Factors Influencing the Awareness and Utilization of Solanum Macrocarpon (Egg Plant) as a Medicinal Plant among Rural Farmers in Oyo State Nigeria

The study examined the awareness and utilization of solanum macrocarpon (eggplant) in Oyo State, Nigeria. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select 150 farmers in the state. Data were collected through a structured interview schedule and analyses using frequency counts percentages and chi-square. Among the respondents 71.3% are married, the mean household size was 5 persons, 92.0% were female, more than two-thirds (80.0%) of the respondents had formal education. The level of awareness of the nutritional and medicinal value of the plant was high. Sex, marital status, level of education, religion and age significantly associated with the respondents’ level of utilization of the cultivation practices @p 12鈮?/m:t>"> 0.05. The study recommended that better cultivation practices should be introduced to the farmers by extension personnel with a view to increasing production and farmer’s standard of living Keywords: Awareness, Utilization, solanum macrocarpon

Factors Influencing Adoption of Plantain Improved Technologies among Small Holder farmers in Edo state, Nigeria

This study examined the determinants of factors affecting the adoption of plantain improved technologies among small holder farmers in Edo state Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study were to ascertain the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers in the study area, determine the level of awareness and adoption of the improved technologies by respondents and constraints encountered. Multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select one hundred and fifty farmers for the study. A structured and pre-tested questionnaire was administered on the farmers. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis was used to analyze the collected information. The result revealed large proportion (82.0%) of the respondents were married, mean age was 56.9years, respondents level of education was high, mean farm size was 2.2 hectares, farming experience was high. The result of chi-square analysis showed that there were no significant association between level of adoption and sex, religion, marital status. The study recommended that agricultural development project should be encouraged to adopt plantain as mandate crop and farmers should be sensitized to know the potentials inherent in adopting plantain as income generation crop. Keywords: Improved Technologies, adoption, credit facilitie