ABSRACT

This work focused on the effect of economics and farming system related factor on soil fertility management among farmers in Bende L.G.A of Abia State, Nigeria. A sample of 60 respondents was chosen for this study through a multi-stage sampling technique. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data generated through the use of structured questionnaire as the research tools. The result indicates an array of socioeconomic characteristics of the farmer which are in consonance with general economic profile of the population. Mean age of the farmer was 48year5, while mean farm income was about N71,000.00. It was also observed that majority of the farmers were illiterates more than half of the farmers practice mixed cropping, while the most frequent cropping needs (31.15%) was yam/cassava/maize. Types of soil fertility management practices were mainly fertilizer application, manure and mulching. These were carried out on main farm size of 3.89 hectares. Seven of the independent variable fitted in the model was significantly related to soil fertility management in the study area. These were farm incomes, cost of labour, supply of family labour, and mode of land acquisition, cropping patterns, area of land conserved and age of the house hold head. Also availability of labour, conservation cost and access to extension service affect the farmers adoption of soil fertility management, absence of market to sell products was the highest challenges the farmer responded to among the recommendations were review of the land tenure system to transfer permanent ownership of lands to farmer and improvement of rural infrastructure so as to retain young farm hands in the rural areas.