IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i7p2736-d339437.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Understanding the Interdependence and Temporal Dynamics of Smallholders’ Adoption of Soil Conservation Practices: Evidence from Nigeria

Author

Listed:
  • Tolulope E. Oladimeji

    (Division of Agricultural Colleges, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 810107, Nigeria)

  • Oyakhilomen Oyinbo

    (Department of Agricultural Economics, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 810107, Nigeria)

  • Abubakar A. Hassan

    (Department of Agricultural Economics, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 810107, Nigeria)

  • Oseni Yusuf

    (Department of Agricultural Economics, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 810107, Nigeria)

Abstract

The adoption of soil conservation practices is widely recognized as essential in improving soil fertility and promoting climate-smart agriculture in general. Yet, smallholders’ adoption of soil conservation practices in Sub-Saharan Africa has not been adequately documented, especially in relation to the interdependence and temporal dynamics of adoption decisions. In this paper, we analyze the interdependence and temporal dynamics of smallholders’ adoption of soil conservation practices, such as animal manure, crop residue retention, intercropping, and crop rotation in northern Nigeria. We use data from two rounds of a farm-household panel survey among maize-based farming households and estimate econometric models, including pooled multivariate probit and random effects ordered probit. We found that there is a significant positive correlation between the soil conservation practices, suggesting that adoption decisions for these practices are interrelated and the practices are considered complements by the farmers. We found evidence of inter-temporal variability in the adoption of soil conservation practices, which suggests that some farmers do switch in and out of these practices and may likely explain the often-reported variability in maize yields. Also, we found that the farmers’ decisions to adopt soil conservation practices and the intensity of adoption are influenced by several factors, including farmer-, household-, farm-, institutional-, and biophysical-level factors. Yet, the factors that significantly influence the likelihood of adoption differ slightly from those that influence the intensity of adoption. Policy interventions to enhance the adoption intensity of conservation practices should strongly leverage important factors, such as contract farming, crop–livestock integration, and off-farm income diversification.

