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Sustainable Agricultural Intensification: understanding the role of institutional and socio-economic factors on Adoption and Adoption Intensity in smallholder farmer context
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  • Enos Katya Kule,
  • David Agole,
  • Alfred Obia,
  • Daniel Okello,
  • Walter Odongo
Enos Katya Kule
Gulu University Faculty of Agriculture and Environment

Corresponding Author:e.kule@gu.ac.ug

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David Agole
Mountains of the Moon University
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Alfred Obia
Gulu University Faculty of Agriculture and Environment
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Daniel Okello
Gulu University Faculty of Agriculture and Environment
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Walter Odongo
Gulu University Faculty of Agriculture and Environment
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Abstract

Despite the critical role Sustainable Agricultural Intensification Practices (SAIPs) play in improving crop productivity, limited knowledge exists on the factors that affect their adoption and adoption intensity. This paper examined the influence of institutional and socio-economic factors on the adoption and adoption intensity of SAIPs in maize production. Data were collected using a questionnaire from 320 maize farmers randomly selected from the Kamuli and Jinja districts in Eastern Uganda. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and binary regression. Results revealed that the highest adopted SAIP was improved maize varieties (at 58%) while conservation tillage was the least adopted (at only 36%). Institutional factors i.e., access to extension services, access to credit, market access, and group membership influenced both the adoption and adoption intensity of SAIPs, while socio-economic factors i.e., gender, family labor, and land ownership mainly influenced the adoption intensity. While the paper underscores the critical role of extension institutions in promoting technology adoption, it also underlines the need to consider individual constraints in intensifying technology adoption. The paper concludes that public and private extension agencies need to tailor-make agricultural technology promotion to ensure the adoption and adoption intensity of these technologies. Tailor-making agricultural technology promotion strategies will ensure that farmers with the appropriate socio-economic characteristics are reached for effective technology adoption and intensity.