Information exchange links, knowledge exposure, and adoption of agricultural technologies in northern Uganda

Abstract

Recent evidence has shown that direct provision of agricultural training to selected individuals as knowledge injection points (IPs) can help to implement a farmer to farmer extension approach. This study systematically assesses the determinants of information exchange links between trained IPs and their neighbors and the subsequent effect on awareness, knowledge, and adoption of improved varieties of maize and groundnuts and conservation farming. Using a panel dataset from northern Uganda, results of econometric analysis showed that 'proximity' in terms of sex, education, assets, and cultivated land, influenced information exchange links. Information exchange links increased awareness and knowledge for all the technologies, and adoption of maize varieties. Selection criterion for IPs, therefore, matters and considering 'proximity' between IPs and other farmers is important in designing farmer to farmer extension programs.

Technology adoption, impact, and extension in developing countries’ agriculture: A review of the recent literature

“…This intervention resulted in a significant increase in the productivity of the treated pair, signifying the importance of linking females who tend to be outside the agricultural information network. Similarly, having a female instructor reduces gender bias, creates awareness, and helps in the adoption of new technologies by female (Kondylis, Mueller, Sheriff, & Zhu, 2016;Shikuku, 2019), and such network effects are larger among female than male farmers (Mekonnen et al, 2018).…”

“…On the other hand, if gains of new technology are heterogeneous, reflecting the variety in growing conditions and farmer characteristics, there is no guarantee that lead farmers' success can be replicated by other farmers (Magnan et al, 2015;Shikuku, 2019;Suri, 2011;Tjernstrom, 2017). In other words, better performance cannot be solely attributed to the advantages embedded in technology, but to observable and unobservable characteristics of lead farmers and their agricultural plots (Barrett, Moser, McHugh, & Barison, 2004).…”

New Approach to Sustainability in Rural Areas Comprising Agriculture Practices–Analysis of Demonstration Farms in the Czech Republic

“…The demonstration of innovations brings not only the knowledge but also a motivation to farmers in order to create or improve the image of innovations [21][22][23]. This is important, especially in developing countries [24][25][26]. Many scholars are of the opinion that innovation networks are an optimum tool for the demonstration activities [27][28][29].…”

Accelerating technical change through video-mediated agricultural extension: Evidence from Ethiopia

“…For each respondent, the number of correct responses were totaled and divided by the total number of questions for a given crop yielding a percentage score. We also use a weighted knowledge score in keeping with Shikuku (2019) where the inverse of the probability of answering a question correctly is used to weight correct responses. The final crop-specific score is the total of standardized weighted responses to all knowledge test questions.…”