Suggested Citation

  • Tolulope E. Oladimeji & Oyakhilomen Oyinbo & Abubakar A. Hassan & Oseni Yusuf, 2020. "Understanding the Interdependence and Temporal Dynamics of Smallholders’ Adoption of Soil Conservation Practices: Evidence from Nigeria," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-21, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:7:p:2736-:d:339437
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/7/2736/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/7/2736/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tambo, Justice A. & Mockshell, Jonathan, 2018. "Differential Impacts of Conservation Agriculture Technology Options on Household Income in Sub-Saharan Africa," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 95-105.
    2. Hassen, Sied, 2018. "The effect of farmyard manure on the continued and discontinued use of inorganic fertilizer in Ethiopia: An ordered probit analysis," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 523-532.
    3. Masakure, Oliver & Henson, Spencer, 2005. "Why do small-scale producers choose to produce under contract? Lessons from nontraditional vegetable exports from Zimbabwe," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 33(10), pages 1721-1733, October.
    4. Oyinbo, Oyakhilomen & Chamberlin, Jordan & Vanlauwe, Bernard & Vranken, Liesbet & Kamara, Yaya Alpha & Craufurd, Peter & Maertens, Miet, 2019. "Farmers' preferences for high-input agriculture supported by site-specific extension services: Evidence from a choice experiment in Nigeria," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 12-26.
    5. Foster, Andrew D & Rosenzweig, Mark R, 1995. "Learning by Doing and Learning from Others: Human Capital and Technical Change in Agriculture," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 103(6), pages 1176-1209, December.
    6. Timothy Conley & Udry Christopher, 2001. "Social Learning Through Networks: The Adoption of New Agricultural Technologies in Ghana," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 83(3), pages 668-673.
    7. Hailemariam Teklewold & Menale Kassie & Bekele Shiferaw, 2013. "Adoption of Multiple Sustainable Agricultural Practices in Rural Ethiopia," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 64(3), pages 597-623, September.
    8. Milu Muyanga & T S Jayne, 2019. "Revisiting the Farm Size-Productivity Relationship Based on a Relatively Wide Range of Farm Sizes: Evidence from Kenya," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 101(4), pages 1140-1163.
    9. Just, Richard E & Zilberman, David, 1983. "Stochastic Structure, Farm Size and Technology Adoption in Developing Agriculture," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 35(2), pages 307-328, July.
    10. Julia Berazneva & Jon M Conrad & David T Güereña & Johannes Lehmann & Dominic Woolf, 2019. "Agricultural Productivity and Soil Carbon Dynamics: A Bioeconomic Model," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 101(4), pages 1021-1046.
    11. Seyi Olalekan Olawuyi & Abbyssinia Mushunje, 2019. "Social Capital and Adoption of Alternative Conservation Agricultural Practices in South-Western Nigeria," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-20, January.
    12. Yu, Li & Hurley, Terrance & Kliebenstein, James & Orazem, Peter, 2012. "A test for complementarities among multiple technologies that avoids the curse of dimensionality," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 116(3), pages 354-357.
    13. Christine M. Sauer & Nicole M. Mason & Mywish K. Maredia & Rhoda Mofya-Mukuka, 2018. "Does adopting legume-based cropping practices improve the food security of small-scale farm households? Panel survey evidence from Zambia," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 10(6), pages 1463-1478, December.
    14. Jeetendra Prakash Aryal & Dil Bahadur Rahut & Sofina Maharjan & Olaf Erenstein, 2018. "Factors affecting the adoption of multiple climate‐smart agricultural practices in the Indo‐Gangetic Plains of India," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 42(3), pages 141-158, August.
    15. Solomon Asfaw & Federica Di Battista & Leslie Lipper, 2016. "Agricultural Technology Adoption under Climate Change in the Sahel: Micro-evidence from Niger," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 25(5), pages 637-669.
    16. Jeremy R. Magruder, 2018. "An Assessment of Experimental Evidence on Agricultural Technology Adoption in Developing Countries," Annual Review of Resource Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 10(1), pages 299-316, October.
    17. Kazushi Takahashi & Rie Muraoka & Keijiro Otsuka, 2020. "Technology adoption, impact, and extension in developing countries’ agriculture: A review of the recent literature," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 51(1), pages 31-45, January.
    18. Lambrecht, Isabel & Vanlauwe, Bernard & Merckx, Roel & Maertens, Miet, 2014. "Understanding the Process of Agricultural Technology Adoption: Mineral Fertilizer in Eastern DR Congo," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 132-146.
    19. Powell Mponela & Girma T. Kassie & Lulseged D. Tamene, 2018. "Simultaneous adoption of integrated soil fertility management technologies in the Chinyanja Triangle, Southern Africa," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 42(3), pages 172-184, August.
