IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ags/afjrde/280062.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Use of innovation platforms in addressing soil fertility challenges: experiences from rural Zambia

Author

Listed:
  • CHIKOPELA, L
  • KALINDA, T. H
  • KUNTASHULA, E
  • NICOLAY, G. L
  • KALALA, D
  • CHISHALA, B. H.

Abstract

Low soil fertility has been recognized as one of the challenges contributing to low crop productivity in Zambia. In order to address this challenge, the government, the private sector and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have promoted the use of Soil Fertility Management (SFM) technologies such as agroforestry, animal manure, compost, intercropping of legumes, and minimum tillage. In recent years, Innovation Platforms (IPs) have been used as a means to promote farmer participation in appropriate technology identification and development. This is done to enhance technology adoption and rural development in general. In Zambia, there has been little or no documented experiences or lessons learnt in the use of IPs to address any agricultural problem. Therefore, this paper, attempts to fill this information gap by providing information on the experiences in the use of IPs to address low soil fertility challenges in Zambia’s Kasama and Chipata districts. An IP was established in each district with members drawn from different organizations. The objective of the IP was to provide a platform for discussing and disseminating information in order to enhance the awareness of low soil fertility issues and available appropriate SFM technologies. The experience with the use of IPs showed that IPs are a platform were farmers participated freely in identifying and prioritizing soil fertility challenges. Farmers also participated in proposing solutions and developing an action plan to address the challenges. The other experiences with IPs showed that they are effective information and technical knowledge sharing platforms which enhanced awareness of soil fertility challenges and the available SFM technologies. The IPs also contributed to improving working relations among public, private sector and NGOs. Also IPs were equally key in mobilizing locally available resources (skills, competences and finances) to train farmers in some of the SFM technologies; to raise and distribute agro forestry seedlings and planting materials to farmers; and to help access the local media.. Therefore, the use of IPs should be encouraged as an approach for extension service delivery in rural areas. In order to successfully implement IPs it’s recommended that a careful selection of stakeholders to participate in IPs is done. Working with local traditional leaders in IPs is also effective indissemination of information to address low soil fertility challenges.

