When the adoption of maize production innovations keeps pace with the operation of R&D sites?

Abstract

Over the past decades, efforts to reduce the barriers hindering the adoption of agricultural technologies and innovations have led to a growing reliance on participatory approaches. In this context, Research-Development Approach had become a key instrument of agricultural research for the co-design and dissemination of agricultural technologies. This study examined the adoption of technologies introduced in R&D sites during the last decade. Using a descriptive approach to analyze how these R&D sites operate, we collected data from 123 farmers across the 23 R&D sites of the National Agricultural Research System. We analyzed the data through thematic content analysis supported by descriptive statistics and Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests. The findings showed that the most widely known and adopted innovations included the use of improved maize varieties (39.80%), sowing maize in rows (63.40%), and soil fertilization (35.80%) using pulses (cowpea, soybean, groundnut, etc.) or soil fertility enhancing plants (Mucuna, pigeon pea, etc.). Adoption rates were significantly higher on functional R&D sites compared to less functional or inactive ones. The adoption was mainly driven by peer interactions (74.00%) and participation in training and demonstration sessions (68.30%) organized on R&D sites. The study concluded that agricultural research should prioritize investments on R&D sites’ infrastructure and strengthen the technical capacities of sites’ technicians.