Participatory evaluation of integrated pest and soil fertility management options using ordered categorical data analysis

Maize is becoming the major food crop around Lake Victoria. Major constraints to its production are Striga, stem borer, and declining soil fertility. Innovative integrated technologies have been developed: the push pull system (intercropping with Desmodium and surrounded by Napier grass), soybean an...

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Main Authors: Groot, Hugo de, Rutto, E, Odhiambo, G, Kanampui, F, Khan, Z.R., Coe, R., Vanlauwe, Bernard
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Elsevier 2010
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/43924
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author Groot, Hugo de
Rutto, E
Odhiambo, G
Kanampui, F
Khan, Z.R.
Coe, R.
Vanlauwe, Bernard
author_browse Coe, R.
Groot, Hugo de
Kanampui, F
Khan, Z.R.
Odhiambo, G
Rutto, E
Vanlauwe, Bernard
author_facet Groot, Hugo de
Rutto, E
Odhiambo, G
Kanampui, F
Khan, Z.R.
Coe, R.
Vanlauwe, Bernard
author_sort Groot, Hugo de
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Maize is becoming the major food crop around Lake Victoria. Major constraints to its production are Striga, stem borer, and declining soil fertility. Innovative integrated technologies have been developed: the push pull system (intercropping with Desmodium and surrounded by Napier grass), soybean and Crotalaria rotations, and imidazolinone-resistant (IR) maize seed. In 12 demonstration trials in four villages in Siaya and Vihiga districts (Kenya) and two villages in Busia (Uganda) in 2003 and 2004, 504 farmers evaluated all cropping systems and a mono-cropped continuous maize, each cropped with IR or local maize, and supplemented or not with fertilizer, totaling 16 treatments. Farmers evaluated all treatments for yield, resistance to Striga and stem borer, improvement of soil fertility, and provided an overall evaluation score, using an ordered scale of 1 (very poor) to 5 (very good). Data were analyzed using ordinal regression, estimating log odds ratios. The results show significant preferences for all treatments over the control. Push pull with IR and fertilizer had the highest log odds ratio (2.93), so the odds of farmers preferring this treatment are 18.7 times the odds that farmers prefer the control. The odds ratios for the other push pull combinations were generally highest (9 15), followed by the rotation systems with Crotalaria (3.5 7.0), and soybeans, especially with IR maize and fertilizer (odds ratio of 5.7). In mono-cropping systems, IR maize was only appreciated in combination with fertilizer, and then only in 2004. Push pull and Crotalaria were more appreciated in 2004 than in 2003. Farmers in Vihiga had a stronger preference for push pull, and those in Busia for soybean rotations. Significant differences among farmers were observed, but the effects were small. Women appreciated push pull more than men, while other technologies were gender-neutral. Older farmers were more likely to prefer push pull and Crotalaria with fertilizer. Livestock ownership was not found to have an effect on technology preferences. Measured yield, stem borer and Striga infestation all had significant but small effects, although their inclusion did not eliminate the treatment effects, indicating that other factors are still important. OLS of the scores for different criteria on the overall score shows yield to be the most important criterion (coefficient of 0.40), followed by soil fertility enhancement (0.25) and Striga resistance (0.13). Labor saving (0.09) and stem borer resistance (0.03) are relatively minor criteria. This research shows that scoring and analysis with ordinal regression is a convenient way to solicit and analyze farmers preferences for new technologies, with wide applicability in farming systems and participatory research. Its application here shows that farmers like the new technologies, especially push pull, but that there are substantial differences between years, sites and farmers. The use of this method can be very helpful to define and focus further research and formulate specific and targeted recommendations for agricultural extension.
