CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

  Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is the world’s fourth-largest food crop after maize, wheat and rice. It is a significant food crop in developing countries, and is often grown at a significant scale in more than 130 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America (USDRA-ARS 2014). It covers about 18 million hectares of land (Struik, and Wiersema,1999). According to the International Potato Center (CIP) and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the average annual quantity of Irish potato production exceeds 300 million metric tons and more than a billion people worldwide consume it (International PotatoCenter,2019). Landrace populations introduced in post-Colombian times are still maintained out of their natural range in Mexico and Central America, the Shimla Hills of India, and in the Canary Islands (Spooner and Knapp, 2013). S. tuberosum is very rarely difficult to escape cultivation (Simon et al., 2010)

It is generally believed that potatoes entered Africa with colonists, who consumed them as a vegetable rather than as a staple starch. Shipping records from 1567 show that the first place outside of Central and South America where potatoes were grown were the canary island. As in other continents, despite its advantages as an anti-famine, high-elevation alternative to grain, potatoes were first resisted by local farmers who believed they were poisonous. As colonialists promoted them as a low-cost food, they were also a symbol of domination. In former European colonies of Africa, potatoes were initially consumed only occasionally, but increased production made them a staple in certain areas. Potatoes tended to become more popular in wartime due to their being able to be stored in the ground. It was well established as a crop by the mid-20th century and in present-day Africa they have become a vegetable or co-staple crop (Foncho et al., 1982).

Corporate statistical database reports that the total world production for potato was 376,826,967metric tones; China was by far the largest producer accounting for 26.3% of the world production (FAO, 2016,). China is now the largest potato producer with about 1/3 of the world’s potatoes produce in china and followed by India, Russian Federation and USA7 (FAO, 2018). According to FAO estimate, in 2018 over 368million metric tons of potato was produced worldwide, with a substantial increase from 333.6million tones in 2010.

In 2018, according to FAO report, Cameroon was classified number 79th country in potato production cultivating 20,449 hectares of land with a total yield of 302,665 tons. However, agriculture still remains the backbone of Cameroon’s economy, employing about 70% of its workforce, and providing 42% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 30% of its export value revenue (Business in Cameroon Agriculture, 2019).

In Cameroon, the potato (Solamum tuberosum Linus) were introduced during the German colonial period (1884–1914), but widespread cultivation began later on in the 1940s, following the introduction of new varieties by the British and Dutch governments (Horton. et al., 1989). This crop was well received by farmers in the highlands of Western Cameroon, where it proved to be well adapted to the high plateaus. In the later 1940s, degeneration of the potato seed (probably due to viral infections) and a late blight infestation reversed the crop’s initially strong inroads, especially in the extreme southern regions (Kemgni, 1973).  Due to increasing urbanization, potatoes have become an important food crop in most Cameroonian cities as it acts as a food security crop, increasing the per capital income of the farmers and reducing poverty and also reducing the unemployment rate (Tabi et al., 2021).

In Cameroon, planting generally takes place at the beginning of the rainy season, usually in March/April followed by harvesting in June and July presumably before the occurrence of flooding. A second planting season generally takes place in November, depending on the water stored in the soil (Fontem et al.; 2004). Over 200,000 farmers grow potatoes in Cameroon, mostly smallholders and predominately women Fontem et al.; 2004). It is cultivated on intensive, small-scale localities in six of the 10 regions of the country. The West and the North west

West Regions are the predominating areas, with 80% (435,354 tons) of national production. 17% is exported to sub-regional countries like Gabon, Central African Republic, Congo, and Equatorial Guinea. These two regions are located on the western highlands of the country, which are characterized by cool temperatures, and high rainfall of at least 800 mm per annum at altitudes ranging between 900 to 3000 meters above sea level (Business in Cameroon, 2019).

Expansion in the area of potato cultivation is due to the tremendous growth in the Irish potato production (MOA, 2019). Cameroon accounts for 0.1% of the world’s total potato production and 0.8% of Africa’s total production (220,000 tons out of 29million tons) (FAOSTAT Data, 2019). Potato production is therefore still constrained by poor farming practices, pests, inefficient use of available technologies, poor soil fertility, high cost of inputs like fertilizers, seed and fungicides, lack of access to credit, and a lot more despite government subsidization. 

