Abstract
AbstractInadequate land management in the highlands of Rwanda has led to soil erosion which caused soil fertility decline. Farmers adopted the soil conservation techniques in order to mitigate the effects of soil erosion. The purpose of this study was to assess the factors that influence the adoption of soil conservation (SC) techniques in Gatebe sector located in N Rwanda. A survey was used for data collection among farmers. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression model. Results indicated that about 50% of farmers were aware of the causes of soil erosion such as cultivation on steep slope, frequent and intense rainfall and inadequate soil erosion control practices. In spite of the adoption of SC techniques such as agroforestry (90%), vegetative strips (80%), infiltration ditches, fence, and hedge rows (60%), the soil erosion persists because of over‐cultivation on small farmlands with steep slope, insufficient SC techniques, limited financial capacity, and inadequate practical training to maintain existing SC techniques. There was a significant positive influence of land acquisition means on the adoption of SC techniques. In fact, farmers who inherited or bought the land were 1.55 times more likely to adopt the SC techniques than those who borrowed or rented, because farmers who felt to have long‐ term use rights were more likely to invest in durable SC techniques. However, farmers who joined the land consolidation were 0.14 times likely not to adopt the SC techniques because there was a change of existing farming systems. Policymakers should focus on the improvement of farmers' awareness on soil erosion and efficient SC techniques through enhanced training, extension services and bottom‐up based support programs.
Published Version
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