Determinants of Adoption of Alternative Pest Management Practices in Cotton Farming: A Case Study from three Woreda’s of Arbaminch Zuria, Amibara and Gewane in Ethiopia
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Date
2021-10
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The environmental and health risks of chemical pesticide application are usually becoming a serious
global risk in agricultural fields like cotton farms. In recent studies despite the existence of chemical
pesticide risk on environment and health issues, the engagement of farmers for the adoption of
alternative practice to chemical pesticides is still imminent in the context of cotton farms in sub-Saharan
Africa including Ethiopia. However, there are few studies on examining the determinants for adoption of
alternative pest management practices (APMP) for the benefits of emission reduction from chemical
pesticides pollution. Therefore, an alternative pest management practices (APMP) to chemical pesticides
which constitutes both agronomic and cultural Control methods (ACCM) and biological control methods
(BCM) is an essential strategy in the cotton crop protection strategies and other related environmental
conservation areas. This research focused with a major objective of examining factors that can influence
adoption of an alternative pest management practices to chemical pesticides application activities along
with farmers perception and familiarity to such practices in three cotton growing areas of Amibara,
Gewane and Arbaminch zuria districts in Ethiopia. The data for study was collected from 384 farmers,
using structured and semi-structured questionnaire interviews and focused group discussions. Multistage
random and purposive sampling technique was employed to select the required sample size. The
descriptive analysis revealed that 23 % of the sample households were adopter and 77 % were nonadopters of these alternative strategies. A bivariate probit regression model was fitted to analyze the
potential variables determining farmers’ adoption and the marginal effects of different variables in the
study area. Among 12 explanatory variables employed in the model, only seven variable including
training on APMP, risk aversion status of chemical pesticides, risk of adoption for the alternative
practices, farm size, land tenure rights, distance from nearest market, and agro ecology/division were
significantly influencing the adoption of both controlling methods(ACCM and BCM). In addition the
variables age and education were marginally significant to only the practices of BCM whereas extension
contact and share of income from cotton farming is only significant to the practice of ACCM. The study
therefore recommends that policy makers and other related stakeholders should give more attention to
those influencing factor on addressing the problems since reduction of environmental pollution can
generates significant economic, health and environmental benefits to cotton farmers and the society as a
whole.
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Keywords
Adoption, perception score, bivariate probit model, Arbaminch zuria, Amibara, Gewane districts