ABSTRACT

A survey of land preparation methods and gender relationships in Ikwuano Local Government Area (L.G.A.) of Abia State, Nigeria, was undertaken to determine their implications for sustaining productivity in traditional farming systems. Data were generated through focus group discussion, use of structured questionnaire and on-farm (sample plot surveys). Four sites each in Ariam Obeama and Umudike locations were sampled. Vegetation sampling was done using line transacts of 100m x 15m and quadrat. Five - metre x five - metre (5m x 5m) quadrats were laid randomly for identification and assessment of densities of common agroforestry species occurring in farmlands in the study area. The result showed that trees/shrubs were dominant features of the traditional farming systems in the study area. The average farm size for both men and women farmers were between 1.1-2 hectares and there was no significant gender difference at P > 0.05. The average distance offarm lands from farmers’ homes was 1km and the average number of fallow years observed by both men and women farmers ranged between 5 and 8 years and there are no gender difference at P > 0.05. Male farmers (30%) till their farms before planting crops while most female farmers (37.5%) practised zero tillage. The farming systems commonly practised by both male and female farmers in the studied area were shifting cultivation and ‘slash and bum’ with arable plus permanent cropping system. Women left more trees/shrubs than male in farmlands in the study area. Thirty seven and half percent (37.5%) ofthe male farmers prepared their land leaving trees/shrubs to grow alongside their arable crops while 42.5% of female farmers do the same. More male farmers (42.5%) compared to female farmers (37.5%) practise slash and burn agriculture. The commonest plant species found on both male and female farms were Elaeis guinensis, Dicdium guineense, Anthonatha macrophylla, and Mallontus oppositifolius. Over 60% of male farmers preferred to have Raphia hookeri and Irvingia gabonensis on their farms but female farmers did not like them. Trees/shrubs in farm lands of both male and female farmers were mainly of natural regeneration. The contributions of shrubs/trees in environmental protection, family nutrition/ dietary needs, and soil fertility encouraged the abundance of shrubs in both male and female farmlands in the study area. For both men and women farmers, the greatest disadvantages of having shrubs/ trees in their farms were that it encourages weeds and attracts vandals. Men dominated in farm activities that are strenuous such as tillage, staking, stumping, transplanting seedlings and harvesting but women dominated activities that require patience such as routine farm maintenance, weeding, making choice of seeds to plant, processing and storage of products and marketing. Species richness index (SRI) for trees/shrubs species were 0.568 and 0.569 and for food crops were 0.520 and 0.277 for male and female managed farms respectively in Ariam Obeama location. For Umudike location, species richness index for tree/shrubs species were 0.521 and 0.590 and for food crops were 0.426 and 0.324 for male and female managed farms. A total of 250 and 251 trees/shrubs species were found in male and female managed farms respectively at Ariam Obeama location while 233 and 236 trees/shrubs species were found in male and female managed farms respectively at Umudike. This study concluded that women allowed the growing oftree/shrub species on their farm lands than their male counterparts. It is recommended that male farmers in the study area be xii sensitized on the benefit of allowing agroforestry plant species grow along with their food crops as this will increase productivity and promote environmental conservation.