Farmers' perceptions and attitudes towards introduced soil-fertility enhancing technologies in western Africa
1999
Enyong, L.A. | Debrah, S.K. | Bationo, A.
Soil fertility enhancing technologies (SFETs) have been promoted in the West African Semi-Arid Tropics (WASAT) for many years with limited success. Using a qualitative approach of focus group discussions, long, open-ended interviews and observations from field visits, this paper explores with farmers their beliefs and rationales behind the adoption or non-adoption of SFETs. Farmers are knowledgeable about, and practise SFETs of rock phosphate application, crop residue and farm yard manure, chemical fertilizer and crop rotation to combat soil fertility decline. Their attitudes to and rationales behind adoption decisions are influenced by the availability and use policies of land and labour resources, food security concerns, perceived profitability, contribution to sustainability and access to information. Some of the factors are beyond farmers control and require a broad and integrated effort from research, extension and government to promote the use of the SFETs in the region.
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