Email this article 
Hide
Show all
IMPACT OF FIELD DAYS ON FARMERS’ KNOWLEDGE AND INTENT TO ADOPT PUSH PULL TECHNOLOGY IN UGANDA
Abstract
This study assessed farmers’ knowledge and intent to adopt push-pull technology to control striga and cereal stem-borers based on a field day experience. The study utilized cross-sectional data collected during on- spot surveys conducted in 2014 and 2015 across seven districts of Uganda. 849 respondents, 474 in 2014 and 375 in 2015 participated in the study. Collected data was analyzed using STATA version 12. Findings unveiled that average age of the participants in 2014 and 2015 was 42.3±14.1 years. More male respondents 63% in 2014 and 65% in 2015 participated in the exercise. Over three-quarters of the farmers who participated in the field days both in 2015 and 2014 had the problem of striga and stem borer in their farms. More than three quarters (over 75%) of the interviewed farmers cite push-pull technology as effective in controlling striga and stemborer, improving both soil fertility and yields of cereals providing quality fodder. The effectiveness of field days during 2015 was considerably improved due to the improved training packages hence willingness to adopt or continue the technology uptake was significant. For knowledge intensive technology such as push-pull the training packages need to be tailor-made to suit their farming practices and demonstrates the advantages over other pest and weed management approaches. The findings showed that the training components that demonstrate how push-pull can be integrated with other technologies and host farmers demonstrating that will improve the perception about the technology. It was evident that what the farmers saw for themselves has more value than what they were told. Further, through field days, training of farmers should focus on translating the science into a common and easy to understand language so that farmers can easily grasp how the technology works and embrace it as an alternative farming system.
Keywords
References
Adesina, A.A. & Forson, J. B. (1995). Farmers' perceptions and adoption of new agricultural technology: Evidence from analysis in Burkina Faso and Guinea, West Africa. Agricultural Economics, 13,1–9.
Adesina, A.A & Zinnah, M.M. (1993). Technology characteristics, farmers’ perceptions and adoption decisions: A Tobit model application in Sierra Leone. Agricultural Economics,9,297-311.
Asfaw, A., & Admassie, A. (2004). The role of education on the adoption of chemical fertilizer under different socioeconomic environments in Ethiopia. Agricultural Economics,30(3),215-228.
Besley, T. & Case, A. (1993). Modeling technology adoption in developing countries. The American Economic Review, 83,2. Papers and proceedings of the Hundred and Fifth Annual Meeting of the American Economic Association.
Cook, S.M., Khan, Z.R, Pickett, J.A. (2007). The use of ‘push–pull’ strategies in integrated pest management. Annual Review of Entomology, 52, 375–400.
David, M. Amudavi, Khan, Z. R., Wanyama J. M., Midega, C. A. O. Pittchar, J., Hassanali, A. Pickett, J.A. (2009). Evaluation of farmers’ field days as a dissemination tool for push-pull technology in Western Kenya Crop Protection, 28, 225–235.
De Groote, H. (2002). Maize yield losses from stem borers in Kenya Insect Science Applications. 22,89-96.
Hassanali, A., Herren, H., Khan, Z.R., Pickett, J.A., Woodcock, C.M., (2008). Integrated pest management: the push–pull approach for controlling insect pests and weeds of cereals, and its potential for other agricultural systems including animal husbandry. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of Biological Sciences. 363, 611–621.
Gbetibouo, G. A. (2009). Understanding Farmers' Perceptions and Adaptations to Climate Change and Variability: The Case of the Limpopo Basin, South Africa.
Henao, J. & Baanante, C. (2006). Agricultural production and soil nutrient mining in Africa: Implication for resource conservation and policy development. IFDC Tech. Bull. International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC). Muscle Shoals, Al. USA.
Hossner, L.R., Juo, A.S.R (1999). Soil Nutrient Management for Sustained Food crop Production in Upland Farming Systems in the Tropics. Juornal of Soil and Crop Sciences Department College Station Tennessee 77843, USA. Retrieved from http//www.agnet.org.
Igoden, C., Ohoji, P. & Ekpare, J. (1990). Factors associated with the adoption of recommended practices for maize production in the Lake Basin of Nigeria. Agricultural Administration and Extension, 29 (2), 149–156.
Karaya H, Njoroge K, Mugo S, Nderitu, H. (2009). Combining Ability among Twenty Insect Resistant Maize inbred lines Resistant to Chilo partellus and Busseola fusca Stem borers. International Journal of Plant Production, 3(1), 210-223.
Khan, Z. R., & Pickett, J. A. (2004) The ‘Push-pull’ strategy for stemborer management: a case study exploiting biodiversity and chemical ecology. In: Ecological Engineering for Pest Management: Advances in Habitat manipulation for arthropods (ed) GM. Gurr, SD Wratten and MA Altieri,154– 164.
