Factors influencing farmers' adoption of irrigation water management practices and technologies along the Ng'areng'iro river in Laikipia county, Kenya

Abstract

This research assessed the influence of factors influencing farmers’ adoption of irrigation water management practices and technologies (IWMPT) along the Ng’areng’iro river in Lamuria sub-location, Laikipia County. The specific objectives of this research were to assess: (i) the influence of farmer’s socio-economic factors (age, gender, income, education level) on the adoption of IWMPT (ii). Influence of farmers attitude on the adoption of IWMPT, (iii) influence of farmers knowledge on water use efficiency on the adoption of IWMPT, (iv) influence of farmers collective action on the adoption of IWMPT, and (v) influence of land size owned by the farmers on the adoption of water management practices and technologies by farmers. This study adopted an ex-post facto research design. The target population for this study was 2,600 households owning land within 2 km of the Ng’areng’iro river. A sample population of 333 households were randomly selected. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics in a Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (IBM SPSS version 26). Farmer’s adoption of irrigation water management practices and technologies was rated as being between 8 and 21, with a mean of 10.3±.07 (SD 1.36). The adoption of irrigation water management practices and technologies were statistically (p< 0.05) influenced by household socio-economic factors, specifically age (β= - 0.240, p< .001), income per month (β= 0.174, p< 0.001), and household number (β=0.170, p=0.002). Farmers attitude had statistically positive significant influence (β=0.287, p< 0.001) on adoption. The knowledge gained by the farmers on water use efficiency had a significant (β= 0.826, p< 0.001) influence on the adoption. Farmer’s participation in collective action statistically (β= 0.815, p< 0.001) influenced the adoption process. The size of the irrigated plot owned by the farmers had positive statistically significant (β= 0.840, p< 0.001) influence on the adoption. The study recommended a development and implementation of an integrated water management plan that will involve all the stakeholders (government agencies dealing with water, extension and crops, and famers).and incorporate all the resources land, soil water and crops. The activities that will be catered by the plan will include farmer training, development of collective action groups, acquisition of needed technology, crop management, water use efficiency, crop husbandry and marketing of crops. The study will provide policy makers information and empirical evidence on the factors affecting the adoption of efficient water management practices and technologies by the farmers along the Ng’areng’iro river, Lamuria location, Laikipia county.