FARMERS PERCEPTIONS ON DUAL-PURPOSE SORGHUM AND IT’S POTENTIAL IN ZAMBIA

S. Chikuta, T. Odong, F. Kabi, M. Mwala and P. Rubaihayo

International Journal of Agricultural Research, Innovation and Technology (IJARIT), 2014, vol. 04, issue 2

Abstract: Food feed crops play a cardinal role in mixed crop-livestock production systems yet views of farmers on their usage are limited. Farmers’ perceptions in predominant sorghum growing areas of Zambia were solicited on socio-economic factors affecting sorghum production, awareness and willingness to adopt dual-purpose sorghum cultivars for food and feed. Preferred traits of a “model” dual-purpose cultivar were identified. The aim of the study was to generate information that would support the genetic improvement of dual-purpose sorghum. Questionnaires were used to generate this information. Results showed that less than 50% of sorghum growing SSFs had limited knowledge on the use of sorghum to produce feed silage; however, there was full awareness among the LSFs. Among other traits, farmers’ “ideal” variety should combine high grain yield potential (100 %) with high biomass (100 % of LSFs and 80 % of SSFs) and high stem sugar content (100 % of LSF and 70 % of SSFs). All the SSFs and 20 % of the LSFs indicated that adequate production could be hampered by low grain yield, poor access to improved seed and unavailability of farmers’- preferred cultivars.

Keywords: Crop; Production/Industries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:ijarit:305373

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.305373

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