Efficacy of Adaptation of Smallholder Maize Production to Climate Variability in Selected Countries of Kenya
Abstract
Maize is a staple food for 96 percent of Kenyans. Smallholders supply up to 75 percent of maize produced in Kenya but are affected by unpredictable timing, duration, and distribution of rainfall, especially during the growing season. To enhance maize productivity adoption of robust adaptation measures is vital. The study aimed to evaluate the level of efficacy of adaptation of smallholder maize production to climate variability in Kitui and Laikipia counties. Data from 273 smallholder maize producers drawn from Kitui and Laikipia counties was analyzed. A questionnaire was administered to collect data on demographic, socio-economic characteristics, and adaptation choices. The level of efficacy of adaptation was derived based on the Multiple Criteria Evaluation. Results showed that the majority of smallholders in the study (47 percent) reported a low level of efficacy of adaptation most of whom were from Laikipia County (54 percent) as compared to Kitui County (44 percent). Overall, a very small proportion of smallholders reported a high level of efficacy of adaptation (7 percent). The study concluded that the level of efficacy of adaptation of smallholder maize production to climate variability in semi-arid areas was low. The County Governments through the department of agriculture and environment could establish guidelines for a robust combination of adaptation choices to ensure the suitability and enhancement of maize production.
Downloads
Metrics
References
2. Abegunde, V.O. and Obi, A. (2022). The Role and Perspective of Climate Smart Agriculture in Africa: A Scientific Review. Sustainability 2022, 14, 2317. https://doi.org/10.3390/ su14042317.
3. Adeagbo, O.A., Ojo, T.O., & Adetoro, A.A. (2021). Understanding the Determinants of Climate Change Adaptation Strategies Among Smallholder Maize Farmers in South-West, Nigeria. Heliyon, 7.
4. Ahmed, M.H. (2016). Climate change adaptation strategies of maize producers of the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia. Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics, 117, 175-186.
5. Bedeke, S., Vanhove, W., Wordofa, M., Natarajan, K., & Van Damme, P. (2018). Perception of and response to climate change by maize-dependent smallholders. Climate Research.
6. Bryan, E., Ringler, C., Okoba, B., Roncoli, C., Silvestre, S. & Herrero, M., (2013). Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change in Kenya: Household Strategies & Determinants. Journal of Environmental Management 114: 26-35.
7. Cairns, J.E., Chamberlin, J., Rutsaert, P., Voss, R.C., Ndhlela, T. & Magorokosho C. (2021). Challenges for Sustainable Maize Production of Smallholder Farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. Journal of Cereal Science, Volume 101, 2021.
8. Carter, T.R., Harasawa, H. and Nishioka, S. (1994). Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Technical Guidelines for Assessing Climate Change Impacts and Adaptations, Department of Geography, University College London.
9. Da Cunha, D., Coelho, A., & Féres, J. (2015). Irrigation as an Adaptive Strategy to Climate Change: An Economic Perspective on Brazilian Agriculture. Environment and Development Economics, 20(1), 57-79. doi:10.1017/S1355770X14000102.
10. Dolan, A. H., Smit, B., Skinner, M. W., Bradshaw, B. and Bryant, C. R. (2001). Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture: Evaluation of Options. Occasional Paper No. 26.
11. Elise, S., Mvodo, M. & Ivette, M. E. (2020). Assessing the Impacts of Variable Input Costs on Maize Production in Cameroon. Agricultural Sciences, 2020, 11, 1095-1108 https://www.scirp.org/journal/as ISSN Online: 2156-8561 ISSN Print: 2156-8553 DOI: 10.4236/as.2020.1111071.
12. Epule, T. E. & Bryant, C. (2015). Maize Production Responsiveness to Land Use Change and Climate Trends in Cameroon. Sustainability 7(1):384-397. 10.3390/su7010384.
13. Fadina, A.M., & Barjolle, D. (2018). Farmers’ Adaptation Strategies to Climate Change and their Implications in the Zou Department of South Benin. Environments.
14. Fagariba, C.J., Song, S., & Baoro, S.K. (2018). Climate Change Adaptation Strategies and Constraints in Northern Ghana: Evidence of Farmers in Sissala West District. Sustainability, 10, 1484.
15. Fanadzo, M., Dalicuba, M. & Dube, E. (2018). Application of Conservation Agriculture Principles for the Management of Field Crops Pests. In book: Sustainable Agriculture
16. Food and Agriculture Organization. (2013). Climate-Smart Agriculture. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: Rome, Italy, 2013.
