October 21, 2020
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The study examined home gardening management techniques in the neighborhood of the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), Ibadan. The study was carried out in areas within 10km radius from NIHORT. It convered three Local Government Areas (LGAs) (Ibadan South- West, Ibadan North- West and Ido) that shared boundaries with the institute. Houses with home gardens within this limit were purposely selected. Structured interview schedule was used to elicit information from 63 respondents. More females (58.7%) were involved in home gardening and majority (66.7%) was within the active age of 20-50years. The horticultural crops grown include pawpaw, plantain, citrus, bitter leaf, Occimum and celosia. The most commonly used method of controlling pests and diseases were cultural method employed by 81.3%, followed by the use of pesticides by 28.5% while only 9.5% seek for advice from government agents. The use of organic fertilizer (31.8%) inorganic fertilizer (23.8%) and kitchen waste (biodegradable materials) (20.6%) were common soil fertilizer maintenance strategies among the garden owners while human waste was not used at all. Contact with agricultural extension agents was low (17.5%), and the area of assistance were in sourcing for improved planting materials (19.0%), with only 9.5% for advisory services. Both male and female (adult and children) were involved in the different production activities in the home gardens. Home gardeners in the study area were not adequately equipped with the proper management techniques. There is the need therefore to train garden owners especially in the area of compost making and integrated pest management in order to effectively achieve the aim of gardening, ensure sustainability and environmental protection.