Adoption of Soil Conservation Technologies among Farmers in the Upper East Region of Ghana

Subject Areas : Agricultural Extension

Fariya Abubakari ¹ , Farida Abubakari ² , Victor Owusu ³

1 - Council for Scientific and Industrial Research- Soil Research Institute, Kumasi, Ghana /Department of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness and Extension, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
2 - Council for Scientific and Industrial Research- Soil Research Institute, Kumasi, Ghana /Department of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness and Extension, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
3 - Department of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness and Extension, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

Received: 2015-12-24 Accepted : 2015-12-24 Published : 2014-07-01

Keywords: soil erosion, Soil conservation technologies, Land degradation,

Abstract :

Soil erosion is one of the most important forms of land degradation that threatens continued and sustained agricultural production in Ghana. The most severely affected areas are the three northern regions especially Upper East Region, where large tracts of land have been destroyed by water erosion leading to soil depth reduction and decline in soil fertility. This study was carried out in Talensi Nabdam District of Upper East Region of Ghana to examine the adoption of soil conservation technologies of rural farmers in the district. A random sample of 350 household was selected from seven communities in the district. Questionnaires administered in the area provided primary data needed for analysis. Descriptive statistics were employed in describing the socio-economic characteristic of farmers. Mean was used to rank the constraints and perception indices were used to analyze for the perception of farmers on the various soil conservation technologies. Probit model was used in the analysis of factors that influenced farmer’s decision to adopt soil conservation technologies and among the eight variables fitted in the model, four were found to be significant for stonebunds, three for earthbunds, three for vertiver grass and three for manure. Farmer based organization, household size; extension contact and labour were significant for stonebunds. Education, household size and labour were significant for earthbunds. Gender, household size and extension contact were significant for vertiver grass. Gender, household size and extension contact were significant for manure. Age, marital status and credit have no significant effects on farmers adopting all the conservation technologies.

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