Pattern of adoption and constraints to adoption of improved cowpea varieties in the Sudan Savanna zone of Northern Nigeria

A survey was carried out in 10 communities in Musawa Local Government Area of Katsina State to identify the pattern and constraints to adoption of improved cowpea varieties introduced by the Sudan Savanna Taskforce project. The survey was undertaken after three years of project intervention. Results revealed that 35.7% of farmers adopted the improved cowpea varieties, significantly higher than the number of farmers adopting prior to project interventions. Majority of the farmers who adopted improved cowpea varieties were male farmers (86.0%), participants in cowpea related activities (78.5%), farmers who had extension contacts (89.7%) and were young within the age bracket of 25-54 years (85.0%). Non-availability of seeds and fertilizer when needed, high cost of fertilizer, pests and diseases were revealed as the major constraints facing farmers in the study area. It was therefore recommended that Government together with other development agencies should encourage women participation in crop production and subsidize farming inputs so as to remove any barrier that will hinder their participation in farming. The Government should subsidize farm inputs like improved seeds and fertilizers so as to enable farmers afford and finally farmers should be sensitized on where to access the improved seeds and fertilizers. Key words: Adoption, pattern, constraints.