Suggested Citation

  • Chikopela, L & Kalinda, T. H & Kuntashula, E & Nicolay, G. L & Kalala, D & Chishala, B. H., 2018. "Use of innovation platforms in addressing soil fertility challenges: experiences from rural Zambia," African Journal of Rural Development (AFJRD), AFrican Journal of Rural Development (AFJRD), vol. 3(1), March.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:afjrde:280062
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.280062
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/280062/files/2.%20Chikopela.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.280062?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ortiz, Oscar & Orrego, Ricardo & Pradel, Willy & Gildemacher, Peter & Castillo, Renee & Otiniano, Ronal & Gabriel, Julio & Vallejo, Juan & Torres, Omar & Woldegiorgis, Gemebredin & Damene, Belew & Kak, 2013. "Insights into potato innovation systems in Bolivia, Ethiopia, Peru and Uganda," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 73-83.
    2. Place, Frank & Barrett, Christopher B. & Freeman, H. Ade & Ramisch, Joshua J. & Vanlauwe, Bernard, 2003. "Prospects for integrated soil fertility management using organic and inorganic inputs: evidence from smallholder African agricultural systems," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 365-378, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Teklewold, Hailemariam, 2011. "Farming or burning? shadow prices and farmer’s impatience on the allocation of multi-purpose resource in the mixed farming system of Ethiopia," 2011 International Congress, August 30-September 2, 2011, Zurich, Switzerland 116080, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    2. Giuseppe Maggio & Marina Mastrorillo & Nicholas J. Sitko, 2022. "Adapting to High Temperatures: Effect of Farm Practices and Their Adoption Duration on Total Value of Crop Production in Uganda," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 104(1), pages 385-403, January.
    3. Torres-Avila, Angelica & Aguilar-Ávila, Jorge & Santoyo-Cortés, Vinicio Horacio & Martínez-González, Enrique Genaro & Aguilar-Gallegos, Norman, 2022. "Innovation in the pineapple value chain in Mexico: Explaining the global adoption process of the MD-2 hybrid," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    4. Yehia Zahran & Hazem S. Kassem & Shimaa M. Naba & Bader Alhafi Alotaibi, 2020. "Shifting from Fragmentation to Integration: A Proposed Framework for Strengthening Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System in Egypt," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-25, June.
    5. Waithaka, M.M. & Thornton, P.K. & Herrero, M. & Shepherd, K.D., 2006. "Bio-economic evaluation of farmers' perceptions of viable farms in western Kenya," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 90(1-3), pages 243-271, October.
    6. Bevis, Leah E.M. & Conrad, Jon M. & Barrett, Christopher B. & Gray, Clark, 2017. "State-conditioned soil investment in rural Uganda," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(2), pages 254-281.
    7. Poulton, Colin & Dorward, Andrew & Kydd, Jonathan, 2010. "The Future of Small Farms: New Directions for Services, Institutions, and Intermediation," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 1413-1428, October.
    8. Perez, Carlos & Roncoli, Carla & Neely, Constance & Steiner, Jean L., 2007. "Can carbon sequestration markets benefit low-income producers in semi-arid Africa? Potentials and challenges," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 94(1), pages 2-12, April.
    9. Vondolia, Godwin Kofi & Eggert, HÃ¥kan & Stage, Jesper, "undated". "Nudging Boserup? The Impact of Fertilizer Subsidies on Investment in Soil and Water Conservation," RFF Working Paper Series dp-12-08-efd, Resources for the Future.
    10. Larson,Donald F. & Muraoka,Rie & Otsuka,Keijiro, 2016. "On the central role of small farms in African rural development strategies," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7710, The World Bank.
    11. Sheahan, Megan & Barrett, Christopher B., 2017. "Ten striking facts about agricultural input use in Sub-Saharan Africa," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 12-25.
    12. Timothy R. Silberg & Robert B. Richardson & Maria Claudia Lopez, 2020. "Maize farmer preferences for intercropping systems to reduce Striga in Malawi," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(2), pages 269-283, April.
    13. Denise Hörner & Adrien Bouguen & Markus Frölich & Meike Wollni, 2022. "Knowledge and Adoption of Complex Agricultural Technologies: Evidence from an Extension Experiment," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 36(1), pages 68-90.
    14. Murphy, David M. A., 2017. "Underground Knowledge: Soil Testing, Farmer Learning, and Input Demand in Kenya," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258372, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    15. Emmanuel Opoku Acheampong & Jeffrey Sayer & Colin J. Macgregor & Sean Sloan, 2021. "Factors Influencing the Adoption of Agricultural Practices in Ghana’s Forest-Fringe Communities," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-21, March.
    16. Komarek, Adam M. & Drogue, Sophie & Chenoune, Roza & Hawkins, James & Msangi, Siwa & Belhouchette, Hatem & Flichman, Guillermo, 2017. "Agricultural household effects of fertilizer price changes for smallholder farmers in central Malawi," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 168-178.
    17. Lambrecht, Isabel & Vanlauwe, Bernard & Maertens, Miet, 2014. "What is the sense of gender targeting in agricultural extension programs? Evidence from eastern DR Congo," Working Papers 167158, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Centre for Agricultural and Food Economics.
    18. Keijiro Otsuka & Frank Place, 2013. "Evolutionary Changes in Land Tenure and Agricultural Intensification in Sub-Saharan Africa," GRIPS Discussion Papers 13-22, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.
    19. Denise Hörner & Meike Wollni, 2022. "Does integrated soil fertility management increase returns to land and labor?: Plot‐level evidence from Ethiopia," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 53(3), pages 337-355, May.
    20. Abera, Wondwosen & Assen, Mohammed & Budds, Jessica, 2020. "Determinants of agricultural land management practices among smallholder farmers in the Wanka watershed, northwestern highlands of EthiopiaI," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ags:afjrde:280062. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://afjrd.org/jos/index.php/afjrd/index .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.