Factors Influencing the Awareness and Utilization of Solanum Macrocarpon (Egg Plant) as a Medicinal Plant among Rural Farmers in Oyo State Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the awareness and utilization of solanum macrocarpon (eggplant) in Oyo State, Nigeria. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select 150 farmers in the state. Data were collected through a structured interview schedule and analyses using frequency counts percentages and chi-square. Among the respondents 71.3% are married, the mean household size was 5 persons, 92.0% were female, more than two-thirds (80.0%) of the respondents had formal education. The level of awareness of the nutritional and medicinal value of the plant was high. Sex, marital status, level of education, religion and age significantly associated with the respondents’ level of utilization of the cultivation practices @p 12鈮?/m:t>"> 0.05. The study recommended that better cultivation practices should be introduced to the farmers by extension personnel with a view to increasing production and farmer’s standard of living

Keywords: Awareness, Utilization, solanum macrocarpon.