Adoption of integrated soil fertility management measures in northern Benin: an application of the multivariate probit model to the case of maize producers

Abstract

The decline in the level of fertility of arable land due to unsuitable agricultural practices, deforestation and climate change remains one of the major constraints of agriculture in Benin. Integrated Soil Fertility Management measures (GIFS) are one of the sustainable land management approaches that have been promoted at the level of farmers’ communities. Thus, the study made use of a multivariate probit model to identify the determinants of the adoption of GIFS measures within maize-producing farms in North Benin. It was carried out on a sample of 100 maize farmers selected following a stratified random survey. The results revealed the existence of interdependence and complementarities in the adoption of different GIFS measures. The majority of maize producers surveyed prefer to adopt a combination of two (32%) or three GIFS measures (26%). In addition, the distance from the village to the field, the membership of a group, the contact with the extension service, the area sown with maize, the size of the herd and the number of agricultural workers were identified as the important factors determining the adoption of these GIFS methods by producers.