Adoption of climate-smart DroughtTEGO® varieties in Kenya

Abstract

to address the impact of drought occasioned by climate change. To determine the level of adoption and use of DroughtTEGO ® maize hybrids in Kenya, a survey was conducted involving 642 farming households from six counties. The results indicated a high rate of awareness of at least one of the DroughtTEGO ® varieties (61%). The adoption rate stood at 26% with WE1101 maize hybrid being the most widely known and adopted due to its availability and high yields. Expected adoption was calculated at 89% with about 65% new farmers adopting the DroughtTEGO ® hybrids. Lack of full information on the productivity, non-availability of the seed when required and the varieties being expensive compared to other locally available varieties were found to be key barriers to its adoption. The econometric results reveal statistical differences between the variables that influence awareness and adoption of DroughtTEGO ® hybrid seed. Variables that determined adoption included age of the household head, fellow farmers and demonstration sites as the primary main source of seed information. Other variables were record-keeping, women's control of household resources, perception of food security, price, and location. Well-thought-out strategies that target these variables can be effective in attracting new adopters. Thus, the study recommends, promotional messages and extension approaches appropriate to both the young and the aged, better seed pricing strategies, women's control of household resources to be encouraged, and specific locations with low probability of adoption should be given priority. Steps could include the promotion of the varieties through on-farm demonstrations with wider coverage, strengthening of the extension service and allocation of resources for extension activities in Kenya. Other broad recommendations that emanated from the study included timely availability and delivery of quality DroughtTEGO ® seed and availability of credit facilities. It is important to investigate the case of adopters who discontinued using these varieties.

On‐farm Performance and Farmers’ Perceptions of DroughtTEGO‐Climate‐Smart Maize Hybrids in Kenya

“…This hybrid has a medium maturity period (120 d) in most of the agroecologies across Kenya. Muinga et al (2019) reported that the adoption rate of DroughtTEGO hybrids was 26%, after only 3 yr of introduction to smallholder farmers in Kenya. In addition, the study showed that 62% of the farmers interviewed were aware of at least one DroughtTEGO hybrid and that 42% of them were considering purchasing WE1101 DroughtTEGO hybrid seed for planting.…”

Effect of External Debt on Performance of the Agricultural Sector in Kenya

“…Therefore, for the non-poor and the poor citizens in most rural setups, agriculture continues to be the main source of livelihood. Similar to this, the agricultural industry has been the major employer in Kenya, contributing to 35% of the nation's GDP in the year 2020, which is one of the highest percentages in African nations (Muinga et al, 2019). This therefore makes it important to determine the connection between agricultural growth and external debt.…”

Agricultural Transformation in Maize Producing Areas of Africa

“…This allows farmers to see the varieties in action and learn about their benefits firsthand. The main barriers to adopting DroughtTEGO® varieties are a lack of information about their productivity, unavailability of seed when needed, and the high cost compared to other locally available varieties [17,18]. Oniang'o et al [18] found that well-thought-out strategies to influence awareness and adoption of drought-tolerant maize include strengthening extension services, providing credit to small-scale farmers, investigating cases of discontinued use, improving access to seed through agro-dealerships, targeting age and gender, and specific agro-ecological zones.…”