FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE ADOPTION OF INTEGRATED SOIL FERTILITY AND WATER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES BY SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN THE SEMI-ARID AREAS OF EASTERN KENYA

摘要

In a rid and s emi - a rid l ands ( ASALs ), low adoption of i ntegrated s oil f ertility and w ater m anagement (I SFWM) technologies has contributed to food and nutrition insecurity. A study was conducted to assess factors influencing smallholder farmers’ adoption decision of ISFWM technologies in Mwala and Yatta Sub - Counties . A questionnaire was administered to 248 r espondents in the study region. Selection of household heads was done in ‘Farmer - led adoption approach’ sites otherwise known as Primary and Secondary Participatory Technology Evaluations (PPATEs and SPPATEs) and N on - PPATEs/SPATEs sites in both Sub - Counties . Relationships between different variables were determined by the Tobit model . The results revealed that group membership (P< 0.016) , inaccessible credit services ( P< 0.017), gender ( P< 0.025), age and access to agricultural extension services (P< 0.027) inf luenced adoption of I SFWM technology significantly . Cost of inputs and access to radio information (P< 0.0 1 ) , access t o appropriate farm machines (p < 0.001) , cost of labor and farmers’ perception on seasons’ reliability ( P< 0.004) and out - put markets (P< 0.006) were reporte d to affect adoption of ISFWM practices highly significantly . Descriptive statistic results indicated that m ajority of the respondents (93.9%) in the project areas were adopting a combination of tied ridges, organic fertilizer and improved seed compared to only 6.1% in the non - project area. There was also significantly (P< 0.01) higher adoption (76.5%) of a combination of tied ridges, both fertilizer and improved seed in the project area in contrast to merely 23.5% in non - project area, as well as those adopting (80%) a combination of zai pit, both fertilizer and improved seed compared to only 20% in non - project area. Policy makers should focus on availability of affordable credit facilities and farm machines, ease access to information, labor and input - output markets for enhanced farm productivity and liveliho ods of the smallholder farmers in ASALs .