Miller, J.R., Cowless, R.S. (1990) Stimulo-deterrent diversion: a concept and its possible application to onion maggot control. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 16, 3197-3212.
Khan, Z.R., Midega, C.A.O., Amudavi, D.M., Hassanali, A., Pickett, J.A. (2008a). On-farm evaluation of the ‘push–pull’ technology for the control of stemborers and Striga weed on maize in western Kenya. Field Crops Research,27(6), 976-987.
Khan, Z. R., David M. Amudavi, Charles A.O. Midega, Japhether M. Wanyama, John A. Pickett., (2008b). Farmers’ perceptions of a ‘push–pull’ technology for control of cereal stemborers and Striga weed in western Kenya. Crop Protection, 27, 976–987.
Kijima, Y., K. Otsuka and D. Sserunkuuma. 2011. “An inquiry into constraints on a green revolution in Sub-Saharan Africa: The case of NERICA rice in Uganda”. World Development, 39(1),77-86.
Kumar, R. (2005). Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners. London: Sage publications Ltd, Second edition. Retrieved from http://www.sociology.kpi.ua/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Ranjit_Kumar-Research_Methodology_A_Step-by-Step_G.pdf.
Lin, J. (1991). Education and innovation adoption in agriculture: evidence from hybrid rice in China. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 73 (3), 713–723.
Lulseged, T. & Quang Bao le. (2015). Estimating soil erosion in Sub Saharan Africa based on landscape similarity mapping using the universal soil loss equation (RUSLE). Nutrient Cycling Agroecosystem,102,17–31.
Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (2010). Agriculture for Food and Income Security. Agriculture Sector Development Strategy and Investment Plan: 2010/11-2014/15.
Mugenda M. Olive. and Mugenda G. Abel, (1999). Research Methods: Quantitative and Qualitative approaches. Nairobi: Acts Press.
Murage, A.W., Midega C.A.O., Pittchar J.O., Pickett J.A., Khan Z.R. (2015). Determinants of adoption of climate-smart push-pull technology for enhanced food security through integrated pest management in eastern Africa. Food Security, 7, 709–724.
National Agricultural and Livestock Extension Program (NALEP). (2011). A guide to effective extension method for different situations.
Nowak, P. (1992). Why farmers adopt production technology. Journal of Soil Water Conservation, 47, 14-16.
Nyangena, W. (2008). Social determinants of soil and water conservation in rural Kenya. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 10(6), 745-767.
Odendo, M, De Groote, H & Odongo, O.M. (2001). Assessment of farmers’ preferences and constraints to maize production in moist mid-altitude zone of Western Kenya. Paper Presented at the 5th International Conference of the African Crop Science Society (ed. by H. Malika), 21–26 October, 2001, pp. 1–12. Nigeria, African Crop Science Society, Kampala, Uganda.
Onyewaku, C.E & A.C. Mbuba. (1991). The adoption of seed-yam Minisett multiplication technique by farmers in Anambra state, Nigeria. The Nigeria Jouranl of Agricultural Extension, 6(1&2).
Rosetti N. & G. Bahiigwa. (2004). Agricultural productivity constraints in Uganda. International Food Policy Research Institute IFPRI. pp22.
Shakya, P.B. & J.C. Flinn (1985) Adoption of modern varieties and fertilizer use on rice in the Eastern Tarai of Nepal. Journal of Agricultural Economics, 36, 409-419.
Tenaw, S., Islam, K. Z., & Parviainen, T. (2009). Effects of land tenure and property rights on agricultural productivity in Ethiopia, Namibia and Bangladesh. University of Helsinki, Helsinki.
Tenge, D. G. & Hella, J.P. (2004). Social and economic factors affecting the adoption of soil and water conservation in West Usambara highlands, Tanzania. Land Degradation and Development, 15 (2), 99–114.
Truong, T.N.C & Ryuichi Y., (2002): Factors affecting farmers’ adoption of technologies in farming systems: A case study in Omon district, Cab Tho province, Mekong Delta. Omonrice, 10,94-100.
Uganda Bureau of Statistics (2007). Uganda National Household Survey 2005 – 2006: Social Economic Report, Kampala, Uganda Bureau of Statistics.
WorldBank (2008), World development report 2008: Agriculture for development. Technical report, WorldBank.
Yapa L.S. & Mayfield R.C. (1978) Non-adoption of innovations: evidence from discriminant analysis. Economic Geography, 54,145-156.
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2018 Girma Hailu, Zeyaur R. Khan, Jimmy O. Pittchar, Nathan Ochatum
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
