Potential determinants of adoption of improved agronomic practices among beans and maize farmers in Uganda

Abstract

This study examines the key factors influencing the adoption of improved agronomic practices among beans and maize farmers in Uganda, using secondary data from 1,908 farmers collected by the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO). The analysis employed multivariate probit and Poisson models to assess the marginal effects of hypothesized determinants. Results revealed that 896 beans farmers and 1,012 maize farmers adopted at least one improved agronomic practice. For beans farmers, variables such as marital status, education level, full-time farming, age, experience, farmer group membership, and access to credit positively influenced adoption. Notably, farmer group membership increased the likelihood of adopting practices such as crop rotation, seed rate, and other agronomic practices (mulching, intercropping, relay cropping, minimum tillage, thinning, staking) by 24.4%, 12.8%, 15.1%, and 42.7%, respectively. On the contrary, male-headed households, farm size, and household size negatively affected adoption. Among maize farmers, adoption was similarly influenced by factors such as education, age, farm size, and farmer group membership, with higher education leading to increased adoption of fertilizer application (99.1%), weed management (69.4%), crop rotation (75.8%), and other practices (mulching, intercropping, relay cropping, minimum tillage, thinning, staking) (35.6%). This study emphasizes the need for targeted interventions within agricultural extension services, as socio-demographic and institutional factors drive adoption of improved agronomic practices. Given Uganda’s diverse farmer characteristics, further region-specific research is recommended to validate and refine these findings