ABSTRACT The interaction between extension agents and farmers and the extent to which farmers perceive extension agents as useful to them is paramount to bringing about change in agriculture output. However, little information is available in Kilindi District; therefore, this study was conducted to assess farmers‟ perception on the effectiveness of their extension agents in knowledge transfer to maize farmers in Kilindi District. Specifically, the study intended to: identify socio-economic ...
ABSTRACT Continuous land cultivation without adequate soil nutrients replenishment causes soil fertility decline leading to reduced crop productivity. Significant research on external fertility inputs application rates and type have been carried out under researcher designed and managed conditions in Kenya. But little research on the same has been carried out to evaluate their performances under on-farm smallholder farmers’ conditions. Hence, the study evaluated the decomposition rates (goa...
Abstract Continuous land cultivation without adequate soil nutrients replenishment causes soil fertility decline leading to reduced crop productivity. Significant research on external fertility inputs application rates and type have been carried out under researcher designed and managed conditions in Kenya. But little research on the same has been carried out to evaluate their performances under on-farm smallholder farmers’ conditions. Hence, the study evaluated the decomposition rates (go...
Abstract The study explores the use of mobile phone in pineapple production and the benefits farmers gain from this usage in the Akwapim South district of Ghana. It uses sequential mixed method research approach. A multistage sampling technique was used to select five major pineapple producing areas for an initial in-depth interview and subsequently administered questionnaire to collect data on 125 farmers who were purposively sampled. The initial qualitative study helps in mapping out the su...
ABSTRACT Rapid population growth, increasing demand for land, over-exploitation and the degradation of local natural resources have led to serious socio-ecological challenges in Matungulu Sub-county. This situation, compounded by the effects of climate change,has impacted negatively on the livelihood resilience of the local people. The specific objectives of this study were to: analyze tree cover trends in Matungulu Sub-county between 1987 and 2017; examine major socio-economic factors that ...
ABSTRACT Despite Ethiopia possessing the highest number of livestock in Africa, its benefit to the country and smallholder farmers is small. This is to a large extent attributed to the dominance of low producing local cattle breeds. Though the government introduced Artificial Insemination (AI) technology to improve this condition, the adoption rate by smallholder farmers is still low. The main objective of this study was, therefore, to examine the adoption of AI technology by smallholder dair...
EXTENDED ABSTRACT Climate change is happening and poses significant challenges to households, businesses and governments. Different adaptation strategies are carried against impact of climate change by smallholder farmers in semi-arid areas of Iringa District but little is known about their effectiveness in improving smallholders’ well-being. The overall objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of adaptation strategies in a changing climate and climate variability in semi-a...
ABSTRACT This work was designed to determine the ways of enhancing food production through organic agriculture among farmers. Five research questions and five null hypotheses guided the study. A survey research design was adopted for the study.The study was carried out in northern zone of Cross River State, Nigeria. The population for the study was 230 comprising 205 registered crop farmers and 25 Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) extension agents from Ogoja Agricultural Zone respecti...
Abstract Adaptation is considered an appropriate response to climate change and variability, especially for rural farmers. However, the farmers’ ability to effectively respond to climate change challenges is determined by the quality of information available to the farmers and how easily the information is accessed. The study sought to assess the information needs of rural farmers on climate change. A total of I52 respondents were selected using multistage sampling technique. Percentages, ...
Abstract The agro-climatic conditions in western Kenya present the region as a food surplus area yet people are still reliant on food imports. Numerous interventions through Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) practices to this front have not yielded the expected results. With this background the study sought to: (i) identify the contribution of ISFM interventions to farm productivity, (ii) to identify gaps in knowledge translation and (iii) to establish the major factors determining ...
Abstract/Overview Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) presents the opportunity to meet the world increasing food demands in the face of climate variability. In Kenya, CSA has been promoted as a means of adapting to climate change among Kenyan farmers under Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP) and farmers’ participation is key. This study, therefore, sought to identify the extent of participation in climate-smart agricultural projects (CSAPs) in terms of longevity of farmers’ pa...
ABSTRACT Household food insecurity in Tanzania is widespread even when the country experiences bumper harvest. Food insecurity is widespread and chronic that there is always a certain degree of household food deficit at a given part in a year. Despite the government’s efforts to improve agricultural production, food insecurity has persisted. Thus, this study was conducted to assess causes of food insecurity and coping strategies of smallholder farmers in Chamwino district, Dodoma region. S...
Abstract: Dairy production is an integral part of rural livelihoods in Ethiopia in general and in Ada’a woreda in particular. Farming households in the study area produce milk for both generating income and own production. But lack of information related to dairy production and marketing is one of the major challenges for this smallholder farmers. Understanding the reasons behind such problem and dairy farmers’ current information accessibility is paramount importance. This study was con...
ABSTRACT This thesis explores the perception and adaptation strategies undertaken among smallholder farmers in agro-ecological zones in rural Ghana. It applies a quantitative analysis of data on 529 farmers in four agro-ecological zones to assess the difference in perception of climate change and the influence on their adaptation strategies. Data for the study was obtained from the 2016 Climate Change, Women in Agriculture and Food Security survey collected by Regional Institute for Populati...
Abstract: Bean leaf beetles (BLBs) (Ootheca spp.) are important field insect pests of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in agricultural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. A survey of 128 farmers was conducted in Arua, Hoima, Lira, and Lwengo districts in Uganda, where the common bean is a major food and income crop. This paper evaluated farmers’ knowledge, control strategies, and challenges in managing BLBs. Over 87% of the farmers in Arua and Lira could identify BLBs by local names,...