Volume 7, Issue 4, August 2014, Pages 1338–1343
Frederick N. Boithi1, Edward Muchiri2, Rhodah Birech3, and Milcah Mulu-Mutuku4
1 Department of Applied Community Development Studies, Egerton University, PO Box 536-20115, Njoro, Kenya
2 Department of Civil Engineering, Egerton University, PO Box 536-20115, Njoro, Kenya
3 Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils, Egerton University, PO Box 536-20115, Njoro, Kenya
4 Department of Applied Community Development Studies, Egerton University, PO Box 536-20115, Njoro, Kenya
Original language: English
Copyright © 2014 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Water for agricultural use has been adversary affected by climate change in Arid and Semi-Arid Legions. Water inadequacy and un-reliability can be addressed by farmers' adoption of agricultural water technologies and innovations of water harvesting, storage and application. Adoption of these technologies is low in developing countries. This study aimed at investigating factors influencing smallholder farmers' adoption of agricultural water technologies and innovations Lare and Elementaita Divisions, Nakuru County Kenya. These areas were selected as they are water constrained and inhabited by smallholder farmers some having while others having not adopted these technologies. Study objectives were: to document the socio-economic status of the farmers and ecological characteristics' influence on technologies' adoption. Descriptive research design was used with a sample size of 114 and 76 farmers who had, and not adopted the technologies respectively and selected using purposive and proportionate sampling techniques. Data was collected by use of face-to-face administered structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings indicate that the farmers had low education level by Kenya's standard. Chi-square analysis indicated existence of statistically significant relationship between land topography, affordability of irrigation facilities and availability of technical and financial support and adoption of the technologies. No statistically significant relationship exists between soil types and water harvesting, storage structures and adoption of technologies. Financial constraints and lack of skills in management of these technologies were challenges. Technical, financial and supportive policy focusing the farmers' technologies' adoptive capacities is advised.
Author Keywords: Agricultural water inadequacy, Climate change, Water technologies, Innovations Adoption, Smallholder farmers.
Frederick N. Boithi1, Edward Muchiri2, Rhodah Birech3, and Milcah Mulu-Mutuku4
1 Department of Applied Community Development Studies, Egerton University, PO Box 536-20115, Njoro, Kenya
2 Department of Civil Engineering, Egerton University, PO Box 536-20115, Njoro, Kenya
3 Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils, Egerton University, PO Box 536-20115, Njoro, Kenya
4 Department of Applied Community Development Studies, Egerton University, PO Box 536-20115, Njoro, Kenya
Original language: English
Copyright © 2014 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Water for agricultural use has been adversary affected by climate change in Arid and Semi-Arid Legions. Water inadequacy and un-reliability can be addressed by farmers' adoption of agricultural water technologies and innovations of water harvesting, storage and application. Adoption of these technologies is low in developing countries. This study aimed at investigating factors influencing smallholder farmers' adoption of agricultural water technologies and innovations Lare and Elementaita Divisions, Nakuru County Kenya. These areas were selected as they are water constrained and inhabited by smallholder farmers some having while others having not adopted these technologies. Study objectives were: to document the socio-economic status of the farmers and ecological characteristics' influence on technologies' adoption. Descriptive research design was used with a sample size of 114 and 76 farmers who had, and not adopted the technologies respectively and selected using purposive and proportionate sampling techniques. Data was collected by use of face-to-face administered structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings indicate that the farmers had low education level by Kenya's standard. Chi-square analysis indicated existence of statistically significant relationship between land topography, affordability of irrigation facilities and availability of technical and financial support and adoption of the technologies. No statistically significant relationship exists between soil types and water harvesting, storage structures and adoption of technologies. Financial constraints and lack of skills in management of these technologies were challenges. Technical, financial and supportive policy focusing the farmers' technologies' adoptive capacities is advised.
Author Keywords: Agricultural water inadequacy, Climate change, Water technologies, Innovations Adoption, Smallholder farmers.
How to Cite this Article
Frederick N. Boithi, Edward Muchiri, Rhodah Birech, and Milcah Mulu-Mutuku, “Factors Influencing Smallholder Farmers' Adoption of Agricultural Water Technologies and Innovations in Lare and Elementaita Divisions of Nakuru County, Kenya,” International Journal of Innovation and Applied Studies, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 1338–1343, August 2014.