    20. Lambrecht, Isabel & Vanlauwe, Bernard & Maertens, Miet, 2014. "Integrated soil fertility management: from concept to practice in eastern DR Congo," Working Papers 180062, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Centre for Agricultural and Food Economics.
    21. Burke, William J. & Frossard, Emmanuel & Kabwe, Stephen & Jayne, Thom S., 2019. "Understanding fertilizer adoption and effectiveness on maize in Zambia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 1-1.
    22. Meike Wollni & David R. Lee & Janice E. Thies, 2010. "Conservation agriculture, organic marketing, and collective action in the Honduran hillsides," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 41(3‐4), pages 373-384, May.
    23. Madhu Khanna, 2001. "Sequential Adoption of Site-Specific Technologies and its Implications for Nitrogen Productivity: A Double Selectivity Model," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 83(1), pages 35-51.
    24. Ndiritu, S. Wagura & Kassie, Menale & Shiferaw, Bekele, 2014. "Are there systematic gender differences in the adoption of sustainable agricultural intensification practices? Evidence from Kenya," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(P1), pages 117-127.
    25. Gebremariam, Gebrelibanos & Tesfaye, Wondimagegn, 2018. "The heterogeneous effect of shocks on agricultural innovations adoption: Microeconometric evidence from rural Ethiopia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 154-161.
    26. Belderbos, Rene & Carree, Martin & Diederen, Bert & Lokshin, Boris & Veugelers, Reinhilde, 2004. "Heterogeneity in R&D cooperation strategies," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 22(8-9), pages 1237-1263, November.
    27. John N. Ng’ombe & Thomson H. Kalinda & Gelson Tembo, 2017. "Does adoption of conservation farming practices result in increased crop revenue? Evidence from Zambia," Agrekon, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(2), pages 205-221, April.
    28. Ngoma, Hambulo & Mason, Nicole M. & Sitko, Nicholas, 2015. "Does Minimum Tillage with Planting Basins or Ripping Raise Maize Yields? Meso-panel Data Evidence from Zambia," Food Security Collaborative Working Papers 198701, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    29. Kassie, Menale & Jaleta, Moti & Shiferaw, Bekele & Mmbando, Frank & Mekuria, Mulugetta, 2013. "Adoption of interrelated sustainable agricultural practices in smallholder systems: Evidence from rural Tanzania," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 80(3), pages 525-540.
    30. Alwang, Jeffrey & Gotor, Elisabetta & Thiele, Graham & Hareau, Guy & Jaleta, Moti & Chamberlin, Jordan, 2019. "Pathways from research on improved staple crop germplasm to poverty reduction for smallholder farmers," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 16-27.
    31. Oumer, Ali M. & Burton, Michael, 2018. "Drivers and Synergies in the Adoption of Sustainable Agricultural Intensification Practices: A Dynamic Perspective," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 273871, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    32. Tambo, J. & Mockshell, J., 2018. "Differential impacts of conservation agriculture technology options on household welfare in sub-Saharan Africa," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277035, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    33. Akinola, Adebayo A. & Alene, Arega D. & Adeyemo, Remi & Sanogo, D. & Olanrewaju, A.S. & Nwoke, C. & Nziguheba, G., 2010. "Determinants of adoption and intensity of use of balance nutrient management systems technologies in the northern Guinea savanna of Nigeria," Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture, Humboldt-Universitaat zu Berlin, vol. 49(1), pages 1-21.
    34. Ward, Patrick S. & Bell, Andrew R. & Droppelmann, Klaus & Benton, Tim G., 2018. "Early adoption of conservation agriculture practices: Understanding partial compliance in programs with multiple adoption decisions," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 27-37.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Banchayehu Tessema Assefa & Jordan Chamberlin & Martin K. van Ittersum & Pytrik Reidsma, 2021. "Usage and Impacts of Technologies and Management Practices in Ethiopian Smallholder Maize Production," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-19, September.
    2. Collins C. Okolie & Gideon Danso-Abbeam & Okechukwu Groupson-Paul & Abiodun A. Ogundeji, 2022. "Climate-Smart Agriculture Amidst Climate Change to Enhance Agricultural Production: A Bibliometric Analysis," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-23, December.
    3. Stella Kiconco & Suresh Chandra Babu & Kenneth Akankwasa, 2022. "Adoption Patterns and Intensity for Multiple BananaTechnologies in Uganda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-14, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gebremariam, Gebrelibanos & Tesfaye, Wondimagegn, 2018. "The heterogeneous effect of shocks on agricultural innovations adoption: Microeconometric evidence from rural Ethiopia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 154-161.