Also, perception Issues emerge from the farmers use of organic and inorganic fertilizers on potato cultivation, Farmers’ decisions to adapt a new agricultural technology depend on complex factors. One of the factors is famers’ perception (Negatu et al.,1999). It was found that farmer’s perceptions regarding the compatibility of sustainable practices with their farming systems emerged as the best predictors of adoption of such practices (Alonge et al., 1995). If farmers are to adopt sustainable agricultural practices, the farmers first need to believe that the practices are important. Therefore, measuring farmers’ perceptions and studying the socioeconomic characteristics and information-seeking behavior that influence those perceptions should be the preliminary step in developing extension programs to promote sustainability among farmers and rural population (Tatlidil et al., 2009). Hence, there is a need to find out what farmers’ perceptions are with regard to applying selected sustainable agricultural technologies and practices in potato cultivation. Therefore, this work intended to measure farmers’ perceptions on potato cultivation toward the use of fertilizers in Santa subdivision in agricultural practices and the extent to which various socioeconomic and other factors are associated with their perceptions in potato cultivation, hence, it is therefore worth important and necessary for potato farmers to know and measure perception which thus effect the productivity of smallholder’s farmers in their yield per hectare per annum. Agricultural development policies have been successful at emphasizing external inputs, such as pesticides, organic, inorganic fertilizers, fungicide as the means to increase food production.

Several management tactics meet these criteria including farmer perception in potato certified to be disease free (Jones et al., 2017), application of biological control organisms and the addition of composted manure (Renčo et al., 2016), and crop rotation (Trudgill et al., 2014). However, there are major socio-cultural and science gaps to be overcome before the smallholder farmers embrace and adopt these practices.

 Introduction of research-based technologies and field-tested practices without regards to understanding farmers’ perceptions of the innovative farming practices or technologies often leads to failure to adopt. Evidence has shown that new practices introduced by extension, NGOs, or other research institutions are often abandoned for traditional practices after development projects have been completed (Dawoe, el al 2007). Therefore, a major challenge with the traditional development approach of field demonstration alone does not work. There is a need to understand what drives a farming community’s behaviors and decision-making processes, contrasted with the adoption of innovative practices that have been shown to increase and sustain productivity. Researchers and those promoting ‘best practices’ without fully understanding the environmental and socio-cultural factors that influence smallholder farmer behaviors and decision-making processes unknowingly exacerbate the limited adoption issue (Isaac et al., 2009). By developing knowledge of smallholder farm-community perceptions and motivations, values shared among researchers, extension and farmers can be realized. Studies have shown factors influencing local adoption are highly contextual and may vary by location (Knowler et al., 2007). Furthermore, evidence shows that a community’s agricultural belief system reflects local ecological and cultural conditions, which serve to shape the decision-making process in the farm. Thus, it is crucial to approach the introduction of any new agricultural technology by collecting and distilling community values early in order to understand the community decision making process in regard to adopting new practices and technologies. This study proposed that in order to promote the adoption of new agricultural practices for the economic betterment of smallholder potato farmers in Santa subdivision they must be an adaptation of perception by smallholders of farmers in potato cultivation in order to increase their output per hectare per annum.

It is worthy to note that perception has a great effect toward the use of fertilizers for potato cultivation, to examine farmer’s perception toward the use of fertilizers for potato cultivation, maintaining a high yielding potential potatoes cultivation requires fertilizers that is organic, inorganic and both, soil health and fertility management (Tey et al., 2012). The use of fertilizer depends on the available soil nutrients. However, crop fertilization requirement needs to be correctly estimated according to the expected yield, the potential of the variety and the intended use of the harvested crops (Wolfe et al., 2002)

Fertilizer use can address both issues with agricultural productivity and environmental degradation according to, (Smaling, 2006), especially in low income countries with minimal fertilizers use like, the success of the Green Revolution (GR) in 1960s to increase food production and to reduce hunger worldwide was made possible, partly due to the increasing use of inorganic fertilizer (Erisman et al., 2008). However, excessive inorganic fertilizer uses during and post Green Revolution caused a number of environmental and ecological problems such as soil acidification, degradation, and water eutrophication, severely undermining the sustainability of agriculture (Lu 2017). The loss of applied nutrients into the environment resulted in the fertilizer-induced emission of nitrous oxide (N2O) from agricultural production, a major source of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (Sutton et al., 2013). Around 60% of nitrogen pollution is estimated to originate from crop production alone (Aryal et al., 2020

