Level of Information Accessibility and Adoption of Improved Irish Potato Production Technologies by Farmers in the Northern Agricultural Zone of Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed sources of information and Level of Adoption of recommended Irish Potato Production Technologies by Small Scale Farmers in the Northern Agricultural Zone of Plateau state. The multistage sampling procedure was used to draw 150 farmers as study sample. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The descriptive statistics used were percentages, mean scores and ranking while the inferential statistics were multiple linear regression models. Results showed that the major sources of information used by farmers were; from Co-farmers, friends/relations (100%) which ranked (1st), extension agents (98.0%) ranked 2nd and mobile phone (58.0%) ranked 3rd. The result of level of adoption revealed that 98.0% adopted cold room system technique, 96.7% adopted the use of herbicides for weeding and 94.0% adopted the fungicide application technique. The factors limiting the adoption of recommended Irish potato production technologies in the study area ranked in order of severity includes; high incidence of pests and diseases (91.3%) ranked 1st, lack of clean and certified seeds (89.3%) ranking 2nd, high cost of fertilizers and herbicides represented 88.7% and ranked 3rd. The farmers were found to engage in high level of adoption of recommended Irish potato production technologies like; Cold room system, use of herbicides for weeding and fungicide application among many other technologies. It was recommended that farmers in the study area should be assisted by the government and relevant stakeholders in the control of pests and diseases, provision of clean and certified seeds at affordable rate and subsidizing of fertilizers and herbicides.