Factors influencing the level of use of climate-smart agricultural practices (CSAPs) in Sokoto state, Nigeria

Abstract

Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) is paramount to the success of farming activities today in the face of the menace of climate change. This study therefore investigated the frequency of usage of CSA and the factors influencing its level of usage in the Northern agricultural zone of Sokoto State. A well-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The data used for the analysis were cross sectional data collected from 120 rural farming households in six (6) villages across two (2) local government areas. Descriptive statistics, Adaptation Strategy Use Index (ASUI) and ordered probit regression model were used for data analysis. Results indicated that the majority of the respondents were male (83.33%), married (83.33%), had Quranic education (73.33%), household size of 1-10 persons (58.33%), farming experience of 16-30 years (49.17%) and were between the ages of 46 and 60 (44.17%). Similarly, the practice of conservation agriculture was the most used CSAP in the study area, while the results of the ordered probit regression showed that years of education and membership of a social group were significant explanatory variables influencing the level of use of CSAP among the low user and high user categories at the 10% and 1% level of significance respectively, while access to credit significantly influenced only the low user category at the 10% level of significance. The study therefore concluded that CSAPs were being practiced at different levels in the study area with various factors influencing their usage, and it therefore recommended that the farming households be well enlightened by extension agents on the benefits of CSAPs.

Mainstreaming Climate-Smart Agriculture in Small-Scale Farming Systems: A Holistic Nonparametric Applicability Assessment in South Africa

“…It is, therefore, needful to ensure farmers have sufficient information and skills on existing CSA technology. The need for sufficient information and skills corroborates the findings of Ojoko et al [28] and Onyeneke et al [29] that access to extension and advisory services play significant roles in CSA adaptation and implementation.…”

“…The applicability of the identified CSA practices in the small-scale farming system was assessed using the acceptance level index (ALI) and the composite score index. The ALI was adapted from the adaptation strategy use index [26][27][28], and was used to analyze the level of acceptance of the identified CSA practices. Respondents assessed CSA practices by using a three-point rating scale 2, 1, and 0 to denote acceptable, neutral, and not acceptable, respectively.…”

“…This paper provides insights into the applicability of CSA practices with a focus on how farmers perceive the social, technical, economic, and environmental compatibility of the practices. Past studies focus on the characteristics of farmers while researching the adaptation of agricultural technologies [28][29][30]. However, the focus on farmers' characteristics has not been holistic in addressing the determinants of technology adaptation [6].…”

“…Mignouna et al [8] pointed out that belonging to a social group enhances social capital, which allows for trust and information exchange. Ojoko et al [28] reveal that membership of a social group is a significant influencer of CSA adaptation. The strong social network among local farmers makes it difficult to implement techniques or technologies that do not properly fit into their social system.…”

Determinants of the Adoption of Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices by Small-Scale Farming Households in King Cetshwayo District Municipality, South Africa

“…Planting varieties of crops of the same or different species [35] Mulching Covering the soil between plants with layer/s of material [36] Use of wetland Planting on wetlands where the soil is rich in water and fertility [37] Use of drought and heat tolerant crops Planting drought and heat tolerant crops [12] Use of cover crops Planting cover crops [12] Soil conservation techniques Preventing soil loss from erosion or alleviating soil fertility loss by reducing contamination through acidification, salinization or other chemicals [12] Integrated crop-livestock management Integrating crop and livestock production Improved grazing Efficient pasture management (improved sowing varieties of pasture, rotational grazing) [38] Efficient manure management Efficient management of manure on livestock production [38] Diet improvement for animals Improving the diet of animals to achieve more protein production with less feed and lower emission [38] The assessment of adoption intensity is often based on the relative area, but it is difficult to assess the exact area under each CSA practice. Following Aryal et al [14] and Teklewold et al [16], this paper assessed adoption level by the number of CSA practices adopted in the farmland of each sampled farming household.…”