Perceived Benefits of Indigenous Agricultural Knowledge and Strategies for Enhancing Small Holder Farmers’ Practices in Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract

Indigenous agricultural knowledge systems, unique and challenging to replicate due to custodian deaths, offer sustainable farming techniques. Utilizing these methods can contribute to more equitable, resilient, and sustainable agricultural systems. The study examined the perceived benefits of indigenous agricultural knowledge and strategies for enhancing small holder farmers ‘practices in Delta State. Data was gathered from 220 randomly selected participants using a structured questionnaire. The analysis was carried out with both descriptive methods (frequency counts and percentages) and inferential statistic (chi-square and Friedman tests). The results indicated that indigenous practices such low-tillage farming (84.3), mixed cropping of cereals and legumes (86.7), terrace land preparation (87.7), palm oil treatment for animal wounds (34.0), solar drying (90.0), barn storage (88.7), scarecrow placement (97.0), healthy plant seed selection (96.3) are widely utilized. However, the study revealed that smallholder farmers encounter several challenges in their quest to produce enough food for their families. To preserve indigenous knowledge effectively, it is recommended to use methods such as oral transmission  to children, inclusion in educational curricula, written records, and embedding in proverbs or songs. The study also suggested leveraging information and communication technologies (ICTs), like computers, the internet, and libraries, to improve access to this knowledge. Furthermore, providing incentives to rural communities was proposed to reduce the costs associated with implementing indigenous agricultural and food security practices.