Intention of smallholder maize farmers to adopt integrated pest management practices for fall armyworm control in the Upper East region of Ghana

Abstract

The intention of farmers to adopt integrated pest management (IPM) for the control of fall armyworm (FAW) in the Upper East region of Ghana was studied using an extended version of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), with past behaviour as an additional construct to the original model. Questionnaires were used to collect data from 266 respondents using the multi-stage sampling technique. Descriptive statistics, measures of central tendencies, and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) were used to analyze the data. Intention had the highest mean (mean = 4.18), while, past behaviour had the lowest mean (mean = 3.16). The PLS-SEM revealed that attitude was the only significant predictor of farmers’ intention to use IPM for FAW control, accounting for 30% of the variance in farmers’ intention. Past behaviour of farmers in IPM use did not affect their intention to adopt IPM for FAW control. Accordingly, IPM training for farmers by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture must integrate method and results demonstration extension strategies that will inspire positive attitudes and enthusiasm in using IPM to manage FAW.