    2. Kazushi Takahashi & Rie Muraoka & Keijiro Otsuka, 2020. "Technology adoption, impact, and extension in developing countries’ agriculture: A review of the recent literature," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 51(1), pages 31-45, January.
    3. Yang, Qi & Zhu, Yueji & Liu, Ling & Wang, Fang, 2021. "Land tenure stability and adoption intensity of sustainable agricultural practices: Evidence from banana farmers in China," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315254, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    4. Ndiritu, S. Wagura & Kassie, Menale & Shiferaw, Bekele, 2014. "Are there systematic gender differences in the adoption of sustainable agricultural intensification practices? Evidence from Kenya," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(P1), pages 117-127.
    5. Aslihan Arslan & Kristin Floress & Christine Lamanna & Leslie Lipper & Solomon Asfaw & Todd Rosenstock, 2020. "IFAD RESEARCH SERIES 63 - The adoption of improved agricultural technologies - A meta-analysis for Africa," IFAD Research Series 304758, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
    6. Teklewold, Hailemariam & Gebrehiwot, Tagel & Bezabih, Mintewab, 2019. "Climate smart agricultural practices and gender differentiated nutrition outcome: An empirical evidence from Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 38-53.
    7. Kirui, Oliver & Tambo, Justice, 2021. "Yield Effects of Conservation Agriculture Under Fall Armyworm Stress: The Case of Zambia," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315882, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    8. Oumer, Ali M. & Burton, Michael, 2018. "Drivers and Synergies in the Adoption of Sustainable Agricultural Intensification Practices: A Dynamic Perspective," 2018 Annual Meeting, August 5-7, Washington, D.C. 273871, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    9. Banchayehu Tessema Assefa & Jordan Chamberlin & Martin K. van Ittersum & Pytrik Reidsma, 2021. "Usage and Impacts of Technologies and Management Practices in Ethiopian Smallholder Maize Production," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-19, September.
    10. Kangogo, Daniel & Dentoni, Domenico & Bijman, Jos, 2021. "Adoption of climate‐smart agriculture among smallholder farmers: Does farmer entrepreneurship matter?," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    11. Oyakhilomen Oyinbo & Jordan Chamberlin & Tahirou Abdoulaye & Miet Maertens, 2022. "Digital extension, price risk, and farm performance: experimental evidence from Nigeria," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 104(2), pages 831-852, March.
    12. Lambrecht, Isabel & Vanlauwe, Bernard & Maertens, Miet, 2014. "Integrated soil fertility management: from concept to practice in eastern DR Congo," Working Papers 180062, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Centre for Agricultural and Food Economics.
    13. Wanglin Ma & Xiaobing Wang, 2020. "Internet Use, Sustainable Agricultural Practices and Rural Incomes: Evidence from China," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 64(4), pages 1087-1112, October.
    14. Tschopp, Maurice & Ceddia, M. Graziano & Inguaggiato, Carla & Bardsley, Nicholas O. & Hernández, Hernán, 2020. "Understanding the adoption of sustainable silvopastoral practices in Northern Argentina: What is the role of land tenure?," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    15. Musa Hasen Ahmed & Kassahun Mamo Geleta & Aemro Tazeze & Hiwot Mekonnen Mesfin & Eden Andualem Tilahun, 2017. "Cropping systems diversification, improved seed, manure and inorganic fertilizer adoption by maize producers of eastern Ethiopia," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 6(1), pages 1-16, December.
    16. Hassen, Sied, 2018. "The effect of farmyard manure on the continued and discontinued use of inorganic fertilizer in Ethiopia: An ordered probit analysis," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 523-532.
    17. Prisca Koncy Fosso & Roger Tsafack Nanfosso, 2016. "Adoption of agricultural innovations in risky environment: the case of corn producers in the west of Cameroon," Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, Springer, vol. 97(1), pages 51-62, June.
    18. Goundan, Anatole & Sall, Moussa & Henning, Christian H. C. A., 2020. "Modeling interrelated inputs adoption in rainfed agriculture in Senegal," Working Papers of Agricultural Policy WP2020-05, University of Kiel, Department of Agricultural Economics, Chair of Agricultural Policy.
    19. Ali M. Oumer & Michael Burton & Atakelty Hailu & Amin Mugera, 2020. "Sustainable agricultural intensification practices and cost efficiency in smallholder maize farms: Evidence from Ethiopia," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 51(6), pages 841-856, November.
    20. Wencong Lu & Kwabena Nyarko Addai & John N. Ng'ombe, 2021. "Impact of improved rice varieties on household food security in Northern Ghana: A doubly robust analysis," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(2), pages 342-359, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:7:p:2736-:d:339437. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.