INDIGENOUS AND EMERGING ADAPTIVE AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE NIGER DELTA REGION OF NIGERIA

INDIGENOUS AND EMERGING ADAPTIVE AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES TO CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE NIGER DELTA REGION OF NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The study ascertained indigenous and emerging adaptive agricultural technologies to climate change in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Data were collected from 400 respondents through the use of semi structured interview schedule using a multi stage random sampling technique. The collected data were analyzed using percentages, mean score, and factor analysis. The findings revealed that majority (89.8%) of the respondents were aware of climate change though only 9.0% of them knew of climate change to a great extent; it was found that majority (94.8%) of the respondents had knowledge of climate change effects on their farming activities. The findings also showed that respondents sourced information on climate change from radio/television (61.0%), newspaper (44.0%) and friends (43.8%). The major perceived causes of climate change by the respondents were burning of fossil fuel (M=4.19), gas flaring from oil companies (M =4.03), high temperature due to ozone layer depletion (M =3.99) and gases released from industries (M =3.92). The result also showed that bush burning, cutting down of trees, cooking with firewood, crude oil spillage further causes of climate change. The
major perceived effects of climate change on farming activities included: low rainfall intensity (M =3.34), late onset of rains (M = 3.36), heat from high temperature (M =3.29), high rate of weed growth (M =3.00), poor crop yield (M =2.98), and decrease in soil moisture (M =2.95). Findings further showed that about 24% of the respondents had contact with extension workers in the last one year. The mean distribution on available extension activities on climate change revealed that there were limited activities on climate change issues in the study area. It was further revealed that organic manure (72.0%), cover cropping (71.8%),