Effectiveness of Adaptation Strategies to Climate Variability in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Effectiveness of Adaptation Strategies to Climate Variability in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Nwosu I. E. & Okringbo I. J.

Department of Rural Sociology and Agricultural Extension

Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State

E-mail: nwosu.iheanye@gmail.com

This paper assessed effectiveness of adaptation strategies to climate variability in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Purposive random sampling technique was employed to select hundred and twenty (120) respondents across the three agricultural zones of the state. Data collected were analyzed with both descriptive and inferential statistics (ANOVA). The result of the study shows that the effectiveness of adaptation strategies as perceived by farmers: mixed cropping (= 4.1), crop rotation (= 3.8) and postponing of farming periods (= 4.5) were all effective adaptation strategies to climate variability. The study further revealed that mean score on the use of improved genetic resource among cassava, yam and cocoyam by farmers were 4.36±0.07^a, 4.33 ± 0.07^b and 4.28±0.07^c.  Furthermore, the use of improved production techniques among cassava yam and cocoyam had 4.29±0.07^a, 4.23±0.06^b and 4.20±0.06^a. Planting of leguminous crops had a mean variation between cassava, yam and cocoyam 4.32±0.06^a, 4.32±0.06^a and 4.30±0.06^a. The Duncan Multiple Range test was used as mean separation technique and it indicated a significant difference (F-ratio 0.006) on the effective use of improved genetic resource among the three arable crops. Hence, it was recommended that farmers should be provided with modern and efficient processing and storage facilities.

Keywords: Effectiveness, adaptation strategies, climate variability and farmers