Soil quality and fertilizer use rates among smallholder farmers in western Kenya

2009 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 561-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paswel P. Marenya ◽  
Christopher B. Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Western Kenya ◽  
Fertilizer Use

Participatory soil quality assessment: The case of smallholder farmers in Ethiopian highlands

Soil Research ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 42 (7) ◽  
pp. 793 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teklu Erkossa ◽  
Karl Stahr ◽  
Thomas Gaiser
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assessment ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Soil Management ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Soil Functions ◽  
Yield Data ◽  
Management Interventions ◽  
Soil Quality Assessment

The study was conducted at Caffee Doonsa (08°88′N, 39°08′E; 2400 m asl), a small watershed in the central highlands of Ethiopia, in order to identify farmers’ goals of soil management and the indicators they use in selecting soils for a certain function, and to categorise the soils in different quality groups with respect to the major functions. Thirty-six male farmers of different age and wealth groups participated in a Participatory Rural Appraisal technique. They listed and prioritised 12 soil functions in the area and itemised the soil quality indicators (characteristics). Based on the indicators, the soils in the watershed were classified into 3 soil quality (SQ) groups (Abolse, Kooticha, and Carii). The SQ groups have been evaluated and ranked for the major soil functions. For crop production, Abolse was graded best, followed by Kooticha and Carii, respectively. The grain and straw yield data of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) taken from the SQ groups confirmed the farmers claim, in that Abolse gave the highest grain yield (4573 kg/ha), followed by 4411 and 3657 kg/ha for Kooticha and Carii, respectively. Local insights should be included in systematic soil quality assessment, and in planning and implementation of various soil management interventions.

scholarly journals Drivers of cooking energy choices by meal-types among smallholder farmers in western Kenya

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-58
Author(s):  
F.M. Mwaura ◽  
M. Ngigi ◽  
G. Obare
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Multinomial Logit Model ◽  
Western Kenya ◽  
Access To Credit ◽  
Production Factors ◽  
Formal Employment ◽  
Cooking Energy ◽  
Public Forests ◽  
Significant Factors

There are gaps in research needed to enhance policy intervention for rural households’ transitions from traditional biomass to cleaner energy sources. This paper reports on a survey among farmers in western Kenya to assess drivers of cooking energy choices for various key meals; to understand agricultural production factors in cooking energy choices; and to assess energy use homogeneity among varied sub-counties. The study sampled 388 respondents from four heterogeneous rural sub-counties differing in altitude, proximity to public forests, and cultural characteristics. The multinomial logit model analysis showed that significant factors influencing the shift from firewood to LPG for breakfast preparation included access to credit, income, formal employment, and the proportion of adults in the household. Shifting from firewood to crop wastes was significant, influenced by distance covered to collect firewood, and desire for warming houses. The shift from firewood to sticks was influenced by firewood cost, houses owned, and reliance on own farm for woodfuel. Determinants of cooking energy choices for breakfast, lunch and supper were identical. Sticks were seen as an inferior cooking energy source. The adoption of cleaner energy was more associated with breakfast than other meals. Despite the sub-counties’ heterogeneity, no substantial differences were observed among them on drivers of cooking energy choices. Study outcomes were consistent with other concepts associated with cooking energy usage, including the transition energy ladder and energy stacking.

Determinants of smallholder farmers’ decisions on fertilizer use for cereal crops in the Ethiopian highlands

2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 677-687
Author(s):  
Tewodros Tefera ◽  
Eyasu Elias ◽  
Christy van Beek
Keyword(s):  
Family Size ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Soil And Water Conservation ◽  
Ethiopian Highlands ◽  
Fertilizer Use ◽  
Access To Credit ◽  
Education Status ◽  
Fertilizer Adoption ◽  
Soil And Water

