Soil Fertility Management Practices and Productivity of
Food Crop Farming Households in North-Central Nigeria
1Agboola, L.W., 2Salman, K,K.,& 1Yahaya, A.A
1Department of Agricultural Development and Management, Agricultural and Rural Management
Training Institute, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria
2Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

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Outline
• Problem Statement
• Objectives
• Theoretical Framework
• Conceptual Framework
• Methodology
• Key Findings
• Implication of Findings and Recommendations

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Problem Statement
Nigeria’s agricultural contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
27.6%
92% (NBS, 2022)
the country’s agricultural sector still experiences two gaps;
the inability to feed its teeming population
the inability to meet export market quality requirements
poor agricultural productivity and food insecurity

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Problem Statement Cont’d
9.7 billion by the year 2050 [UNPFA], 2011)
 2019 and 2050 (United Nations, 2015; 2019)
377million by 2050
815 million out of 7 billion endure chronic malnutrition(FAO, 2017)
840 million affected by hunger in 2030 (FAO et al., 2021)
Africa cereal productivity 1.5mt/ha while
Asia and Latin America of 5 and 8mt/ha, respectively
(FAOSTAT, 2015)

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Research Questions
what were the different soil fertility management practices used
by the crop farming households in the study area?
what was the productivity associated with different soil fertility
management practices?
what are the effects of the different soil fertility management
practices on productivity of farming households in the study area?

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Objectives of the Study
The main objective of the study is:
to examine soil fertility management practices and productivity of food
crop farmers in North-Central Nigeria.
The specific objectives are to:
profile the different soil fertility management practices used by the food
crop farming household heads in the study area;
estimate the productivity of the farming households ;and
examine the effect of different soil fertility management practices on
productivity.

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Justification of the Study
The earth has only 7.86 billions acres of land potentially suitable for
agriculture” (Schiller, 1980)
Boosting agricultural production could either be by:
Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security, improved nutrition and
promote sustainable agriculture

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Theoretical Framework
Theory of Production
Concept of Productivity
Productivity differences could be as a result of:
improved efficiency;
scale improvement; and
technical change.
Figure 1: Technological Change
Source: Coelli et al., 2005

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Conceptual Framework
Food Crop Farmers
Awareness on a soil fertility
management practices
Attitude formation
Negative
Non-use
Positive
Trial
Adoption
Continued Use
Increased Productivity
-Socioeconomic Variables
-Soil fertility management
Practices
Figure 2: Link between Soil Fertility Management Practices and Crop
Productivity
Source: Author’s Construct

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Study Area: North- Central Nigeria
Source and Method of Data Collection:
Primary data were collected from food crop farming household heads
in the study area
Sampling Procedure and Sample Size:
Four-stage sampling procedure was used to collect data from 400 food
crop farming household heads.
Analytical Techniques:
Descriptive Statistics
Total Factor Productivity and Cobb Douglass production function
Methodology

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Key Findings
Table 1:Households’ Prevalent Soil Fertility Management Practices
Soil Fertility Management Practices
Used
Frequency Percentage
Organic Manure 47 13.6
Bush Fallowing 43 12.5
Crop Rotation 56 16.2
Inorganic Fertilizer 67 19.4
Cover Cropping 48 13.9
Alley Cropping 38 11.1
Mulching 46 13.3
Total 345 100
Source: Field Survey, 2021

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ORGANIC
MANURE
BUSH
FALLOW
CROP
ROTATION
INORGANIC
FERTILIZER
ALLEY
FARMING
COVER
CROP
MULCHING
13.6 12.5
16.2
19.4
13.9
11.1
13.3
PERCENTAGES
Figure 3: Bar Chart showing the Percentage Distribution of Farmers Across
the Different Soil Fertility Management Practices

