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Minimum tillage adoption among commercial smallholder cotton farmers in Zambia, 2002 to 2011

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  • Grabowski, Philip P.
  • Haggblade, Steven
  • Kabwe, Stephen
  • Tembo, Gelson

Abstract

Despite widespread enthusiasm about conservation agriculture (CA) in Africa, empirical evidence on adoption remains fragmentary. This study examines adoption rates of a critical component of CA, minimum tillage (MT), among 135,000 Zambian cotton farmers by comparing the results of two censuses of cotton lead farmers and buyers conducted in 2002 and again in 2011. The survey results indicate that 13% of cotton farmers used some form of MT in 2011. Among farmer groups interviewed in both years, MT adoption rates increased by about one-third compared to 2002. However, the preferred MT technology packages have changed dramatically. While use of hand-hoe basins has declined, use of ox and tractor-drawn rippers plus herbicides has increased. Tobit regression estimates suggest that four key factors – lead farmer use of MT, number of years of extension efforts, availability of herbicides on credit, and availability of tractor ripper services – all positively influence MT adoption. Zambia’s experience likewise underlines the long timeframe required for testing and refining location-specific technology packages that prove both agronomically suitable and commercially attractive for farmers of differing resource endowments.

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  • Grabowski, Philip P. & Haggblade, Steven & Kabwe, Stephen & Tembo, Gelson, 2014. "Minimum tillage adoption among commercial smallholder cotton farmers in Zambia, 2002 to 2011," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 34-44.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agisys:v:131:y:2014:i:c:p:34-44
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2014.08.001
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    Cited by:

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    2. Kiboi, M.N. & Ngetich, K.F. & Fliessbach, A. & Muriuki, A. & Mugendi, D.N., 2019. "Soil fertility inputs and tillage influence on maize crop performance and soil water content in the Central Highlands of Kenya," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 217(C), pages 316-331.
    3. Thaddaeus Obaji Ariom & Elodie Dimon & Eva Nambeye & Ndèye Seynabou Diouf & Oludotun Olusegun Adelusi & Sofiane Boudalia, 2022. "Climate-Smart Agriculture in African Countries: A Review of Strategies and Impacts on Smallholder Farmers," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-32, September.
    4. Hambulo Ngoma, 2018. "Does minimum tillage improve the livelihood outcomes of smallholder farmers in Zambia?," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 10(2), pages 381-396, April.
    5. Grabowski, Philip P. & Kerr, John M. & Haggblade, Steven & Kabwe, Stephen, 2014. "Determinants of Adoption of Minimum Tillage by Cotton Farmers in Eastern Zambia," Food Security Collaborative Working Papers 188567, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    6. Grabowski, Philip & Kerr, John & Donovan, Cynthia & Mouzinho, Bordalo, 2015. "A Prospective Analysis of Participatory Research on Conservation Agriculture in Mozambique," Food Security Collaborative Working Papers 198703, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    7. Holden, Stein T. & Fisher, Monica & Katengeza, Samson P. & Thierfelder, Christian, 2018. "Can lead farmers reveal the adoption potential of conservation agriculture? The case of Malawi," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 113-123.

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