
 In the 1990s, the integrated pest management (IPM) team for potato late blight (IPM-late blight) at the International Potato Center (CIP) began to address the management of this complex potato disease by combining crop protection with social and behavioral sciences. Since the early 2000s, the team has worked with research and development organizations in countries in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and South America to develop farmer discovery-based learning methods using farmer field schools (FFS). The principles of late blight control were more visible and understood by farmers when they could test options for managing late blight, particularly new potato clones with resistance to the disease, for themselves. CIP and partners have since adapted an approach combining FFS and participatory research to facilitate farmers’ access to information, knowledge, and technologies. Several manuals to implement FFS-IPM-late blight with farmers were subsequently developed. Results indicated that farmers using this approach learned new knowledge, assessed new potato clones, and changed crop management practices. Hence farmers realized a 32% average increase in potato productivity and income in Peru; similar changes occurred in other countries. The participatory research and training approach had a significant impact beyond IPM-late blight. In Peru and Bolivia, for example, more than 2,000 FFS were implemented between 2005 and 2012 on IPM for potato, other crops (coffee, cocoa, fruit trees), and livestock. In Uganda and Ethiopia, the experience expanded to potato seed management with the formation of seed cooperatives. Lessons have been drawn from this experience.

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Human and Technical Dimensions of Potato Integrated Pest Management Using Farmer Field Schools: International Potato Center and Partners’ Experience With Potato Late Blight Management

The study was carried out in Ziway- Hawassa milk shed, Ethiopia entitled Supporter services and private sector to scale up climate-smart dairy in Ziway-Hawassa milk shed, Ethiopia. The objective was to design business models for two leading supporters to scale up climate-smart practices in the milk shed.

Supporters services and private sector to scale up climate-smart dairy in Ziway-Hawassa Milk Shed, Ethiopia

Small-scale poultry farming plays a major role as a source of income for farmers through the sale of birds and eggs. Furthermore, in households’ poultry products are a valuable source of protein in the diet—especially in low-income communities. However, these farmers are facing a challenge with the rising cost of conventional feed. Climate change and global warming play a role in changing farming activities and affecting household food security. Therefore, replacing traditional ingredients with insects in chicken diets is gaining popularity worldwide. The purpose of this study was to assess the willingness of small-scale poultry farmers to adopt the use of yellow mealworm in diets for chickens. A total number of 107 farmers in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality were selected using snowball sampling and were interviewed face to face using a semi-structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were used to analyse the data. The results of the study showed that 72% of respondents, the majority of whom were male, were willing to adopt mealworm as poultry feed. About 51% of the participants were willing to eat chicken that was reared using mealworms, even though 85% had not seen mealworms before. Furthermore, it was found that farmers who used mixed corn and who had secondary education were more willing to adopt mealworms as an alternative protein source in chicken feed. Small-scale poultry farmers in Tshwane accept the use of mealworm as chicken feed. It is recommended that the early adopters of mealworms as poultry feed be profiled so that communication strategies can be developed to deal with the fears and attitudes of farmers who are not willing to adopt mealworms as poultry feed. Since the majority of the farmers who are willing to adopt mealworm had secondary education, it would be beneficial if small-scale poultry farmers are educated about the benefits of using yellow mealworm as a substitute in poultry feed.

/pdf/the-acceptability-of-yellow-mealworm-as-chicken-feed-a-case-26m1ridtv5.pdf

The acceptability of yellow mealworm as chicken feed : a case study of small-scale farmers in South Africa

Understanding participatory research processes: the case of Participatory Improved Agroecosystem Management (PRIAM)

