Linking Soil Conservation in Potato Production Systems in the Highlands of Southwestern Uganda to Gender and Farmer-Market Types

Abstract

Rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa develop different livelihood strategies driven by opportunities and constraints encountered in existing biophysical and socioeconomic environments. A study on gender effects under two market linkages on investments in soil conservation innovations in potato production systems was conducted in the highlands of southwestern Uganda. There were significant differences in land size under fallow belonging to Male Headed Households (MHHs) and Female Headed Households (FHHs) with urban and non-urban market linkages (p < 0.05). None the less both FHHs and MHHs had more land under fallow. This was attributed to the trainings farmers obtained in the control of bacterial wilt of potato through integrating fallow period in the potato cropping systems. Under urban and non-urban market linkages, there were no significant differences in percentage distribution of potato fields for MHHs and FHHs without soil conservation structure (p > 0.05). This was attributed to limited land holdings owned by farmers that are intensively cultivated.