(Open Agriculture, 2021-03-01) Emmanuel Oyamedan Imoloame, Ibrahim Folorunsho Ayanda, Olayinka Jelili Yusuf
A survey was conducted in the Kwara State of
Nigeria to study the integrated weed management (IWM)
practices by farmers. This was in view of the poor weed
management practices adopted by farmers, which is a
major factor responsible for low yields of many arable
crops in Kwara State. A multi-stage sampling technique
was used to select a sample size of 480 respondents, and
a structured interview schedule was used to elicit infor-
mation from them. Data obtained were analyzed using
descriptive statistics. Factor analysis was also carried
out to examine the perception of farmers’ benefits of
IWM. Results showed that the majority of farmers (29.4%)
were youths, married (89.1%), and involved in medium-
scale farming (47.2%). Furthermore, 50.8% of the farmers
had primary or secondary education. Although farmers
use different weed control methods, more than half of
them (54.7%) use herbicides. Most farmers (92.6%) are
engaged in the use of IWM, However, 73.5% of them use
a combination of herbicides and hoe weeding. Although
not properly practiced, farmers perceived IWM as having
socio-environmental (29.229%) and techno-efficacious
(23.495%) benefits over either hoe weeding or herbicides
used alone. The findings suggest a need to train farmers
on all aspects of IWM to achieve self-sufficiency in food
production in Kwara State.