Application of local knowledge to the development of Ecological Organic Agriculture in Nigeria

Abstract

The survey was carried out in South West and North Central geo-political zones of Nigeria in the month of September and November 2014 to document the

application of local knowledge in agricultural production in Nigeria especially the ones that could be called organic agricultural which are environmentally

friendly and do not contribute to health hazards. Three states   (Oyo, Osun and Ogun) from the South West and one state (Niger Sate) from the North Central were sampled. The tools employed for data collection were Focused Group Discussion (FGD) and Key Informant Interview (KII) using a developed research instrument as a guide. Farmers in the selected farm settlements and villages were interviewed in a participatory manner. The mean age of all respondents was 57 years. More males (89%) were involved in this traditional organic practices than females (11%) in South West while only male (100%) are documented to have been fully engaged in the indigenous organic farm practices in North Central Zone. There is variability in the number of years of farming experience of the respondents. The use of different application documented was highest for the crop pests and diseases management across the zones surveyed, which pinpoint importance of these biotic factors for productivity.  The methods being used in various aspects of agriculture such as soil fertility management, seed dressing, weed control, eld pest management, disease management, storage pest manage me nt ,  s t or age  t e c hni que s ,  nut r i t i on manage me nt ,  par t ur i t i on management and fertility management range from methods that are scientic to the ones that are folklore and superstitious. However, this study is an eye opener to indigenous organic agricultural methods that can be improved and repackaged

for moving organic agriculture forward in African and other regions of the world .