Perception of Arable Crop Farmers on Usage of Organic Fertilizer in Maize Production in Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria

One major problem facing maize production can be attributed to the fertility status of most Nigerian soils which is considerably low. The study was conducted to examine arable crop farmers’ perception of the use of organic fertilizer in maize production in Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State. A total of one hundred and twenty respondents were randomly selected for the study from 10 villages. Primary data were collected using a well-structured questionnaire and interview guide. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentages and mean. Chi-square was used to test the hypothesis of the study. Poultry manure (90.0%) was the major source of organic fertilizer and constitutes the most frequently used (70.8%). It was found that bulkiness of organic fertilizer was the most severe constraint that affect its usage (x=2.43). However, there was an unfavourable perception on use of organic fertilizer in maize production. Test of hypothesis revealed that age (χ2= 4.46, df= 1) and educational level (χ2= 8.54, df = 3) were found significantly related with the perception of respondents on usage of organic fertilizer (p = 0.05). Advocacy should be intensified on usage of organic fertilizer in crop production.