Effect of Soil Degradation on Arable Crop Productivity in Abia State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT
This study investigated the effects of soil degradation on the arable crop productivity of smallholder farmers in Abia State. Specifically, the study described the socioeconomic characteristics of the smallholder arable crop farmers in the study area; identified the different forms of soil degradation prevalent in the study area; estimated the determinants of soil degradation in the study area; estimated the productivity indices of the smallholder arable crop farmers; determined the effects of soil degradation on the productivity of the smallholder arable crop farmers in the study area and identified measures aimed at preventing/remediating soil degradation in the study area. Multistage and purposive sampling techniques were used to select 120 farmers for the study. Results showed that majority of the arable crop farmers were young and energetic; dominated by males. They were literate farmers and more than 70.0% of them were married. The study revealed that most perceived type of land degradation in the area were erosion, flooding, desertification and soil fertility loss. The result also revealed that bush burning, cropping system, land ownership, soil structure, information, tillage, and topography, were the significant factors that influenced soil degradation in Abia State. The farmers were productive given the mean productivity index of 1.59. Soil degradation had a negative effect on the productivity of the smallholder arable crop farmers in Abia State, Nigeria. Majority (65.0%) of the farmers adopted organic manure (poultry faeces, animal dung etc). This was followed by planting of leguminous/cover crop (60.8%), crop rotation (55.0%), bush fallowing (45.0%), while, liming and water harvesting recorded the least in terms of adoption as only 11.7% and 18.3% of the farmers respectively adopted them. The study recommended that bush burning on the farmland should be restricted by a law enacted by government to control land/soil degradation in the area.