Farmers Perception of Soil Fertility Status in Different Land use and Management Practices in Daudawa, Southern Katsina State, Nigeria

Abstract

Food security in developing countries is largely depended on land productivity, which is controlled and managed by smallholder farmers who face multiple challenges in maintaining soil fertility in their farms. The aim of this study were to assess the effect of different land use and management practices on soil fertility base on the perspectives of the local farmers and to compare their views with the scientific assessment of the soil in the four land use practices. The result indicated that majority of the farmers believed that forest reserve is the most fertile followed by orchard, grazing land and cultivated land respectively. Soil analysis result shows similar pattern of fertility status as identified by the local farmers in the four land use practices. It is recommended that any soil management practices to be introduced for the farmers must be environmentally sustainable, economically viable and socially acceptable.