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
ASSESS THE LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE OF RURAL WOMEN TOWARDS AGRO-FORESTRY PRACTICES IN CHIKUN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KADUNA STATE.
