Adoption of improved pre-harvest agricultural technology by small-holder maize farmers in Palaro sub-county, Gulu district

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine adoption of improved pre-harvest agricultural technology by small-holder maize farmers in Palaro sub county, Gulu district. The following study objectives guided the study: to identify the agricultural techniques used by small-holder maize farmers; to explore improved agricultural techniques that small-holder maize farmers can adopt to increase productivity; to examine the level of adoption of improved pre-harvest agricultural technologies in Palaro sub county, Gulu district. Conceptual framework guided the study by illustrating how the various variables were interrelated. The study adopted an exploratory research design. The target population consisted of 50 small-holder maize farmers and 5 key respondents from the district local government. Simple random sampling techniques was used to select the 50 small holder farmers while purposive sampling techniques were used to select 5 key respondents from the district local government. The questionnaires and interviews schedules were used to collect data. Data was analysed by use of both descriptive and inferential statistics and presented in frequency tables and measures of central tendency. Under the multivariate analysis, logistic regression was used because the dependent variable in question is categorical in nature and divided only into two parts.. Qualitative data from the in-depth interviews was also analyzed and presented appropriately. Results of the study were: the major agricultural techniques used by small-holder maize farmers in Gulu district are the hand hoe (46%). Other agricultural techniques that commonly used by small-holder maize farmers in Gulu district include; pesticide application (26%), fertilizer application (16.0%) and plough technology (12%); In regard the improved agricultural techniques that small-holder maize farmers in Gulu district can adopt to increase productivity, tractor plough is most referred (60%) and the use of irrigation is another (40%).