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Resource-poor Farmers` Constraints Regarding Integrated Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management System Practices: a Study in Rural Bangladesh

M. G. Farouque
Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya-shi, 464-8601, Japan.

H. Takeya
Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya-shi, 464-8601, Japan.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The main focus of this study was to determine the constraints faced by resource-poor farmers concerning the practice of ISF and NM systems of crop production. Field work was conducted in eight villages from four districts in Bangladesh and data were collected from 92 resource-poor farmers through group discussions and personal interviews. Four-point rating scales were used and summed to quantify farmers` constraints. Frequency distributions and a Constraint Index (CI) were used to measure the constraints faced by the different categories of resource-poor farmers. Present findings indicate that landless and marginal categories of resource-poor farmers faced comparatively more constraints than resource-poor small farmers did. Present findings also revealed that the constraint on landless and marginal farmers were similar, while the situation, faced by small farmers was different. Based on the Constraint Index (CI), the top two constraints for landless and marginal farmers were a lack of knowledge about ISF and NM systems and the lack of financial resources to buy fertilizers in time. On the other hand, the unavailability and unstable market price of fertilizers during crop seasons and limited initiatives by the agricultural extension department to motivate farmers to practice ISF and NM were the major constraints on small farmers according to the CI concerning the practice of ISF and NM regarding crop production.

Keywords: Resource-poor farmers, Constraints, Integrated soil fertility, Nutrient management, Crop production

Location: Mymesingh, Jamalpur, Sherpur and Netrokona, Bangladesh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Commodity: Soil fertility

Objectives:

To determine the constraints faced by resource-poor farmers concerning the practice of ISF and NM systems of crop production.

Methodology:

Eight villages from four districts (Mymesingh, Jamalpur, Sherpur and Netrokona), previously known as the greater Mymnesingh of Bangladesh were selected as the study areas for this research. These areas were selected because of: i) low agricultural productivity (BBS, 2004) and ii) the gradual declination of soil fertility (BARC, 1999). Since resource-poor farmers practiced soil fertility and nutrient management systems on a limited scale compared to resource-rich farmers, resource-poor farmers were selected as the subject of this study. A total of 342 resource-poor farm families from the eight villages were selected as the survey units and the family heads (the principal decision maker of a given family) from each were the population of the study. About 27% of the total population (92 resource-poor farm families comprised of 39 from the landless category, 34 from the marginal category and 19 from the small category) was randomly selected in proportion to national averages to serve as the sample of the study. Data were collected from those 92 family heads using a structured interview script and group discussion. The script was prepared to ensure that sufficient information was collected to meet the main objectives of the study. Interviews were conducted in-person and survey information was collected during a period spanning December 2005-January 2006. To identify the constraints under which resource-poor farmers operate, when practicing ISF and NM systems of crop production, 8 group discussions were organized with the help of the personnel of the department of agricultural extension in the farmers` respective areas. Twenty farmers from different categories constituted a group and they were encouraged to list the constraints on them concerning the practice of ISF and NM systems of crop production. Based on the group responses, 14 constraints were selected and the farmers were asked to rate the severity of these constraints as high, medium, low and no constraint and these responses were assigned weights of 3, 2, 1 and 0, respectively. Thus, the total score from a given respondent for the fourteen items could range from 0 to 42. The reliability of these scores was estimated by calculating Cronbach`s alpha coefficient, calculated as 0.84. The constraints faced by the farmers, when practicing ISF and NM systems of crop production, were measured and examined in two ways: i) according to a frequency distribution of the total score obtained from respondents for all fourteen items; and ii) by calculating the Constraint Index (CI) to rank the items. The Constraint Index (CI) was calculated. The Constraint Index (CI) of any item could range from 0 to 300. A value of 0 indicates no constraint while a value of 300 indicates a high level of constraint. Descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution, mean, percentage, standard deviation and rank order were employed to analyze the data using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). All the data collected was grouped, summarized and presented in tabular form.

Source of Information: International Journal of Agricultural Research, 3(3): 188-195, 2008, ISSN 1816-4897.

Article Link (Online Journal): DOI: 10.3923/ijar.2008.188.195; URL: http://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=ijar.2008.188.195

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Among the three categories of resource-poor farmers, the magnitude of the constraints faced by the landless and marginal categories of resource-poor farmers concerning Integrated Soil Fertility (ISF) and Nutrient Management (NM) systems was higher than for the small category of farmers. The resources possessed by the small farmers are greater than for the other two categories. According to the Constraint Index (CI), a lack of knowledge about ISF and NM systems and a lack of financial resources necessary to buy fertilizer in time were the major constraints that landless and marginal farmers face regarding the practice of ISF and NM systems. The unavailability and unstable market price of fertilizers during crop seasons and the limited initiative of the agricultural extension department to motivate farmers to practice ISF and NM systems were the major constraints for small farmers concerning the practice of ISF and NM systems in the study areas. Since an inverse relationship exists between the extent of constraints faced by resource-poor farmers and the level of practice of ISF and NM systems, measures should be taken to minimize the major constraints on the practice of ISF and NM systems to improve crop production and conserve soil fertility.

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