Factors influencing the adoption of soil conservation technologies and water Tomabú community, Municipality of Estelí Trinidad, 2002-2006

Abstract

The present study was carried out at Tomabú community, municipality of La Trinidad Estelí, during the period extended from 2002 to 2006. The sample includes farmers who fulfilled the following criteria: area between 0.5 to less up to 10 Mz, from 10.01 up to 50 Mz and from 50.01 up to 100 Mz. Another criterion used in the reasoned sample were to include farmers that have been attended by institutions, farmers who cultivate basic grains and vegetables and who have received training and technical assistance in soil and water conservation and water practices. From these criteria, the sample was formed by 28 farmers, which correspond to 48.27 % of the existing homes in the community. The study focused on four variables: training and technical assistance, ownership of the land, income and organization. The study started with a literature reviewed, interviews were applied, participative workshops and observation. The results show that educational level was one of the factors that have major influence on level of adoption. The higher levels of adoption were found on farmers with higher levels of education (46% primary, 28% secondary, 9% university degree). Producers who can not read and write took at least one of the TCSyA. The results show that the principal incentives granted by the Nicaraguan Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), the National Union of Farmers (UNAG), the Foundation for Research and Rural Development (FIDER) and the Association for the Development of the Peoples (ADP) were; food, travel allowances, credits and seeds, which contributed largely that producers adopt the technologies of soil and water conservation (TCSyA). Considering training and technical assistance, farmers were trained on curves of level and the majority (93 %) adopted this technology. Seventy nine percent of farmers trained in dead barriers adopted 50 %, seventy five percent of farmer trained on alive barriers adopted 43 %, in dikes of 68 % only 4 %, in irrigation ditches of 54 % only 7 % adopted. The mentioned five TCSyA were the technique in which the farmers have been qualified most. When the lands are rented, the probability of adoption is reduced. The results show that the higher amounts of TCSyA’s techniques were adopted by farmers that have their own land (99 %) in comparison to those who rent it. The total income of the farmer family shaped by productive income and extra agricultural income (family remittances) had a different behavior. The economic income is not an influential factor in the adoption, thus, the producers who had annual high, low and up to negatives balances, managed to adopt from one to even more than 10 technologies. However, those producers who adopted major quantity of techniques obtained major productive income than those that were complementing with family remittances. Regarding organization, organized framers presented a major degree of adoption, since there were farmers who managed to adopt up to 16 of the technologies transferred, in relation to eight different adopted technologies of those who were not organized. Finally, with the exception of the economic income, the other variables determine the levels of adoption in the area. It is required that any project of rural development considers those factors to achieve success in management and to contribute efficiently in improvement production conditions in the productive systems.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/calera.v10i15.670