Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development 

About: Journal of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development is an academic journal published by Academic Journals. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Agriculture & Agricultural extension. It has an ISSN identifier of 2141-2170. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 448 publications have been published receiving 3246 citations.

Extension communication channels' usage and preference by farmers in Benue State, Nigeria

Abstract: The study assessed farmers’ use and preference of extension communication channels in Benue State, Nigeria A sample of 316 farmers was selected through a stratified random sampling technique and interview schedule was used in eliciting information from them Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analyses Interpersonal communication channels were generally found to be more available, accessible and used by the farmers than the mass media to obtain information on improved farm technologies Relatives/friends/neighbours constituted the most regularly available, accessible and used interpersonal channels although extension agents and television were mentioned by the farmers as the most preferred interpersonal channel and mass medium, respectively Chi-square analysis shows that there is significant relationship between frequency of communication channels use by farmers and their educational level, sex, farm size and farming experience It is recommended that rural radio booster stations and community rural television stations are established to feature special programmes targeted at rural farmers To ensure regular availability and accessibility of extension agents (the farmers most preferred channel), efforts should be made to employ more extension agents Key words: Farmers, extension, communication channels, usage, preference

Peri-urban development, livelihood change and household income: A case study of peri-urban Nyahururu, Kenya

Abstract: Peri-urban development has attracted increased attention in recent years particularly due to conflict/competition between new (urban) and traditional (rural) land uses as a result of peri-urban expansion. Much of the research in peri-urban development is concentrated in peri-urban concepts and definitions, environmental impacts and also impact on agriculture. Little attention is put in the assessment of the peri-urban development on household livelihood and income. This study was therefore conducted with the objective of assessing the impact of the peri-urban development dynamics to household income using the case study of peri-urban Nyahururu, Kenya. The analysis shows a decline in full time farming households from 90% in the 1960s to 49%; an indication of the declining economic significance of agriculture. The decline in significance of agriculture was mainly due to rapidly shrinking household agricultural land as well as low and fluctuating agricultural output prices which reduced the profitability from agricultural production. The decrease in agricultural land was due to the sale of land for residence/business premises and also land bequests to children. In return, households have adopted diverse non-farm activities whose earnings proved to be of varying importance to the annual household income. However most of the households engage in low income productive non-farm activities – nevertheless, the number of households engaged in high income productive non-farm activities was comparatively higher (10% more) compared to the most rural parts of the district. The infrastructural developments coupled with emerging business enterprises were found to be the main factors that enhanced the opportunities for household engagement in high income productive activities. However most of these developments are limited to the financially constrained informal sector and hence can not provide sufficient high income opportunities to lift majority of the population from poverty. Therefore, the possibility for peri-urban development to accomplish a reduction in poverty for the households will not only depend on the infrastructural developments but also on the socio-economic opportunities that arise from the developments – which will be dependent on the developers involved and the government policy. In addition, despite the declining economic significance of agriculture in the study area, we emphasize the importance of government intervention to enhance agricultural productivity and control agricultural land conversion for food security reasons. Key words: Kenya, peri-urban, household land holding, land use change, agriculture, non-farm income.

Allelopathic effect by aqueous extracts of different parts of Croton bonplandianum Baill. on some crop and weed plants

Abstract: The present study was conducted to investigate the allelopathic effects of Croton bonplandianum weed on seed germination and seedling growth of crop plants (Triticum aestivum L., Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L. and Brassica rapa L.) and weed plants (Melilotus alba Medik., Vicia sativa L. and Medicago hispida Gaertn). Root, stem and leaf aqueous extracts of Croton at 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0% concentrations were applied to determine their effect on seed germination and seedling growth of test plants under laboratory conditions. The aqueous extracts from root, stem and leaf had no effect on seed germination of test plants. The extracts from stem had a stimulatory effect on the shoot length at all concentration levels, as against an inhibitory effect of leaf extracts. Stem extracts at low concentration generally promoted root length but aqueous extracts from leaf and root inhibited root length and dry weight. Root length, shoot length of weed species decreased progressively when plants were exposed to increasing concentration (0.5, 1, 2 and 4%). The pH, osmotic potential and total phenolic contents, the osmotic potential and phenolic content increased with increasing concentrations of aqueous extracts of different parts of C. bonplandianum while pH does not have any major change. Key words: Allelopathy, aqueous leaf extract, aqueous stem extract, aqueous root extract, Melilotus alba, Medicago hispida, Vicia sativa, Croton bonplandianum.

The role of extension in agricultural adaptation to climate change in Enugu State, Nigeria

Abstract: The clear evidence that climate change is already a reality calls for actions not just to slow down the process or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases (mitigation) but also to assist those affected or threatened already to adjust in natural and human systems to a new or changing environment (adaptation). The paper examined the role of extension in agricultural adaptation to climate change in Enugu State. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used in selecting 120 respondents. Descriptive statistics were used in analyzing data from the study. Results show that the most significant effect of climate change in the area was intense weed growth (iŸ‚= 4.52) while the most popular adaptive measure adopted by respondents was the use of resistant crop and animal varieties/species (95.43%). The study proposed that the key roles of extension in agricultural adaptation to climate change were in the re-training of extension staff to acquire new capacity in climate risk management (iŸ‚= 3.93), setting up of emergency management units in extension agencies (iŸ‚= 3.91), dissemination of innovations on best practices and building resilience capacities of vulnerable people in climate risk management (iŸ‚= 3.90), and providing feedbacks to governments and interested agencies on climate change issues (iŸ‚= 3.9). The paper recommends a change in the extension service agenda to accommodate the challenges currently posed by climate change by adopting new roles identified in the study and the need for increased research and innovation for sustainable adaptation to climate change. Key words: Role, extension, agricultural adaptation, climate change.

Opportunities and challenges of honey production in Gomma district of Jimma zone, South-west Ethiopia

Abstract: The study was conducted in Gomma district South west Ethiopia to assess the various opportunities and its constraints of beekeeping in the area. For this study, 6 Peasant Associations (PAs) were selected using systematic random sampling technique and interviewed using pre-tested structured questionnaires. The opportunities for beekeeping in the study areas were the existence and abundance of honeybee, availability of potential flowering plants, ample sources of water for bees, beekeepers' experience and practices and socio-economic value of honey. In addition to this study, it was observed that the major challenges of beekeeping were lack of knowledge, presence of pests and predators, lack of bee forage, pesticide poisoning, absconding, lack of beekeeping equipment and materials. More study is also required to characterize the honey bees of the area and major pests and diseases of economic importance. Key words: Challenges and opportunities in beekeeping, honey production, predators and disease, poisonous plants.