User Acceptability of Sustainable Soil Fertility Technologies: Lessons from Farmers' Knowledge, Attitude and Practice in Southern Africa

Ajayi, Olu Clifford

doi:10.1300/j064v30n03_04

Cited by 73 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Only gender, age and education seem not as relevant as for disruptive process innovations. Therefore, the involvement in external groups [94,117,[120][121][122][123][124], the quality of support [70,93,94,117,121,125,126], the information access [70,85,93,94,117,[121][122][123][126][127][128][129], access to credit [85,120,122,124,125,127,130] and market [85][86][87]93,94,120,122,123,129] and the farm size [117,122,124,126,127,129,131] are most important (Table 7). …”

Section: Drivers For Disruptive Innovations Of Other Typesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drivers for the Adoption of Different Eco-Innovation Types in the Fertilizer Sector: A Review

et al. 2017

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Numerous innovations have been developed in the fertilizer and plant nutrition area in recent decades. However, the adoption of many new products and techniques at farm level is still low. In this paper, based on a literature review, we explore the main drivers for innovation adoption or rejection. By splitting up the extant research landscape into disruptive and continuous innovations and innovation types (product, process and innovation of other types), we aim to identify drivers explaining innovation adoption in the fertilizer sector in particular and in the agricultural sector in general.

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Section: Drivers For Disruptive Innovations Of Other Typesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drivers for the Adoption of Different Eco-Innovation Types in the Fertilizer Sector: A Review

et al. 2017

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“…Their study observed that households that experience a larger number of months with a food deficit per year make less changes to their farming practices (such as introducing micro-catchments, ridges, rotations, improved pastures, and trees) compared to households with fewer months with food deficits. Ajayi [24] notes that farmers have a good understanding of food security and soil fertility issues. This understanding may contribute to the positive association between adoption of soil-improving practices and food insecure/secure category.…”

Section: Adoption Of Soil-improving Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Household adoption of soil-improving practices and food insecurity in Ghana

2014

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Background: The persistent problem of poor agricultural practices and technology use leads to food insecurity for some farmers in Ghana. Studies show that the adoption of improved agricultural practices and technology may help stabilize production and lessen food insecurity. This study addresses the link between food insecurity and the adoption of soil-improving practices. To address this link, the objectives of this study are to examine factors associated with the adoption of soil-improving practices by Ghanaian farmers and how this adoption impacts the probability of increased food security. Using survey data, two logit models are estimated to determine 1) the likelihood of adopting soil-improving practices including how food security may influence adoption and 2) the relationship between technology adoption and food security. Results: In the adoption model, being a food secure household, the use of insecticides and seasonal lease land tenure increase the probability of adopting such soil-improving practices. Farming on better soil decreases the probability of adopting soil-improving practices. Higher incomes along with the use of chemical fertilizers, farming on better soil, and the use of commercial seeds increase the probability of the household being food secure. The results on fertilizer, soil, and seeds are most likely associated with increased production. The use of insecticides (which may be an indicator of an insect infestation) lowers the probability of being food secure. Household characteristics such as income, age, education level, and household size are not significant in influencing the adoption decision or improving household food security. Conclusions:The results lend support to a need to fine-tune the fertilizer subsidy policy implemented by the Government of Ghana. The government needs to consider that the use of fertilizer may have conflicting influences on adoption of soil-improving practices and food security. Improved seed research and distribution would improve the households' food security. Inferences also suggest that it is important to consider land contract markets in policy decisions.

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“…In addition, in recent years, studies have been carried out to obtain systematic feedback about FTS through a better understanding of farmers' knowledge, attitude and practices on soil fertility FTS (Ajayi, 2007).…”

Section: What Partnerships Helped?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Details are presented in Table 3. In terms of economic performance, field studies performed in Zambia show that FTS perform much better than continuous maize production without fertilizer (Franzel et al, 2002;Franzel, 2004;Ajayi et al, 2007Ajayi et al, , 2009). Over a five-year cycle, the net profit from unfertilized maize was US$130 per hectare compared to US$269 and US$309 for maize grown with Gliricidia or Sesbania, respectively.…”

Section: The Number Of Hectares Covered By New Technologies or Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Agricultural success from Africa: the case of fertilizer tree systems in southern Africa (Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe)

Ajayi

Place

Akinnifesi

et al. 2011

International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability

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In response to the declining soil fertility in southern Africa and the negative effects that this leads to, such as food insecurity besides other developmental challenges, fertilizer tree systems (FTS) were developed as technological innovation to help smallholder farmers to build soil organic matter and fertility in a sustainable manner. In this paper, we trace the historical background and highlight the developmental phases and outcomes of the technology. The synthesis shows that FTS are inexpensive technologies that significantly raise crop yields, reduce food insecurity and enhance environmental services and resilience of agro-ecologies. Many of the achievements recorded with FTS can be traced to some key factors: the availability of a suite of technological options that are appropriate in a range of different household and ecological circumstances, partnership between multiple institutions and disciplines in the development of the technology, active encouragement of farmer innovations in the adaptation process and proactive engagement of several consortia of partner institutions to scale up the technology in farming communities. It is recommended that smallholder farmers would benefit if rural development planners emphasize the merits of different fertility replenishment approaches and taking advantage of the synergy between FTS and mineral fertilizers rather than focusing on 'organic vs. inorganic' debates.

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User Acceptability of Sustainable Soil Fertility Technologies: Lessons from Farmers' Knowledge, Attitude and Practice in Southern Africa

Cited by 73 publications

References 16 publications

Drivers for the Adoption of Different Eco-Innovation Types in the Fertilizer Sector: A Review

Drivers for the Adoption of Different Eco-Innovation Types in the Fertilizer Sector: A Review

Household adoption of soil-improving practices and food insecurity in Ghana

Agricultural success from Africa: the case of fertilizer tree systems in southern Africa (Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe)

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