| dc.description.abstract | Small-scale farmers in Wundanyi Division, Taita District rely on both traditional and
chemical pesticides to manage pest pressure on their farms. Integrated pest management
(IPM) technology is recommended to lower production costs, reduce exposure to health
hazards caused by chemical pesticides, and to improve the long-term sustainability of the
agricultural system. This study assesses the socio-economic and institutional factors
associated with the adoption of IPM by the rural smallholder farmers in Wundanyi
Division, Taita District. It is based on a survey conducted in the three agro-ecolcgical
zones within Wundanyi Division. Individual interviews were conducted with 280
randomly selected farm households using a semi-structured questionnaire. Using a Tobit model, the data is analyzed to identify the determinants of IPM adoption. Results of the
Tobit estimates show that the likelihood of IPM adoption increases significantly with
land ownership, extension visits, group membership and availability of labour. The study
found that all the information sources have a strong impact on IPM adoption. Livestock
ownership and household land size were found to have a significant negative effect on
IPM adoption. Majority of the farmers whose adoption was significantly influenced by
participation in the field days and through interactions with other farmers lacked
information about how the technology would benefit them. | en |
