Adoption of Conservation Agricultural Practices among Maize Farmers: An Alternative Livelihood to Mitigate Climate Change Impact in Bawku Municipality, Ghana
Abstract
The plight of farmers are worsening by the impact of climate change. This is evident in all agro-ecological zones in Ghana. Warming and variability in rainfall pattern is causing floods and long dry spells of drought with resultant effects of reduced food crop and livestock production. Conservation Agricultural (CA) practices was therefore introduced to address the challeges of conventional tillage. CA has therefore been identified as a substitute to conventional agriculture for sustainable agricultural productivity. The objective of the study was to assess the rate of adoption of CA practices in the Bawku Municipality in the Upper East region of Ghana. The study was conducted in the Bawku Municipal area of Ghana. The research design used for the study was the mixed methods. The purposive sampling technique was used Ito select the Bawku Municipality as the major area where agricultural conservation practices occurs in the Upper East region. The simple random sampling technique was used to select ten (10) communities in the Municipality, whilst the systematic random sampling was used to select forty (40) respondents from each community for the study. The target population for the study was maize farmers in the Bawku Municipality. In all, a total of 358 respondents were interviewed for the study. Data was taken on socio-cultural and socio-economic characteristics of respondents. Data analysis was done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistics, such as frequencies, percentages, and means were computed. Cross tabulations of variables were also computed and the chi-square tests used to establish relationships. The study revealed that age, sex, level of education, religion, household size, government policy, access to credit, source of income, farm size, and access to extension services were found to have significantly influenced adoption of CA practices. The results of the study indicated that majority of farmers were aware and had knowledge about CA practices. “No-tillage with cover crops, minimum tillage with cover crops, and crop rotation with cover crops” were the main practices of conservation agriculture in the study area. The study further revealed that majority of the farmers indicated that the practices of conservation agriculture reduces soil erosion, increases soil fertility, increases soil organic matter and improves agricultural productivity. The survey also reveals that 81% of farmers adopted CA practices in full. It is recommended that the Ghanaian government should boost CA practices by instituting an annual nation award scheme to award hardworking CA practioners in Ghana.
Downloads
References
Amir, T.H., 2006. How to define farmers capacity. Agricultural Economic Journal 236 (3): 261 – 272.
Baker, C.J., Saxton, K.E., and Ritchie, W.R., 2002. No-tillage Seeding: Science and Practice. 2nd Edition. Oxford, UK: CAB International.
Bell, J., 1993. Doing your Research Project: A guide for first time researchers in education and social science, Open University Press, UK.
Birner, R., and Resnick, D., 2010. The Political Economy of Policies for Smallholder Agriculture World Development 38 (10): 1442–1452. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2010.06.001.
Boahen, P., Dartey, B.A., Dogbe, G.D., Boadi, E.A., Triomphe, B., Daamgard-Larsen, S., and Ashburner, J., 2007. Conservation Agriculture as Practised in Ghana. Nairobi. African Conservation Tillage Network, Centre de Coopération Internationale de Recherche Agronomique Pour Le Développement, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations., 1–71. Bolliger.
Carter, M.R., Noronha, C., Peters, R.D., and Kimpinski, J., 2009. Influence of conservation tillage and crop rotation on the resilience of an intensive long-term potato cropping system: Restoration of soil biological properties after the potato phase. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 133: I32–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2009.04.017.
CIMMTY., 1993. The Adoption of Agriculture Technology: A guide for survey design. Mexico. I88pp.
Clay, D., Reardon, T., and Kangasniemi, J., 1998. Sustainable intensification in the highland tropics: Rwandan farmers’ investments in land conservation and soil fertility. Economic Development and Cultural Change 45 (2): 351–378.
Dalton, T.J., Yahaya, I., and Naab, J., 2014. "Perceptions and performance of conservation agriculture practices in northwestern Ghana", Agriculture, Ecosystems Environment, Vol. 187 No. 2014, pp. I65-71.
