Farmers’ use and adaptation of improved climbing bean production practices in the highlands of Uganda

Climbing beans offer potential for sustainable intensification of agriculture, but their cultivation constitutes a relatively complex technology consisting of multiple components or practices. We studied uptake of improved climbing bean production practices (improved variety, input use and managemen...

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Autores principales: Ronner, E., Descheemaeker, Katrien K., Almekinders, Conny J.M., Ebanyat, Peter, Giller, Kenneth E.
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Elsevier 2018
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/92348
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author Ronner, E.
Descheemaeker, Katrien K.
Almekinders, Conny J.M.
Ebanyat, Peter
Giller, Kenneth E.
author_browse Almekinders, Conny J.M.
Descheemaeker, Katrien K.
Ebanyat, Peter
Giller, Kenneth E.
Ronner, E.
author_facet Ronner, E.
Descheemaeker, Katrien K.
Almekinders, Conny J.M.
Ebanyat, Peter
Giller, Kenneth E.
author_sort Ronner, E.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Climbing beans offer potential for sustainable intensification of agriculture, but their cultivation constitutes a relatively complex technology consisting of multiple components or practices. We studied uptake of improved climbing bean production practices (improved variety, input use and management practices) through co-designed demonstrations and farmer-managed adaptation trials with 374 smallholder farmers in eastern and southwestern Uganda. A sub-set of these farmers was monitored one to three seasons after introduction. About 70% of the farmers re-planted climbing beans one season after the adaptation trial, with significant differences between eastern (50%) and southwestern Uganda (80–90%). Only 1% of the farmers used all of the improved practices and 99% adapted the technology. On average, farmers used half of the practices in different combinations, and all farmers used at least one of the practices. Yield variability of the trials was large and on average, trial plots did not yield more than farmers’ own climbing bean plots. Yet, achieved yields did not influence whether farmers continued to cultivate climbing bean in the subsequent season. Uptake of climbing beans varied with household characteristics: poorer farmers cultivated climbing beans more often but used fewer of the best-bet practices; male farmers generally used more practices than female farmers. Planting by poorer farmers resulted in adaptations such as growing climbing beans without fertilizer and with fewer and shorter stakes. Other relationships were often inconsistent and farmers changed practices from season to season. The diversity of farmer responses complicates the development of recommendation domains and warrants the development of a basket of options from which farmers can choose. Our study shows how adoption of technologies consisting of multiple components is a complicated process that is hard to capture through the measurement of an adoption rate at a single point in time.
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spelling CGSpace923482025-11-11T11:04:34Z Farmers’ use and adaptation of improved climbing bean production practices in the highlands of Uganda Ronner, E. Descheemaeker, Katrien K. Almekinders, Conny J.M. Ebanyat, Peter Giller, Kenneth E. phaseolus vulgaris legumes smallholders nitrogen fixation climbing beans Climbing beans offer potential for sustainable intensification of agriculture, but their cultivation constitutes a relatively complex technology consisting of multiple components or practices. We studied uptake of improved climbing bean production practices (improved variety, input use and management practices) through co-designed demonstrations and farmer-managed adaptation trials with 374 smallholder farmers in eastern and southwestern Uganda. A sub-set of these farmers was monitored one to three seasons after introduction. About 70% of the farmers re-planted climbing beans one season after the adaptation trial, with significant differences between eastern (50%) and southwestern Uganda (80–90%). Only 1% of the farmers used all of the improved practices and 99% adapted the technology. On average, farmers used half of the practices in different combinations, and all farmers used at least one of the practices. Yield variability of the trials was large and on average, trial plots did not yield more than farmers’ own climbing bean plots. Yet, achieved yields did not influence whether farmers continued to cultivate climbing bean in the subsequent season. Uptake of climbing beans varied with household characteristics: poorer farmers cultivated climbing beans more often but used fewer of the best-bet practices; male farmers generally used more practices than female farmers. Planting by poorer farmers resulted in adaptations such as growing climbing beans without fertilizer and with fewer and shorter stakes. Other relationships were often inconsistent and farmers changed practices from season to season. The diversity of farmer responses complicates the development of recommendation domains and warrants the development of a basket of options from which farmers can choose. Our study shows how adoption of technologies consisting of multiple components is a complicated process that is hard to capture through the measurement of an adoption rate at a single point in time. 2018-07 2018-04-24T14:19:34Z 2018-04-24T14:19:34Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/92348 en Open Access application/pdf Elsevier Ronner, E., Descheemaeker, K., Almekinders, C.J.M., Ebanyat, P. & Giller, K.E. (2018). Farmers’ use and adaptation of improved climbing bean production practices in the highlands of Uganda. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 261, 186-200.
spellingShingle phaseolus vulgaris
legumes
smallholders
nitrogen fixation
climbing beans
Ronner, E.
Descheemaeker, Katrien K.
Almekinders, Conny J.M.
Ebanyat, Peter
Giller, Kenneth E.
Farmers’ use and adaptation of improved climbing bean production practices in the highlands of Uganda
title Farmers’ use and adaptation of improved climbing bean production practices in the highlands of Uganda
title_full Farmers’ use and adaptation of improved climbing bean production practices in the highlands of Uganda
title_fullStr Farmers’ use and adaptation of improved climbing bean production practices in the highlands of Uganda
title_full_unstemmed Farmers’ use and adaptation of improved climbing bean production practices in the highlands of Uganda
title_short Farmers’ use and adaptation of improved climbing bean production practices in the highlands of Uganda
title_sort farmers use and adaptation of improved climbing bean production practices in the highlands of uganda
topic phaseolus vulgaris
legumes
smallholders
nitrogen fixation
climbing beans
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/92348
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