Abstract The adoption of modern agricultural technologies remains to be a promising strategy to improve agricultural productivity, achieve food security and reduce poverty in Ethiopia. Despite the efforts to promote adoption in the country, the adoption rate has always been very low. So, it is essential to understand the determinants to the adoption of modern agricultural technologies. This study investigates the determinants of agricultural technology adoption decisions in the rural Amhara region of Ethiopia. The study is based on an Ethiopian socio-economic survey of 2015/16 and a sample of 656 farm households is considered. The paper uses a multinomial logit model to assess the factors affecting the adoption decision of agricultural technology. The result shows that farmers with more educational level, family size, off-farm participation, livestock, extension service, credit access, advisory service, and farmers closer to plot, all-weather road, zonal town, and farmers with lower remittance income are more likely to adopt new or improved agricultural technology. Accordingly, the study provides crucial policy implications regarding the technology adoption in the agricultural sector for all regions of Ethiopia.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/23322039.2022.2058189?needAccess=true

Determinants of multiple agricultural technology adoption: evidence from rural Amhara region, Ethiopia

The contribution of new technology to economic growth can only be realized when and if the new technology is widely diffused and used. Diffusion itself results from a series of individual decisions to begin using the new technology, decisions which are often the result of a comparison of the uncertain benefits of the new invention with the uncertain costs of adopting it. An understanding of the factors affecting this choice is essential both for economists studying the determinants of growth and for the generators and disseminators of such technologies. The study was to determine the factors affecting farmer’s adoption of improved agricultural innovation in Welmera district western part of Oromia regional state Ethiopia. Non replaceable lottery method and proportional to size sampling techniques were employed for the selection of 130 respondents; structural questionnaires and group discussion were used. Data were analyzed using Statistical tests like chi-square, t-test, one way ANOVA and econometric model Tobit was used to identify the effect of the hypothesized variables on the dependent variable. The result of the econometric model indicated that the educational level of respondent, total land holding, accesses to research and access to the extension were found significant to influence the adoption of improved potato production packages. The mean average age of sample respondent was 45-54. The independent t-test result shows that there was no significant difference between adopter categories in terms of age to the adoption of improved potato technology (t=1.747, p 0.991). From the sample household heads 13.85% of respondent farmers are illiterate and the remaining 86.15% are educated. Majority of high adopters have been educated from grade 5 to 10 Chi-square test also shows the significant difference between adopter categories of improved potato technologies (χ 2 =17.25a, P=0.004). It is time to look participatory extension approach which invites different stakeholders. FRG approach contributed a significant role in the diffusion and adoption of agricultural innovations.

https://esciencepress.net/journals/index.php/IJAE/article/download/2864/1498

Factors affecting diffusion and adoption of agricultural innovations among farmers in Ethiopia case study of Ormia regional state Westsern Sewa

This paper anticipated to identify the contribution of farmers research group (FRG) approaches in enhancing improved potato technology dissemination and adoption in western part Ethiopia Welemera district. Within the district two peasant administrative units namely Telecho and IlalaGojo were selected purposefully because of the presence of different FRGs operating in this two administrative units. A total of one hundred and thirty potato producers’ farmers (54 from FRG members and 76 from non-members) were selected. In the selection, non-replaceable lottery method and proportional to size sampling techniques were used. The sampled respondents were interviewed by using structured interview schedule. To collect the qualitative data, group discussion was also undertaken with selected farmers, development agents and agricultural researchers. Statistical tests like chi-square, t-test, and one-way ANOVA were used to test the variation among the FRG and non-FRG. The statistical analysis for FRG members’ respondents indicated that there is no significant difference of using improved potato technology packages. The adoption index score is 1 or 100% it means that all FRG members were adopted improved potato packages. The result of statistical analysis (ANOVA) indicated that there was significant variation (F= 34.47, P=0.000) among the adoption index score between the three categories at 1% level of significant, which indicates difference of adoption of potato technology packages among sampled non-FRG respondents. The overall finding of the study underlined that FRG approach has contributed to significant extent for adoption of improved potato production technologies. The most important thing point out by the respondents were non-FRG participant farmers have very great interest to be a member of FRG and also different stakeholders involvement is crucial to strengthen existing FRGs and in the establishment of new FRGs.

Ayalew A. Worku

Papers

Factors affecting diffusion and adoption of agricultural innovations among farmers in Ethiopia case study of Ormia regional state Westsern Sewa

The effectiveness of farmers research group approach in potato technology dissemination and adoption case study of western part of ethiopia