| dc.description.abstract | Declining soil fertility is an impediment to increasing agricultural productivity in many
developing countries. One of the strategies for reversing the decline in soil fertility is the
integrated soil fertility management (ISFM). ISFM emphasizes the application of both organic
and inorganic soil fertility management practices to amend soil degradation. However, the
adoption rate of ISFM remains low and widely varied among farmers. The aim of this study was
to measure farmers' attitudes towards ISFM and their perception of the benefits and risks of
adopting ISFM. Attitudes were measured using Rasch model and the explanatory factor analysis
while benefit-risk perception was assessed using the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression
technique. Data used was collected from 185 farmers comprising 30 non-commercial urban kale
(Brasica oleracea) farmers in Kibera, 125I.c?o~npnercial peri-urban kale farmers in Wangige, and .1.:. :..
30 smallholder flower farmers from Ngecha.
The study found that use of agro-industrial by-products, deep rooting green manure crops and
human faecal manure were the most difficult~ISFM practices to undertake. The least demanding
practices in terms of efforts were incorporation of livestock manure, intercropping/crop rotation
with legumes, and combining chemical fertilizer and organic manure. Results of EFA indicated
that labour constraint, farmers' training, and endowment with social capital were important
factors explaining farmers' behaviour. However, contrary to the findings of the Rasch model that
a number of the ISFM practices were very costly and beyond an average farmer's ability, the
EFA indicated a high average rating of the importance o! ISFM practices by farmers. Based on
these findings, the study concluded that farmers differ it\.their strength of attitude towards ISFM
and that although farmers, on average, rate ISFM practices as important, they actually do not
undertake the ISFM due to the perceived difficulty (costs) associated with the practices. The
10 I P age
study further found that farmers' attitudes towards ISFM, perceived benefits and perceived risks
associated with conventional practices reduce variability in yields. It however found that
farmers' perception of the risks associated with non-conventional practices such as use of human
faecal manure increases variability in kale yield.
This study recommends targeted dissemination of soil fertility improvement technologies,
reduction of the risks associated with non-conventional technologies, and addressing the
concerns raised by farmers about the use of human faecal manure including odour, certification,
and packaging. | en |