Danso-Abbeam, G., Bosiako, A.J., Ehiakpor, S.D., and Mabe, N.F., 2017. Adoption of improved maize variety among farm households in the northern region of Ghana. Cogent Economics & Finance, 5: 1416896. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322039.2017.1416896.
Djokoto, G.L., Owusu, V. and Awunyo-Vitor, D., 2016. Adoption of Organic Agriculture: Evidence from Cocoa Farming in Ghana. Cogent Food and Agriculture 2: 1242181.
Farooq, M., and Siddique, K.H.M., 2014. Conservation Agriculture. Springer International, Switzerland.
Feder, G., Just,IR., and Zilberman, D., 1982. Adoption of Agricultural Innovation in Developing Countries: A Survey, the World Bank Staff Working Paper No. 542, Washington D.C., USA. VF2006228528.33.10.1086/451461.
Fernandes, E.C.M., Oktingati, A., and Maghembe, J., 1981. The Chagga home gardens: A multi-storeyed agroforestry cropping system Ion Mt. Kilimanjaro (Northern Tanzania). Agro-Forestry Systems 2: 73– 86.
Gattinger, A., Jawtusch, J., Müller, A., and Mäder, P., 2011. No-Till Agriculture: A Climate-Smart Solution? Misereor: Aachen, Germany, 2011; pp. 1–24.
GSS., 2016. Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) website: www.statsghana.gov.gh.
Karugia, S., Baltenweck, I., Waithaka, M., Miano, M., Nyikal, R., and Romney, D., 2004. Perception of Technology and its Impact on Technology Uptake: The Case of Fodder Legume in Central Kenya Highlands. The Role of Social Scientists. Proceedings of the Inaugural Symposium, 6 to 8 December 2004, Grand Regency Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya.
Kassam, A., Friedrich, T., Derpsch, R. and Kienzle, J., 2015. Overview of the Worldwide Spread of Conservation Agriculture, Field Actions Science Reports [Online],Vol.8 2015, Online since 26 September 2015, Retrieved on 30 April I2019. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/factsreports/3966.
Mazvimavi, K., and Twomlow, S., 2009. Socio-economic and institutional factors influencing adoption of conservation farming by vulnerable households in Zimbabwe. Agricultural Systems 10: 20 – 29.
Mignouna, B., Manyong, M., Rusike, J., Mutabazi, S., and Senkondo, M., 2011. Determinants of Adopting mazapyr-Resistant Maize Technology and its Impact on Household Income in Western Kenya: AgBioforum 14(3): 158-163. Hall, B. and Khan, B. (2002) Adoption of new technology. New Economy Handbook.
Okoye, C., 1998. Comparative analysis of factors in the adoption of traditional and recommended soil erosion control practices in Nigeria. Soil and Tillage Research 45: 251–263.
Rogers, E.M., 2003. Diffusion of Innovations (5th ed.). London: Free Press.
Shetto, R., and Owenya, M., 2007. Conservation Agriculture as Practised in Tanzania: three Case Studies. Nairobi. African Conservation Tillage Network, Centre de Coopération Internationale de Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy. 146pp.
Saltiel, J., Bauder, J.W., and Palakovich, S., 1994. Adoption of sustainable agricultural practices: diffusion, farm structure and profitability. Rural Sociology 59 (2): 333–349.
Snedecor, G.W., and Cochran, W.G. (1989) Statistical Methods. 8th Edition, Iowa State University Press, Ames
Sodjinou, E., Glin, C.L., Nicolay, G., Tovignan, L., and Hinvi, J., 2015. Socioeconomic determinants of organic cotton adoption in Benin, West Africa. Agricultural and Food Economics 3 (12): 1-22.
Teklewold, H., Kassie, M., and Shiferaw, B., 2013. Adoption of multiple sustainable agricultural practices in rural Ethiopia. Journal of Agricultural Economics 64 (3):597– 623. https://doi.org/10.1111/1477-9552.1201.
Uaiene, R., Arndt, C., and Masters, W., 2009. Determinants of Agricultural Technology Adoption in Mozambique. Discussion papers No. 67E.
