Factors Affecting Adoption of Soil and Water Conservation and Its Impact on Crop Productivity in Assosa Woreda

Abstract

The purpose of this study was investigating the factors affecting adoption of soil and water conservation and its impact on crop productivity in Assosa Woreda. The study has employed explanatory research design in quantitative research approach. Data for this paper come from the cross-sectional survey collected from four kebeles of household at Assosa Woreda. Out of 336 questionnaires were distributed and 314 were collected using dichotomous and bounded questionnaires. The researcher was used stratified sampling techniques to select representative participants from four kebeles of household at Assosa Woreda. Likewise, representative individual household in each kebeles was selected using purposive sampling techniques. The collected data were analysed using standard deviation, mean, correlation and regression analysis. The descriptive report findings of age, education and family size shows high variability of respondent rating. On the contrary, adoption of SWC, access to credit, gender, road distance, farm land size, slope of land, sorghum production income, access to training and off farm income shows low variability of respondent rating in Assosa Woreda. The correlation coefficient finding shows there is a strong and positive relationship between adoption of SWC; and age, family size, literacy, access to credit, access to training, road distance, off farm income and slope of farm in the study area. The inferential finding of the study indicates that relatively household literacy level, access to training, access to credit, farm land distance and farm land size have major probability of predicting household decision to adopt SWC, holding other variables Ceteris paribus. On the other hand, household decision to adopt SWC has impactful predicts their income from sorghum production in Assosa Woreda. Hence, it is advantageous, if the agricultural extension office, households, local government body, non-governmental bodies and other stakeholders give primarily focus for literacy of household to adopt SWC, followed by access to training, access to credit, farm land distance and farm land size respectively, holding other variables Ceteris paribus in Assosa Woreda. Subsequently, to make stronger the probability of adoption SWC, agricultural extension practitioners, local government body and non-governmental bodies should organize and train household to well introduce SWC resourcefulness. It also advisable for farmer household to plan SWC devices that combine contemporary scientific thoughtful with native technological knowledge in order to feast them and maintain their long term feasibility in the study area.

Keywords: Demographic Factor, Economic Factor, Institutional Factor, Physiological Factor, Adoption and Sorghum Production Income

DOI: 10.7176/JRDM/94-04

Publication date: May 31^st 2024