Asresu, Melaku
Unknown Affiliation

Published : 2 Documents Claim Missing Document
Claim Missing Document
Check
Articles

Found 2 Documents
Search

Adoption of Sustainable Land Management Practices Among Smallholder Farmers in Sekota District, North-eastern Ethiopia Asresu, Melaku
International Journal on Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Vol 6, No 2 (2025): Ij-FANRes
Publisher : Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources - NETWORKS

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.46676/ij-fanres.v6i2.489

Abstract

Despite the government and non-governmental organizations have promoted sustainable land management practices to improve agricultural productivity, however; the adoption rate of these practices among smallholder farmers remains low. This study aimed to analyze the determinant factors influencing the adoption of sustainable land management practices and identify the major challenges and constraints in adopting these practices. The data was collected from 267 households randomly using a multistage sampling technique, which included household survey, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions from three sample kebeles in Sekota district during in 2024 production season. Descriptive, inferential statistics and multinomial logit models were used for analyzing quantitative data while the qualitative data was analyzed by interpretation, narrations, and conceptual generalization. The multinomial regression result indicates that; the adoption of livestock manure was positively influenced by household age, education, livestock holdings, and income (P ≤ 10%), while the slope of farmlands and farm size negatively the adoption of livestock manure; compost adoption was positively linked to education, livestock holdings, credit access, and training (P ≤ 10%, whereas age, slope of farmlands and farm size negatively the adoption of compost. Inorganic fertilizer adoption was influenced by education, farm experience, credit access, and income (P ≤ 10%) age, distance to farmlands, slope of farmlands and farm size negatively the adoption of inorganic fertilizer. Integrated methods were positively affected by education, livestock holdings, family size, credit access, and training (P ≤ 10%), while the slope of farmland negatively affects the adoption of integrated methods. Most respondent farmers articulated that changes in the price of agricultural inputs (44.94%), lack of capital (19.1%), tenure security (16.1%), small livestock unit (14.61%), and labor intensiveness (5.24%) were the major challenges related to the adoption of these practices. Therefore, improving access to training, extension services, and credit, experience sharing, improving land productivity per unit area, and addressing the major challenges specific to each practice are crucial to promoting sustainable land management in the district.
Farmer's Perceptions of Sustainable Land Management Practices in Sekota District, Northeastern, Ethiopia Asresu, Melaku; Tarekegn, Chalachew
International Journal on Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Vol 6, No 2 (2025): Ij-FANRes
Publisher : Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources - NETWORKS

Show Abstract | Download Original | Original Source | Check in Google Scholar | DOI: 10.46676/ij-fanres.v6i2.479

Abstract

Land degradation is a significant threat to agricultural productivity and economic growth in Ethiopia. Despite the promotion of sustainable land management practices (SLMPs) by government and development agencies to enhance agricultural productivity, the perception level among smallholder farmers remains low. This study aimed to analyze farmers’ perceptions on SLMPs and practices utilized by farmers. Data were collected from 267 randomly selected households using a multistage sampling technique, which included an interview schedule, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions from three sample kebeles in Sekota district during in 2024 production season. Descriptive statistics was used for analyzing quantitative data while qualitative data was analyzed by narrations, interpretation, and conceptual generalization. The most common SLM practices included crop rotation (30.71%), livestock manure (25.84%), integrated methods (20.97%), inorganic fertilizer (17.6%), and compost (4.87%). Our study shows farmers had positive perception index scores for SLMPs, with livestock manure (4.78), livestock manure + inorganic fertilizer (4.14), compost (4.12), and crop rotation (3.99) respectively, although lack of transportation, high price inflation, and labor-intensive were mentioned as the major factors in livestock manure, inorganic fertilizer, and compost respectively. The majority (78.3%) of farmers believed that soil fertility would continue to decline, while 12.7% perceived it would remain unchanged, and 9% perceived it would improve. The finding of the study shows that almost all farmers of the study area had a good perception on the land management practices, as well as the causes and consequences of soil degradation. The major causes of soil degradation perceived by farmers were over-cultivation without fallowing, soil erosion, the slope of the land and poor tillage practices. Whereas declining land productivity, declining crop production, land becoming out of cultivation, hunger and migration, and poverty were the major consequences of soil degradation in the study area. Therefore, increasing farmers’ perception about land degradation risks, enhancing extension service, improving access to training,  improving land productivity per unit area, and addressing barriers specific to each practice are essential to promoting sustainable land management in the study area