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spelling CGSpace439242024-08-27T10:36:17Z Participatory evaluation of integrated pest and soil fertility management options using ordered categorical data analysis Groot, Hugo de Rutto, E Odhiambo, G Kanampui, F Khan, Z.R. Coe, R. Vanlauwe, Bernard maize food crops striga ostrinia nubilalis integrated pest management pest control soil fertility maíz cultivos alimenticios gestión de lucha integrada control de plagas fertilidad del suelo Maize is becoming the major food crop around Lake Victoria. Major constraints to its production are Striga, stem borer, and declining soil fertility. Innovative integrated technologies have been developed: the push pull system (intercropping with Desmodium and surrounded by Napier grass), soybean and Crotalaria rotations, and imidazolinone-resistant (IR) maize seed. In 12 demonstration trials in four villages in Siaya and Vihiga districts (Kenya) and two villages in Busia (Uganda) in 2003 and 2004, 504 farmers evaluated all cropping systems and a mono-cropped continuous maize, each cropped with IR or local maize, and supplemented or not with fertilizer, totaling 16 treatments. Farmers evaluated all treatments for yield, resistance to Striga and stem borer, improvement of soil fertility, and provided an overall evaluation score, using an ordered scale of 1 (very poor) to 5 (very good). Data were analyzed using ordinal regression, estimating log odds ratios. The results show significant preferences for all treatments over the control. Push pull with IR and fertilizer had the highest log odds ratio (2.93), so the odds of farmers preferring this treatment are 18.7 times the odds that farmers prefer the control. The odds ratios for the other push pull combinations were generally highest (9 15), followed by the rotation systems with Crotalaria (3.5 7.0), and soybeans, especially with IR maize and fertilizer (odds ratio of 5.7). In mono-cropping systems, IR maize was only appreciated in combination with fertilizer, and then only in 2004. Push pull and Crotalaria were more appreciated in 2004 than in 2003. Farmers in Vihiga had a stronger preference for push pull, and those in Busia for soybean rotations. Significant differences among farmers were observed, but the effects were small. Women appreciated push pull more than men, while other technologies were gender-neutral. Older farmers were more likely to prefer push pull and Crotalaria with fertilizer. Livestock ownership was not found to have an effect on technology preferences. Measured yield, stem borer and Striga infestation all had significant but small effects, although their inclusion did not eliminate the treatment effects, indicating that other factors are still important. OLS of the scores for different criteria on the overall score shows yield to be the most important criterion (coefficient of 0.40), followed by soil fertility enhancement (0.25) and Striga resistance (0.13). Labor saving (0.09) and stem borer resistance (0.03) are relatively minor criteria. This research shows that scoring and analysis with ordinal regression is a convenient way to solicit and analyze farmers preferences for new technologies, with wide applicability in farming systems and participatory research. Its application here shows that farmers like the new technologies, especially push pull, but that there are substantial differences between years, sites and farmers. The use of this method can be very helpful to define and focus further research and formulate specific and targeted recommendations for agricultural extension. 2010-06 2014-10-02T08:32:57Z 2014-10-02T08:32:57Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/43924 en Limited Access Elsevier
spellingShingle maize
food crops
striga
ostrinia nubilalis
integrated pest management
pest control
soil fertility
maíz
cultivos alimenticios
gestión de lucha integrada
control de plagas
fertilidad del suelo
Groot, Hugo de
Rutto, E
Odhiambo, G
Kanampui, F
Khan, Z.R.
Coe, R.
Vanlauwe, Bernard
Participatory evaluation of integrated pest and soil fertility management options using ordered categorical data analysis
title Participatory evaluation of integrated pest and soil fertility management options using ordered categorical data analysis
title_full Participatory evaluation of integrated pest and soil fertility management options using ordered categorical data analysis
title_fullStr Participatory evaluation of integrated pest and soil fertility management options using ordered categorical data analysis
title_full_unstemmed Participatory evaluation of integrated pest and soil fertility management options using ordered categorical data analysis
title_short Participatory evaluation of integrated pest and soil fertility management options using ordered categorical data analysis
title_sort participatory evaluation of integrated pest and soil fertility management options using ordered categorical data analysis
topic maize
food crops
striga
ostrinia nubilalis
integrated pest management
pest control
soil fertility
maíz
cultivos alimenticios
gestión de lucha integrada
control de plagas
fertilidad del suelo
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/43924
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AT kanampuif participatoryevaluationofintegratedpestandsoilfertilitymanagementoptionsusingorderedcategoricaldataanalysis
AT khanzr participatoryevaluationofintegratedpestandsoilfertilitymanagementoptionsusingorderedcategoricaldataanalysis
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