Abstract

This study assessed the socioeconomic characteristics, knowledge, awareness, and factors influencing the adoption of agroforestry (AF) technologies (Gliricidia sp, Leucaena sp and vertiver grass) among smallholder farmers in Benue State, Nigeria. Data were collected from 60 direct beneficiaries, 300 secondary beneficiaries/neighbouring farmers, and 10 extension agents using semi-structured questionnaires and interviews. Results showed that agroforestry beneficiaries were predominantly female (58.3%), with most farmers within the age range of 51–60 years (53.3%). A large proportion of beneficiaries had either non-formal or primary education (88.4%), operated small farm sizes between 1.1–2.0 ha (48.3%), relied solely on human labour (100%), and earned low annual farm incomes, mainly within ₦151,000–₦200,000 (46.7%). Awareness of agroforestry technology among neighbouring farmers was generally low, as most respondents (66.0%) had never heard of agroforestry practices, with media (44.0%) and extension agents (32.0%) being the major information sources for those aware. Gliricidia spp. and Leucaena spp., either singly or in combination with Vetiver grass, were the dominant agroforestry species across the area. Adoption of agroforestry technology was largely influenced by production-related benefits such as staking materials (20.5%), mulching (20.1%), and green manure (20.1%), while income ranked lowest (1.8%). Binary regression results revealed that education (F = 11.62, p < 0.001), income (F = 11.54, p = 0.00), family size (F = 4.25, p = 0.05), years of farming experience (F = 5.77, p = 0.02), and farm size (F = 8.42, p = 0.01) significantly influenced agroforestry adoption, whereas sex, age, marital status, access to information, and distance to farm showed no significant effect. The study revealed the need for targeted awareness creation, education-driven interventions, and institutional support to enhance agroforestry adoption in Benue State.

Keywords

Agroforestry adoption, Smallholder farmers, Adoption behaviour, Land-use systems, Sustainable land management