Felix Uwazili Nweke 1, Raymond Chukwuka Onyemekonwu 2*, Friday Akasiri Ehiwario 3, Clifford Umeri 4 and Ufuoma Peace Egbe 5
1Department of Crop Science, Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, Nigeria; 2Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, Nigeria; 3Department of Crop Science, University of Delta, Agbor, Nigeria; 4Department of Agronomy and Wildlife, Delta State, University, Abraka, Nigeria
*Corresponding author: chukwukaraymond@gmail.com; raymond.onyemekonwu@dou.edu.ng
The Awareness and adoption of some common fruit trees for medicinal purposes among rural farmers in Delta State, Nigeria, were examined. Questionnaires were used to gather information from one hundred and fifty (150) respondents through a multi-state sampling procedure. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, and Logit regression. The result showed that the respondents were mature (average age = 36 years), male (65%), married (70.7%), educated (95.3% had formal education), and had a mean household size of 5 persons. Twenty common fruit trees were identified in the area. The awareness index of 0.7693 indicated that 76.93% of respondents had a high level of awareness of fruit trees, while 31.20% used them for medicinal purposes. The respondent’s age, gender, marital status, level of formal education, and cosmopolitanism significantly influence the adoption of fruit tree products for medicinal purposes. Inadequate knowledge (52.0%) was the major problem associated with the use of fruit trees for medicinal purposes. It was concluded that the common fruit trees in the area have several medicinal uses and show potential for further development into pharmaceuticals, as respondents are highly aware of their medicinal value. Hence, bioactive components of indigenous fruit trees need to be studied to support current therapeutic claims and to develop them into pharmaceutical drugs.