaidoo, Robert C. Chikoye, David Stahr, Karl assessment of adoption soil conservation soil erosion control food security soil degradation natural resource on-farm and off-farm technologies In Nigeria, soil degradation has been one of t he most critical environmental problems for a long time. Hence, there has been and still is an urgent need t o develop effective soil resource management system s that can reverse the trend and sustain soil product ivity to enhance food security and alleviate povert y. An extensive literature search that started in 2006 ha s shown that soil conservation has a long tradition and earlier and present initiatives have resulted in va rious so-called on-farm and off-farm technologies. Indigenous techniques focused on soil and water con servation by ridging, mulching, constructing earth bunds and terraces, multiple cropping, fallowing, a nd the planting of trees. In colonial times, large- scale projects on soil loss control were started by the B ritish Government but many failed, as the imported technologies had little relevance in the tropics. A fter independence, more emphasis was put on soil fertility issues. Decreasing funds at the end of th e oil boom in the 1980s also restricted soil conser vation schemes. The review also revealed that most of the projects on soil conservation were carried out on research farms and only a few on-farm with the part icipation of farmers. As these have rarely been evaluated to establish ad option rates, an assessment study was performed in 2007 to analyze the effectiveness and adoption of p ast and present soil conservation initiatives, incl uding the sociological, technological, and economic aspec ts. Villages with different types of conservation technologies were visited and farmers in southwest Nigeria were interviewed to obtain information on t heir experiences. Mulching, cover cropping, and contour tillage are likely to be effective on-farm soil conservation measures practiced in Nigeria. They ar e generally adopted by farmers as they are compatible with the existing farming system, cheap and easy to install and to maintain. Agroforestry i s not popular and cut-off drainage is often rejected as i t is culturally incompatible. Education, knowledge on soil conservation, labor availability, and membership in organizations have a positive influence on the adoption rate of technologies. 2008 2018-02-06T12:14:35Z 2018-02-06T12:14:35Z Conference Proceedings https://hdl.handle.net/10568/90748 en Limited Access Junge, B., Deji , O., Abaidoo, R., Chikoye, D. & Stahr, K. (2008). Assessment of past and present soil conservation initiatives in Nigeria: Proceedings of annual conference of International Erosion Control Association (IECA), 18-22 February 2008, Ibadan: IITA.
spellingShingle assessment of adoption
soil conservation
soil erosion control
food security
soil degradation
natural resource
on-farm and off-farm technologies
Junge, B.
Deji , O.
Abaidoo, Robert C.
Chikoye, David
Stahr, Karl
Assessment of past and present soil conservation initiatives in Nigeria
title Assessment of past and present soil conservation initiatives in Nigeria
title_full Assessment of past and present soil conservation initiatives in Nigeria
title_fullStr Assessment of past and present soil conservation initiatives in Nigeria
title_full_unstemmed Assessment of past and present soil conservation initiatives in Nigeria
title_short Assessment of past and present soil conservation initiatives in Nigeria
title_sort assessment of past and present soil conservation initiatives in nigeria
topic assessment of adoption
soil conservation
soil erosion control
food security
soil degradation
natural resource
on-farm and off-farm technologies
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/90748
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