Understanding small farmers’ technology adoption and its relation to fruit fly attack: a case study from Gunuang Omeh, Lima Puluh Kota, Indonesia

Abstract

This research examined the technological adoption of integrated management for healthy citrus orchards by farmers in Gunuang Omeh, a sub-district in Lima Puluh Kota Regency, West Sumatra, Indonesia. The adoption rate, characteristics of farmers at each level, influencing factors, and their association with fruit fly attacks, were measured. The data was obtained through a survey conducted purposively from June to December 2021 involving 351 farmers. The results of the analysis showed that the individual adoption rate was high, but for the handling of fruit flies in group was low, with the emphasis on the need for consolidation. The characteristics different at each level of adoption were: the distance from the farmer’s home to the orchard and the difficulty of access to credit. Several factors influence the adoption of this technology individually were from characteristics of the farmers (number of family members and experience); citrus orchard (distance to input, output, extension, plant age); also the difficulty to access information and credit. These results suggested that intervene policies that can be done: (1) facilitate access to credit for citrus farmers, especially for the needs of large plantations. (2) provide easy access to information related to fruit fly handling simultaneously or community-based cooperation, (3) provide ease of transportation access.