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Table 2: Frequency Distribution of TFP Estimates of Food Crop Farmers in the Study Area
Alley cropping Bush fallowing Cover
cropping
Crop rotation Inorganic
fertilizer
Mulching Organic
manure
Pooled
TFP indices Fre % Fre % Fre % Fre % Fre % Fre % Fre % Fre %
0-0.99 8 16.6 7 16.3 9 23.6 6 10.7 1 1.5 4 8.8 6 12.8 56 16.2
1-1.99 15 31.2 10 23.3 8 21.1 19 33.9 2 3.0 6 13.0 6 12.8 88 25.5
2-2.99 17 35.4 12 27.9 11 29.0 18 32.1 16 23.9 10 21.7 7 14.9 99 28.7
3-3.99 2 4.2 6 14.0 2 5.3 6 10.7 24 35.8 11 23.9 12 25.5 41 12.0
4-4.99 3 7.9 3 5.4 24 35.8 3 6.5 7 14.9 17 4.9
5-5.99 2 4.2 3 7.0 2 5.3 3 5.4 3 6.5 4 8.5 17 4.9
6-6.99 1 2.1 1 2.3 1 2.6 3 6.5 6 1.7
7-7.99 1 2.1 1 2.6 3 6.5 1 2.1 6 1.7
8-8.99 1 2.6 1 2.2 1 2.1 3 0.9
9-9.99 1 2.1 2 4.6 1 2.1 4 1.2
10-10.99
˃10.99 1 2.1 2 4.6 1 1.8 2 4.4 2 4.2 8 2.3
Total 48 100.0 43 100.0 38 100.0 56 100.0 67 100.0 46 100.0 47 100.0 345 100.0
Max 14.6 29.6 8.0 17.6 4.8 12.2
3
14.4 29.6
Min 0.31 0.36 0.02 0.09 0.09 0.36 0.08 0.02
Mean 2.63 3.54 2.5 2.55 3.49 3.6 3.42 2.74
SD 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.2 0.89 1.3 1.2 1.2
Source: Field Survey, 2021

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ALLEY
CROPPING
BUSH
FALLOWING
COVER
CROPPING
CROP
ROTATION
INORGANIC
FERTILIZER
MULCHING ORGANIC
MANURE
POOLED
2.63
3.54
2.5 2.55
3.49 3.6 3.42
2.74
Figure 4: Mean Productivity Estimates Across the Different Soil Fertility Management
Practices in the Study Area

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Table 3: Test of Multicollinearity among the Variables Affecting TFP
Variables VIF
X1 1.83
X2 1.22
X3 2.00
X4 1.65
X5 1.09
X6 1.55
X7 1.16
X8 2.29
X9 1.88
X11 2.28
X12 2.88
X13 2.06
X14 2.18
Mean VIF 1.85
Source: Authors’ computation from field survey, 2021

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Table 4: Determinants of Total Factor Productivity
Variables Coefficients Standard error t
Age -2.461 .123 -18.57***
Education .210 .030 6.98***
Household size .009 .029 0.33
Farming experience .154 .034 4.42***
Access to credit -.034 .031 -1.07
Farm size .041 .036 1.14
Access to extension .129 .033 3.87***
Alley cropping .226 .075 3.02***
Cover crop .094 .073 1.29
Crop rotation .386 .075 5.12***
Inorganic fertilizer .085 .086 0.99
Mulching .082 .073 10.92***
Organic manure .492 .079 6.17***
Constant 8.689 .557 15.58***
R2 0.903
R-2 0.899
Prob˃F 0.0000
F(13 331) 238.40
N 345
*** 1% significance level
Source: Field Survey, 2021

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Implication of Findings and Recommendations
Negative coefficient in respect of age implies that old farmers are less
motivated, less innovative and less amenable to changes
 According agriculture a boost in the youth empowerment programme
will encourage young abled men and women to agriculture.
Positive and significant contribution of education implies that education
is productivity and soil fertility management enhancer
 Adult literacy should be promoted among the farmers.

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Because of positive coefficient between farm size, access to
extension and soil fertility management practices to productivity:
 it is therefore recommended that farmers should increase their farm
sizes as this will make them enjoy economies of scale
 extension services should be strengthened in terms of personnel,
making more contact and trainings were recommended
 the need to promote sustainable soil fertility management that are
farm or farmer specific become imperative in enhancing
productivity.
Policy Implication and Recommendations Contd.

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