Adoption of Legumes for Soil Improvement and Forage by Smallholder Farmers in Africa

摘要

The potential for legumes is increasing for many smallholder farming systems in Africa as soil fertility declines and livestock management is intensified. Successes in achieving significant adoption of forage and soil-improving legumes are few, despite much investment in such technology. Even with the successes, the legumes may be in a stage of rapid adoption but, thus far, have been adopted by only a small proportion of the population in the larger target areas and the practices have not endured the test of time. Experiences suggest that the niches for new legumes need to be well defiend and narrowly defined. Numerous factors, in addition to agronomic performance, affect adoption, and some determinants are frequently significant. Farmers' perceptions of the need to improve soil management and livestock nutrition, and their knowledge of the potential of legumes, are often determinants of adoption. Farmers need an early return on their investment and multipleuse legumes may be more easily adopted. Land-poor farmers are not likely to adopt. Security of land tenure, amounts of fallow land, and risk due to uncontrolled grazing or burning, are important determinants. Strong institutional support was important for adoption in all cases. However, the capacity is small to reach the millions of smallholder farmers. Enhancement of farmers' capacity to adapt and disseminate technology may be a major role for extension agencies. This requires an understanding of obstacles and opportunities for exchange of information and seed among neighbours, and for farmer experimentation. The institutional support may focus on farmers inclined to experiment, who may also be early adopters, and especially if they are those who readily disseminate seed and information. Alternatively, the institutional effort may focus on groups or on the whole community.