Factors Influencing the Adoption of Soil Erosion Control Technologies by Farmers along the Slopes of Mt. Elgon in Eastern Uganda

Abstract

Low land productivity due to soil erosion is one of the biggest challenges to improving the performance of the agriculture sector in Uganda. Several soil erosion control technologies are recommended for use by farmers, but there have been claims that adoption of such technologies is still low. Therefore, this study aimed at determining factors that influence the incidence and intensity of technology adoption. A survey was conducted in Bukwo and Kween districts, which are located on the slopes of Mt. Elgon in eastern Uganda. The collected data was analysed using descriptive statistics and double hurdle models. The findings revealed that on average, the incidence of technology adoption is appreciably high and the intensity of use is moderately high. Nonetheless, a considerable percentage of farmers are using the technologies on small scale. We note that technology adoption can be further increased by increases in: access to extension services, amount of land owned, and diversity of farm tools owned by farmers. However, some farmers are not well endowed with regard to the agricultural assets and services alluded to. Thus, we recommend support to farmers by both Government and non-Government actors in line with the factors identified as potential catalysts of adoption of soil erosion control technologies.

Conservation agriculture, conservation farming and conventional tillage adoption, efficiency and economic benefits in semi-arid Zimbabwe

“…The soils are sandy to sandy loams derived from granite rocks (IUSS Working Group WRB, 2007). Type of soil and gradient of an area has been known to offer incentives for adoption of soil conservation technologies due to increased danger of land degradation (Barungi et al, 2013).…”

Markets and climate are driving rapid change in farming practices in Savannah West Africa

“…Adoption of agricultural technologies and practices is generally affected by various factors, often categorized as: farm-specific characteristics, technology-specific attributes, farmers' socioeconomic characteristics and the social and environmental context within which the farmers are operating (Iglokwe 2001;Etoundi and Dia 2008;Barungi et al 2013). Additional factors are farmers' attitudes toward experiments and risk, institutional support, knowledge sharing and the policy environment (Ouédraogo et al 2010).…”

“…As discussed by various authors (e.g., Iglokwe 2001;Botha and Atkins 2005;Etoundi and Dia 2008;Barungi et al 2013), farmers have differing abilities to adopt presented innovative practices, even if their environmental contexts are identical, due to variations in their personal characteristics. Therefore to control for effects of farmers' characteristics in the model, and isolate effects of contextual factors on changes in their practices, the explanatory variables also included respondents' household size, gender and education level of the household's head, farm assets and access to both information and credit.…”

“…These studies have highlighted the effects of farm-specific characteristics, technology-specific attributes and farmers' socioeconomic characteristics (Iglokwe 2001;Etoundi and Dia 2008) on farm practice changes. Some studies have also explored adaptations intended to cope with a specific challenge, such as climate change (Kurukulasuriya and Mendelsohn 2008;Wang et al 2010;Wood et al 2014), land degradation (Barungi et al 2013) and shifts in land use cover (Ebanyat et al 2010). However, most of these studies have focused on factors that influenced the adoption of a single set of specific agricultural technologies (or even a single agricultural practice) without exploring the roles of multiple environmental and socioeconomic challenges faced by farmers as motivators and shapers of adaptive responses.…”

Farmers’ Knowledge, Perceptions, and Socioeconomic Factors Influencing Decision Making For Integrated Soil Fertility Management Practices in Masaka and Rakai Districts, Central Uganda

“…Food and nutrition insecurity and poverty are major challenges in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (Ellis, 1993;FAO, IFAD, & WFP, 2013;Khan et al, 2014;UNCTAD, 2011). In Uganda, declining soil fertility (Sanchez et al, 1997;Wortmann & Kaizzi, 1998;Zake, Nkwiine, & Magunda, 1999) exacerbated by continuous cultivation of land, poverty, and lack of access to productive resources (Barungi, Edriss, Mugisha, Waithaka, & Tukahirwa, 2013;Henao & Baanante, 2006;Henao, Baanante, Pinstrup-Andersen, & Pandya-Lorch, 2001;Lunze et al, 2012;NEMA, 2001;Sanchez, et al, 1997;Sserunkuuma, Pender, & Nkonya, 2001;Wortmann & Kaizzi, 1998;Zake, et al, 1999) continue to be the most important factors aggravating crop yields among smallholder farmers 1 who constitute about 85 percent of the country's rural population (World Bank 2013) and subsist on less than two hectares per household (Banadda, 2010). Other limiting factors include unreliable rainfall patterns, pests and diseases, and weak information and advisory services (Barungi, et al, 2013;Kyomugisha, 2008;MAAIF, 2010).…”