Options for Up-Scaling Technology Adoption by Smallholder Farmers for Food Security through Irish Potato Production in Rungwe District, Tanzania

( Vol-2,Issue-5,May 2016 )

Author(s): Upendo Victus Marenge, Eliakira Kisetu

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Downloads : 164
Page No: 529-542
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Keywords:

Adoptions, Food Security, Innovations.

Abstract:

This study was conducted to determine the existing and feasible options for adoption of technologies that are involved or to be involved in Irish potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production with the focus on Nzunda, Ntokela and Ndaga villages in Rungwe District. This was prompted by the unreliable production systems and the low life standards of the smallholders in the district. One-point-in-time purposive survey was conducted using structured questionnaires and physical observations where 45 households were studied. The results also indicated that the effect of socio-economic and institutional factors were significant (LSD0.05 = 1.8) in determining Irish potato production in Ntokela village. In addition, the effect of institutional and socio-psychological and land tenure factors were significant (LSD0.05 = 6.6) for Irish potato production in Nzunda village. However, none of these factors were significant (LSD0.05 = 32.9) in Ndaga village. Results indicated that Irish potato produced was positively correlated with the farmer’s capital and/or access to credits (r = 0.700), farming experience (r = 0.225), extension services to impart awareness (r = 0.698), contribution of innovations (r = 0.771), sex-female (r = 0.96), and innovative agricultural inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides (r = 0.525). Female household head were mostly favoured by adoption of technologies in Irish potato production. These were the factors identified to be pertinent in adoption of Irish potato production technologies for Irish potato production in Rungwe district.

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