AbstractThis study identified decision variables influencing fertilizer adoption and optimal fertilizer rates among smallholder farmers in the Ethiopian highlands. The fertilizer adoption and fertilizer use were examined in four regional states using a questionnaire survey, which was administered to 2880 farm households. A double hurdle model was used to analyze factors influencing the two independent decisions of adoption of fertilizers and use of fertilizers. The model estimates of the first hurdle revealed that the probability of fertilizer adoption increased by 1.2% as household education status improved, by 1.4% for an increased number of active family members, by 5.6% with improved access to credit, by 3.4% with cooperative membership, by 3.3% with an increase in farm size, by 4.6% when soil and water conservation practices are employed, and by 3.4% when agroecology of the farm is located in the medium to highland zone. Conversely, the probability of fertilizer adoption reduced by 0.9% for an increase in family size, 0.6% with 1 km distance from all-weather road, 1.6% for a kilometer further to farm plots, and 0.9% for an increase in number of parcels. The intensity of use of fertilizers was influenced by education status of the household head, family size, access to credit, membership to cooperatives, use of crop rotation, annual income, number of farm plots owned, use of soil and water conservation, and agroecology. Therefore, a concerted effort is needed to encourage fertilizer adoption and optimum fertilizer use intensity by improving households’ resource endowment, institutional capacity to deliver services, and infrastructure development.

scholarly journals Mortality as the primary constraint to enhancing nutritional and financial gains from poultry: A multi-year longitudinal study of smallholder farmers in western Kenya

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. e0233691
Author(s):  
Elkanah Otiang ◽  
Zoë A. Campbell ◽  
Samuel M. Thumbi ◽  
Lucy W. Njagi ◽  
Philip N. Nyaga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Western Kenya ◽  
Primary Constraint ◽  
Financial Gains

scholarly journals A Spatially Explicit Approach for Targeting Resource-Poor Smallholders to Improve Their Participation in Agribusiness: A Case of Nyando and Vihiga County in Western Kenya

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 612
Author(s):  
Mwehe Mathenge ◽  
Ben G. J. S. Sonneveld ◽  
Jacqueline E. W. Broerse
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Spatially Explicit ◽  
Western Kenya ◽  
Household Decision ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Poor Households ◽  
Resource Poor

The majority of smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa face myriad challenges to participating in agribusiness markets. However, how the spatially explicit factors interact to influence household decision choices at the local level is not well understood. This paper’s objective is to identify, map, and analyze spatial dependency and heterogeneity in factors that impede poor smallholders from participating in agribusiness markets. Using the researcher-administered survey questionnaires, we collected geo-referenced data from 392 households in Western Kenya. We used three spatial geostatistics methods in Geographic Information System to analyze data—Global Moran’s I, Cluster and Outliers Analysis, and geographically weighted regression. Results show that factors impeding smallholder farmers exhibited local spatial autocorrelation that was linked to the local context. We identified distinct local spatial clusters (hot spots and cold spots clusters) that were spatially and statistically significant. Results affirm that spatially explicit factors play a crucial role in influencing the farming decisions of smallholder households. The paper has demonstrated that geospatial analysis using geographically disaggregated data and methods could help in the identification of resource-poor households and neighborhoods. To improve poor smallholders’ participation in agribusiness, we recommend policymakers to design spatially targeted interventions that are embedded in the local context and informed by locally expressed needs.

scholarly journals Organic fertilizer use by smallholder farmers: typology of management approaches in northern Ghana

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Bunbom Edward Daadi ◽  
Uwe Latacz-Lohmann
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Organic Fertilizer ◽  
Mineral Fertilizer ◽  
Management Training ◽  
Seemingly Unrelated Regression ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
Core Element ◽  
Fertilizer Use ◽  
Management Approaches

Abstract An understanding of the nexus of organic fertilizer use decisions that smallholder farmers take is essential to designing relevant policy to support adoption in sub-Saharan Africa. In this paper, we applied exploratory factor analysis (EFA) on observed farmer decisions to identify a set of common management approaches that farmers in the northeastern part of Ghana adopt in using organic fertilizer. After identification, seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) analysis was applied to relate each approach to farmer characteristics that influence uptake decisions. The EFA identified four approaches, labeled as Augmentary Compost Use Approach, Urban Human Waste Organic Fertilizer Approach, Integrated Livestock Manure Approach and Mineral Fertilizer Cost Constraint Organic Approach. Each of the first three approaches involves a set of strategic farmer decisions which could be supported to increase organic fertilizer use. The SUR analysis showed that the uptake of each approach is affected by different subsets of farmer characteristics. However, participation in organic fertilizer management training positively influences the adoption of all four approaches. Thus, we recommend free training of smallholder farmers as a core element of any policy package to support organic fertilizer adoption.

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