Article

Socio-economic factors influencing adoption of improved fallow practices among smallholder farmers in western Tanzania

P .Z. Matata^1*, O.C.Ajayil², P.A.Oduol³ and Aggrey Agumya⁴

¹Tumbi Agriculture Research Institute, P. O. BOX 306, Tabora, Tanzania

²International Centre for Research in Agroforestry, P. O. Box 30798, Lilongwe, Malawi.

³International Centre for Research in Agroforestry, P.O. Box 1595, Tabora, Tanzania

⁴Forum for African Agricultural Research (FARA), Accra, Ghana.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: matatazp@yahoo.co.uk

Accepted 14 April 2008

   Introduction

Declining soil fertility is recognized as one of the major biophysical constraints affecting agricultural production in sub-Saharan Africa. “Improved fallows” technology, a leguminous trees-based soil replenishment technology was introduced in smallholder farming system in Tanzania to address this problem. The objective of this study was to identify the factors that influence the adoption of the technology among smallholder farmers in western Tanzania. The results revealed that lack of farmer awareness of the technology, inability of farmers to wait for two years before obtaining direct benefits from the technology were the major constraints to planting improved fallows. The study identifies farmer training through workshops and seminars, enforcement of village by-laws on animal grazing, and facilitation of farmers’ access to credit as the major approaches to enhance the adoption of the technology.

Key words: Agroforestry, leguminous trees, soil fertility, sustainable agriculture, Tanzania.