Conservation agriculture (CA) is based on three principles: minimum soil disturbance, maintaining a soil cover through mulching with crop residues or planting cover crops, and practicing crop rotations. CA is practiced in many parts of the world for its benefits to soil and ability to improve yields, among others. There is little documented information on the status of CA adoption in the Lango region in mid-Northern Uganda. This study aimed at determining the extent of CA adoption in relation to the socioeconomic status of the farming population and suggesting relevant strategies for accelerating CA uptake specific to this region. A non-discriminative snowball-sampling technique was used to gather data from 417 households spread over three districts. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using household questionnaires. Farmers' uptake of CA was related to information gained from training and the benefits that were observed in their fields. Some farm-level constraints in the region included the diminutive ratio of shared tools and equipment; the minimum presence and involvement of extension services; and seasonal rural markets that are dominated by middlemen. The impact that was attributed to the use of CA at the household level was improved yields. The strategy that was used to spread CA information to farmers also played a key role in increasing CA uptake in the region. This information is important for increasing CA adoption in this context given the socioeconomic status of the region.
Conservation agriculture (CA) is based on three principles, namely minimum tillage, crop rotations and maintaining a soil cover. The research used the multi-Level perspective on socio-technical transitions to analyse the dynamics of CA in Uganda. The analysis of the CA niche is structured along the socio-technical regimes and explores the impact of the transition. Data were gathered from Alebtong, Dokolo and Lira districts in mid-Northern Uganda. The results indicate a steady transition towards CA that can be supported to eventually scale up. The legitimisation process of CA transition involved wider implementation by farmers on their fields, validation through adoption by the wider communities and at the national level. The process seeks policy and institutional promotion, more scientific publications of local research findings, validation by legal standards and judicial reasoning, raising civic awareness, stakeholder dialogue and mobilisation of political will to advance the purposes of CA in contrast to conventional agriculture. CA caused changes in practices, perceptions and motivation among the niche actors with respect to agricultural sustainability. However, scaling up could further be enhanced when market policies, credit and financial environment are reconciled.
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