Determinants of Adoption of Improved Maize Varieties and Chemical Fertilizers in Mozambique

Abstract

In Mozambique, adoption of improved maize seed and chemical fertilizers is still limited. This study assessed farmers' attitudes towards hybrid maize SC513, Nitrogenous (N) Phosphorous (P) Potassium (K), (NPK 12-24-12) and urea fertilizers in highlands and lowlands of the Manica District. The study determined the influence of farmers' characteristics, attitudes, sources of information, and agro-ecological conditions on adoption of these technologies during 1995 through 2005. A questionnaire was administered during April and May 2006 with a randomly selected sample of 293 households. In general, farmers held positive attitudes towards improved maize varieties and chemical fertilizers, but the strength of attitudes towards fertilizers, in particular, varied by source of information. Farmers who learned about fertilizers from extension had stronger positive attitudes than farmers who learned about fertilizers from neighbors, although with hybrid seeds adoption there was no significant difference between key sources. Overall, the number of farmers using SC513 was higher than the number of farmers using NPK and urea. Farmers' decision to adopt SC513 was positively associated with agroecological conditions, knowledge, production traits and marketability of the maize. Agroecological conditions, knowledge of fertilizer application, and extension contact influenced adoption of chemical fertilizers. The results differentiate a simpler process of adoption of new seed from a more complex process of adoption of fertilizers which demands greater knowledge of timing and soils as well as basic computational skills. Factors determining adoption of hybrid maize varieties and chemical fertilizers should be considered when designing extension programs for these technologies.

Speed of adoption of improved maize varieties in Tanzania: An application of duration analysis

“…It is crucial to identify which source of information is appropriate in technology adoption, since the role of information is a key area in which public policy can play a significant role (Lee, 2005). Cavane and Donovan (2011) in Mozambique found that farmers who learned from extension workers were more likely to adopt fertilizer than those who learned from neighbors. Krishnan and Patnam (2012) in Ethiopia found that learning from extension workers did not affect farmers' adoption of improved seeds and fertilizer, but learning from neighbors was a powerful force for adoption.…”

Smallholder farmers' motivations for using Conservation Agriculture and the roles of yield, labour and soil fertility in decision making

“…Most of these studies have focused on on-farm level experiments whilst some have focused on farm-level economics (Grabowski and Kerr, 2013) and determinants of adoption (Nkala et al, 2011). In addition, other studies in Mozambique have explored adoption of chemical fertiliser and new maize varieties using sociopsychological constructs (Cavane and Donovan, 2011) and explored adoption of new crop varieties through social networks (Bandiera and Rasul, 2008) whilst others have used more conventional approaches (i.e. using farm level/household characteristics) to assess agriculture technology adoption (Uaiene et al, 2009;Benson et al, 2012) or further econometric approaches used to examine the impact of adoption of various improved agricultural technologies on household income in Mozambique Darnhofer, 2011).…”

Adoption Of Improved Potato Varieties In Nepal: A Case Of Bara District

“…Bara is one of the (Hosmer and Lemeshow, 2000;Cavane, 2011). In regression analysis, adoption of improved potato varieties was used as a dependent variable (Y) and independent variable included characteristics of the farmers.…”