Farmers are also less likely to apply organic fertilizers if they perceive the land is highly saline. The Use of organic amendments has however, been shown to help mitigate the effects of salinity on crop productivity (Ding et al., 2020). Educational programs could be of use in saline-affected locations where farmers have access to manure and can afford labor to apply it, although application over multiple seasons may be required for desirable impacts (Ding et al., 2020). Those who did apply manure also used lower rates. Similar is the findings for plots that are located farther from the homestead. By contrast, farmers more likely to adopt organic fertilizer’s in fields they perceived of having greater soil depth, with farmers in the study villages Njong and Bamouck this bring to the confirmative to the complex interactions of variables that condition organ, inorganic and both fertilizer use decisions. Fertilization increases efficiency and obtains better quality of product recovery in agricultural activities. It is one of the most important ways. Non-organic fertilizers mainly contain phosphate, nitrate, ammonium and potassium salts. Fertilizer industry is considered to be source of natural radionuclides and heavy metals as a potential source. It contains a large majority of the heavy metals like Hg, Cd, As, Pb, Cu, Ni, and Cu; natural radionuclide like 238U, 232Th, and 210Po FAO, (March, 2009) However, in recent years, fertilizer consumption increased exponentially throughout the world, causes serious environmental problems. Fertilization may affect the accumulation of heavy metals in soil and plant system. Plants absorb the fertilizers through the soil, they can enter the food chain ( Sönmez, et al 2009).

Many farmers consider that application of organic fertilizer (manure) is very crucial for long-term soil fertility enhancement. However, they have no idea of the potential negative environmental externalities of leaching from organic fertilizer. Although many farmers indicated that they could not clearly understand or “separate” the impact of a single production factor such as fertilizer to distill its implication for overall crop productivity, they did, however, clearly indicate that they understand the importance of fertilizer but lack knowledge on its balanced application. Therefore, they are more likely to go for over-application of nitrogen, mainly from urea, N.P.K 20,10,10, Yara ignoring other nutrients ( Hirel et al ,.2011).

Farmers tend to have different perception toward the use of fertilizer on potato cultivation base on the type of fertilizer’s to be use, be it organic, inorganic or both thus this have a great effect on farmer’ output within a season and a year base on their perception toward the use of fertilizers for potato cultivation and their effect on potato cultivation (Galloway et al.,2017). Fertilizers provide plants with the nutrients they need for their growth and development. Plants live, grow, and reproduce by taking up water and nutrients, carbon dioxide from the air and energy from the sun. Apart from carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, which collectively make up 90-95 percent of the dry matter of all plants, other nutrients needed by plan come essentially from the media in which they grow-essentially in the soil. The other nutrients are subdivided into primary nutrients (nitrogen phosphorus, and potassium) and secondary nutrients (calcium, magnesium, and sulfur). Addition, plants also need other nutrients in much smaller amounts, and they are referred to as micro-nutrients (boron, chlorine, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc). To maintain soil fertility and productivity and prevent land degradation, nutrients taken up by crops must be replenished through the application of fertilizers (Sedlacek el al 2020).

 They use of fertilizer results in many benefits to producers, consumers, and the environment, starting with farmers it increased agricultural outputs (mainly food and fiber) to contributing to soil organic matter maintenance, water-holding capacity, biological nitrogen fixation, soil erosion control other physical and chemical properties, and less extensive land use. These benefits contribute to increased agricultural growth and agribusiness activities, which are catalysts for broadly based economic growth and development in most developed and developing economies; agriculture’s links to the nonfarm economy generate ~considerable employment, income, and growth ill the rest of the economy. A commercial fertilizer is a material that contains at least one of the plant nutrients in chemical form that, when applied to the soil, is soluble in the soil solution phase and assailable or “available” by plant roots. Most often, this implies chemical forms that are water soluble (Erisman et al,.2017).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Agriculture is one of the pillars of the economy of Cameroon though mostly practiced at a small scale and depends largely on house hold labour, with about 70% of the active population of this country engaged in it. This sector is responsible for providing food security to both the rural and urban populations of this country via local production (Abia et al., 2016). The Western Highlands of Cameroon is noted for its high involvement in agriculture especially the cultivation of food and vegetable crops such as potato (Solanum Turbarasum L.) cabbage (Brassica oleraceavar capitata L.), carrots (Daucus carota L.), leeks (Allium porrum L.), tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), celery (Apium graveolens L.) and onions (Allium cepa L.) (Abang et al., 2013). One of the main areas noted for the production of these vegetable crops in Cameroon is Santa sub division in the North West region.

