Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: Byrnes9; Folder: ISU files Document Number: D09124
Notes:
Francis C. Byrnes Collection, A chapter from "Technical Journalism" printed by the Iowa State College Press. ISU files, Iowa State University. 35 pages.
Spurk, Christoph (author), Asule, Pamellah (author), Ofori-Baah, Rebecca (author), Chikopela, Louis (author), Diarra, Boubacar (author), Koch, Carmen (author), and Wageningen University
Format:
Online journal article
Publication Date:
2019-08-21
Published:
Netherlands: Taylor & Francis
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 108 Document Number: D10944
22 pages, via online journal article, Purpose: Soil fertility is decreasing in many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. To mitigate this trend, various agricultural technologies are available, but their uptake by farmers has been low. Perception of the problem, information exposure, and knowledge play a major role in adoption of technologies. This study assessed empirically the levels of perception, knowledge and information exposure among African farmers as an indicator for potential adoption of soil fertility technologies.
Design/Methodology/approach: The study used survey data of more than 2,400 small-scale farmers selected through random sampling from Ghana, Kenya, Mali and Zambia. The survey investigated socio-economic factors, exposure to media, perception and knowledge of soil fertility and other information.
Findings: Many farmers did not perceive soil fertility as a major challenge, except in Mali; farmers were hardly receiving information on soil fertility from professional agricultural sources, and they often lacked accurate knowledge about soil fertility technologies. Radio was by far the most used information source for farmers.
Practical implications: The study has exposed the need for interventions to increase awareness, information exposure, and knowledge about soil fertility among farmers to strengthen the adoption of soil fertility technologies. It also calls for innovative ways of strengthening extension services through links with radio.
Theoretical implications: The role of communication in the uptake of agricultural innovations is still under-researched, and hence this study exposes the need to investigate in-depth knowledge, perception levels, and quality and frequency of information exposure on various channels of soil fertility management.
Originality: This is one of the few studies empirically measuring perception, information frequency on various channels, and knowledge of soil fertility among small-scale farmers in African countries.
cited reference, In colonial Africa, scientific institutions were researching into ways of making life easier for expatriates, e.g., tropical medicine and the production of crops for export. With independence, the British handed over most of the research institutes and educational establishments to the new states, while the French retained a strong presence. There is now a severe shortage of trained scientists in black Africa, and heavy dependence on international assistance and transfer of knowledge. It is argued that more enduring structures for scientific and technological cooperation must be developed. (original)
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: Byrnes13a Document Number: C12521
Notes:
Francis C. Byrnes Collection, Pages 141-153 in U.S. Agency for International Development, Proceedings of the workshop on social science research and the CRSPs, June 9-11, 1992, at the University of Kentucky, Lexington. Related to the Collaborative Research Support Programs (CRSP). 279 p.
