Assess the Level of Knowledge and Attitude of Rural Women Towards Agro-Forestry Practices in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Abstract

The study examined the Knowledge and attitude of rural women towards agroforestry practices in Chikun Local Government Area ( LGA) of Kaduna State. The objectives of the study were to describe the socio-economic characteristics of rural women, describe the types of agroforestry practices, examine the sources of information on ageroforestry, find out the level of knowledge of rural women on agroforestry practices, ascertain the attitude of rural women toward agroforestry practices, identify the constraints against agroforestry practices. Purposively sampling was used for this study. From the 13 district in Chikun LGA, six district were purposively selected. Twenty women were sampled from each ward to give a total of one hundred and twenty (120) respondent .Primary data was used for this study .Simple descriptive statistics was used to present the data collected, knowledge test and likert type scale were used to ascertain the level of knowledge and attitude, while inferential statistics – chi-square and correlation analysis was used to test the hypotheses. Majority (82.5%) of the respondents are married while some (27.5% and 37.5% ) of the respondents had primary and secondary education respectively . The types of agroforestry practices majorly practice in the area are: Silvopastural, Taugya system, Tropical shelter wood system. The major constraints militating against agroforestry practices were lack of credit facility, lack of technical know-how, inadequate knowledge of choice of agroforestry tree species to be incorporated with crops (or) animals. The result shows that majority (60.8%) of the respondents had low knowledge on agroforestry practices. (51%) of the respondent attitude were unfavourable. The result of the hypotheses showed that there were significant relationship between some selected socio-economic characteristics. Age (=75.625, p = .000), membership in organization ( = 16.499, p = .002), educational status (= 11.704, p = .020) were significant to knowledge and attitude of rural women to agroforestry practices .Correlation analysis result showed there were significant relationship between sources information that radio (r = .389, p = .000), television (r = .409, p =.000)  and agroforestry practices. The result showed there were significant relationship between knowledge (r = .652, p = .000) and agroforestry practices. The result showed there were significant relationship between attitude (r = .264, p = .000) and agroforestry practices. The result showed that there were significant relationship between constraint. lack of awareness on improved fallow (= 29.172, p =.000), complexicity in management ( = 21.333, p = .000),  no effective laws on livestock grazing (= 76.133,p = .000), lack of co-ordination between forestry and agriculture ( = 19.780, p =.000), lack of credit facility ( = 20.903, p =.000), lack of access to land (= 38.313, p =.000), lack of technical know-how (x=30.857, p =.000), inadequate knowledge of agroforestry principles ( = 43.200, p =.000),. In conclusion educational training should be conducted to the rural women in order to change their mindset towards agroforestry practices and also to increased their knowledge level about agroforestry.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents                                                                                                                                  Page

Cover page                                                                                                                              i

Declaration                                                                                                                              ii

Certification                                                                                                                            iii

Dedication                                                                                                                              iv

Acknowledgments                                                                                                                  v         

Abstract                                                                                                                                  vi

Table of contents                                                                                                                    vii

List of table                                                                                                                             x

CHAPTER ONE

1. O     INTRODUCTION                                                                                                     1

1.1     Background of the study                                                                                              1

1.2     Problem of the study                                                                                                    5

1.3     Research questions                                                                                                        7

1.4     Objectives                                                                                                                     7

1.5     Hypotheses                                                                                                                   8

1.6     Justification                                                                                                                   8

CHAPTER TWO

2.0     LITERATURE REVIEW                                                                                            10

2.1      Agroforestry practices and system                                                                              10

2.2.1   Agrosilvicultural system                                                                                              11

2.2.2   Silvopastural                                                                                                                12

2.2.3   Agrosilvopastural                                                                                                         12

2.3     Types of Agroforestry practices in Nigeria                                                                   13

2.3.1  Taungya System                                                                                                            13

2.3.2   Home Garden                                                                                                              13

2.3.3  Trees in soil conservation                                                                                              14

2.3.4  Aqua forestry                                                                                                                14

2.3.5  Apiculture                                                                                                                     14

2.4   Modern Agroforestry Practices                                                                                      15

2.4.1  Windbreak                                                                                                                    15

2.4.2 Shelter belt                                                                                                                     15

2.4.5  Improved shallow in shifting cultivation                                                                      15

2.4.6  Alley cropping                                                                                                              16

2.5   Challenges of Agroforestry                                                                                            16

2.6   The prospect of Agroforestry practices                                                                          17

2.7    Gender issues in Agroforestry                                                                                       18

2.8   Rural participatory focus for Agroforestry                                                                     19

2.9    Socio-economic benefit of Agroforestry                                                                       20

CHAPTER THREE

3.0  Methodology                                                                                                                   21

3.1 Study area                                                                                                                         21

3.2 Method of data collection                                                                                                            21

3.3 Sampling techniques                                                                                                         21

3.4 Analytical tools                                                                                                                 22

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 Result and Discussion                                                                                                       23

4.1 Socio-economic characteristics of the respondent                                                            23

4.2 Distribution of respondents based on the types of agroforestry practices                       26

4.3 Distribution of respondents based on the sources of information                                                26

4.4 Distribution of respondents based on their knowledge on agroforestry                          27

4.5 Distribution of respondents based on their knowledge level on agroforestry                  27

4.6 Distribution of the respondents based on the attitude on agroforestry                            28

4.7 Distribution of respondents based on their attitude level on agroforestry                       28       

4.8 Distribution of respondents based on their constraints to agroforestry                            30

4.9 Test for hypotheses                                                                                                           32

4.9.1 Chi-square analysis of respondents socio-economic characteristics                              32

            and agroforestry practices

4.9.2 Correlation analysis between sources of information and agroforestry                         33

            practices

4.9.3 Correlation analysis between knowledge level and agroforestry practices                   34

4.9.4 Correlation analysis between attitude level and agroforestry practices                         35

4.10  Chi-square analysis on the constraint to agroforestry practices                                    35

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0 Conclusion Recommendations                                                                                         37

5.1 Conclusion                                                                                                                        37

5.2 Recommendations                                                                                                                        38       

References                                                                                                                              39

Appendix                                                                                                                                46

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIST OF TABLES

Tables                                                                                                                                    Page

4.1.1 Distribution of respondents based on their socio-economic characteristics                  25

4.2 Distribution of respondents based on the types of agroforestry practices                       26

4.3 Distribution of respondents based on the sources of information                                                27

4.4 Distribution of respondents based on their knowledge on agroforestry practices           28

4.5 Distribution of respondents based on their attitude on agroforestry practices                 28

4.6 Distribution of respondents based on their attitude level towards                                   29

            agroforestry practices

4.7 Distribution of the respondents based on the constraint to                                              29

            agroforestry practices

4.8 Distribution of respondents based on their knowledge level on                                      31

            agroforestry practices

4.9.1  Chi-square analysis of respondents socio-economic characteristics and                      33

             agroforestry practices

4.9.2  Correlation analysis between sources of information and agroforestry                        34

            practices

4.9.3 Correlation analysis between knowledge level and agroforestry practices                   34

4.9.4 Correlation analysis between attitude level and agroforestry practices                         35       

4.10  Chi-square analysis on the constraint to agroforestry practices                                     36