 Santa subdivision is an important potato growing area in the north west region of Cameroon, where demand has pushed many farmers into the use of fertilizers for potato cultivation, initiated by the increase in population and farmer perception in the fertilizers used. Over the past years, research has proven that potato production is still constrained by poor farming practices, poor soil fertility, diseases infection and high cost of farm inputs like fertilizers, seeding, pesticide, fungicides, and the misconception in apply fertilizers depending on the farmer decision as a result this aforementioned problems, this has attribute to a fight among farmers considering which fertilizer type is the best in regard to their perception for potato cultivation in Santa Subdivision, potato cultivation is quite a demanding in organic and inorganic nutrient in Santa subdivision and adequate fertilizers is a key factor for the maximizing yield and producing high quality potato, in regard to, it has cause a conflicting idea among farmers which fertilizer types is most suitable in producing high yield.

With this in mind yields are sometime very low to satisfy the consumers’ needs in the market despite government national programs for extension in potato production therefore an opportunity was therefore presented to investigated farmers perception toward the use of fertilizers and their effect on potato cultivation, for example, in the previous research (Mengui et al., 2019), focused their research on one of the Santa sub division in Mezam division whereby there has been a increase in the production of potato in which has attributed to farmers efficiency in varieties potato meet demand in the market (Bihnchang et al., 2017). In Cameroon, potato is cultivated mainly in highland zones (Altitude: 1000 to 3000 m above the see level) and in six of the ten regions of the country. The Northwest and west regions are the top potato producers with more than 80% of the 435354 tons of the national production (Fontem et al., 2004).

According to Karimov (2014) efficient use of input resources is fundamental in optimizing farm productivity, therefore, efficient in perception for agricultural production is usually determined by rational use of input resource such as fertilizers, land, labor, physical capital is responsible for potato cultivation in Santa subdivision (Karimov et al.,2 015). Adhering to this view, most studies relating to potato production in Cameroon. (Mbou et al., 2018).

Notwithstanding, a similar study that was carried out in Santa subdivision of Cameroon (Akamin et al.,2017) shown that educated vegetable farmers were significantly efficient in vegetable than their counterparts. there are limited studies that have shed light on the farmer’s perception and the use of fertilizers in potato production in Cameroon. (Harahagazwe et al.,2019). According to (Mengui et al. (2019), in order to improve potato output, farmers should acquire appropriate training, extension services and have access to credit. A similar study that was carried out in Santa sub-division of Cameroon, (Akamin et al., 2017), in facts considering Santa sub-division in Mezam division was of great important and relevance in findings out farmer perception toward the use of fertilizers for potato production due their contradicted perception and knowledge in apply fertilizers by the farmrs. Santa sub division is one of main sub divisions of Mezam division in North-West region of Cameroon which is renowned for producing potato in huge quantities but by doing this farmers perception has varied from farmers to farmers. (Fontem et al., 2004)    

1.3 Justification

Most research that have been investigated on potato production in Cameroon have focus more on the agronomic aspect of the crop production but little is known about farmer’s perception towards the use of fertilizers and their effect on potato cultivation in Santa subdivision in the north west region of Cameroon specifically in Njong and Bamouck villages. Thus the need to study the farmer’s perceptions toward the use of fertilizers for potato cultivation in Santa subdivision in Mezam North West Region of Cameroon was deem necessary). Developing countries face rapidly growing populations and increasing food demands (Alexandratos, 2012). Moreover, there are increasing concerns about, food insecurity, increase in farm input, resource depletion and soil degradation. Hence there is a need for sustainable and affordable farm systems fit for potato cultivation to address for scarcity.

1.4 Research Questions and Objectives

1.4.1 Main Research Questions

 Do farmers perceptions influence fertilizer use among potato farmers in Santa Subdivision?

1.4.2 Specific Research Questions

• What type of fertilizers are used by potato farmers in Santa subdivision?
• Does perception influence fertilizer use among potato farmers in Santa subdivision?
• What are the effects of different fertilizers regime on potato cultivation in Santa subdivision?

1.4.3 Main Objective

To evaluate farmer’s perception towards the use of fertilizer and the effects of fertilizer on potato cultivation in Santa Subdivision.

1.4.4 Specific Objective

• To examine the type of fertilizer that are used by potato farmers in Santa subdivision.
• To identify the relationship between farmers’ perceptions and fertilizer use for potato cultivation in Santa.
• To understand the effect of different fertilizer regime on potato cultivation in Santa subdivision.