DETERMINANTS OF ADOPTION OF SOYBEAN PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES AMONG SMALL SCALE FARMERS IN THE CENTRAL AGRICULTURAL ZONE OF GOMBE STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined the determinant of the adoption of recommended Soybean production technologies practices among small scale farmers in Central Agricultural Zone of Gombe State.  Multi-stage sampling techniques were used in selecting 206 respondents from the study area. Data were collected through the administration of structured questionnaires and analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The result from the study reveals that majority (75.2%, 65.6%) of the respondents were males, married and within the ages of 28-47 years, respectively, also majority (87.4%, 82.5% and 75.2%) of the respondents had 1.6-3.0ha of land, 2-21 years of farming experience and 4-9 persons per household size in the study area respectively. The result further shows that majority (72.8% and 55.3%) of the respondents had an annual income of ₦50,000-₦100,000 and had attained secondary/tertiary levels of education in the study area respectively. The result shows that use of implements in land preparation, soy bean harvest between 3-4 months and mid-June – early July planting of soy technologies were mostly and frequently practiced by the respondents and were ranked 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd in the study area, respectively. The result also shows that socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents had significant influence on their adoption of technologies in the study area, sex, land size, membership of association, years of membership in association, inadequate extension contact, lack of credit access and other sources of credits were highly significant (P<0.001), while farming experience and extension contact in 2020 were significant at (P<0.05). However, high cost of technologies; insufficient information and non-accessibility of technologies were the major challenges/constraints faced by the respondents in the study area. The study concluded that sex, land size, membership of association were the factors influencing the adoption of soya bean technologies in the study area. Based on the findings highlighted the study recommended that, ADP should make available and affordable technologies to the farmers, more extension agents should be recruited to reach or widened the coverage of extension activities in the study area.