17. Gollin, D. (2018). Farm Size and Productivity: Lessons from Recent Literature. IFAD Research Series No. 34 ISBN: 978-92-9072-868-9. SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3321659.
18. Hassan, R. and Nhemachena, C. (2008). Determinants of Climate Change Strategies of African Farmers: Multinomial Choice Analysis. African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics Vol. 2 No. 1. ISSN 1993-3738.
19. Ibrahim, A.O., Adeji, A.S. & Meduna, P.N. (2019). Constraints Facing Agroforestry Practices Among Farmers in New Bussa, Nigeria. Journal of Research in Forestry, Wildlife & Environment Volume 11(3).
20. International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre. (2015). DT Maize. Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa. A Quarterly Bulletin of the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa Project Volume 4 no. 3.
21. Jat, H.S., Datta, A., Choudhary, M., Sharma, P.C., & Jat M.L. (2021). Conservation Agriculture: Factors and Drivers of Adoption and Scalable Innovative Practices in Indo-Gangetic Plains of India – a review. Int. J. Agric. Sustain., 19 (2021), pp. 40-55.
22. Kabubo-Mariara, J. and Kabara, M. (2015). Climate Change and Food Security in Kenya. Environment for Development Discussion Paper Series.
23. Kabubo-Mariara, J.K. (2008). Global Warming Crop Selection and Adaptation Options in Kenyan Agriculture. Climate Change Research Progress ISBN: 978-1-60021-998-6, Nova Science Publishers, pp 269-289.
24. Kebede D & Adane H. (2011). Climate Change Adaptations and Induced Livelihoods. Drylands Coordination Group Report No. 64.
25. Khodadadi, M., Alewell, C., Mirzaei, M., & Ehssan-Malahat, E., Asadzadeh, F., Strauss, P. & Meusburger, K. (2021). Deforestation Effects on Soil Erosion Rates and Soil Physicochemical Properties in Iran: A Case Study of Using Fallout Radionuclides in a Chernobyl Contaminated Area. 10.5194/soil-2021-2.
26. Kirui, L. K. (2014). Maize Supply Response to Climate Variability and Prices in Kenya. The Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis. Discussion Paper No. 174 of 2014.
27. Lee, N. & Thierfelder, C. (2017). Weed Control Under Conservation Agriculture in Dryland Smallholder Farming Systems of Southern Africa. A review. Agron. Sustain. Dev. 37, 48 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-017-0453-7.
28. Liu, L., & Basso, B. (2020). Impacts of Climate Variability and Adaptation Strategies on Crop Yields and Soil Organic Carbon in The US Midwest. PLoS ONE, 15.
29. Mabe, F.N., Sienso, G. and Donkoh, S. (2014). Determinants of Choice of Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in Northern Ghana. Research in Applied Economics; Vol 6, No. 4. ISSN 1948-5433.
30. Mideksa, D.I., Moti, J. & Fikadu, M. (2021). Determinants and Profitability of Inorganic Fertilizer Use in Smallholder Maize Production in Ethiopia. Cogent Food & Agriculture, 7:1, 1911046, DOI: 10.1080/23311932.2021.1911046.
31. Moradi, R., Koocheki, A., Nassiri Mahallati M & Mansoori, H. (2013). Adaptation Strategies for Maize Cultivation Under Climate Change in Iran: Irrigation and Planting Date Management. Mitig Adapt Strateg Glob Change 18: 265−284.
32. Mugiyo, H., Mhizha, T., Chimonyo, V., & Mabhaudhi, T. (2021). Investigation of the Optimum Planting Dates for Maize Varieties Using A Hybrid Approach: A case of Hwedza, Zimbabwe. Heliyon, 7(2), e06109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06109.
33. Mutuku, E.A., Vanlauwe, B., Roobroeck, D., Boeckx, P., & Cornelis, W. (2021). Physico-Chemical Soil Attributes Under Conservation Agriculture and Integrated Soil Fertility Management. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 1-16.
34. Mutunga, E.J., Ndung’e, C.K. & Muendo, P. (2017). Smallholder Farmers Perceptions and Adaptations to Climate Variability in Kitui County. Journal of Earth Science and Climate Change. 8:389 doi 10.4172/2157-7617.1000389.
35. Ndamani, F. & Watanabe, T. (2016). Determinants of Farmers’ Adaptation to Climate Change: A Micro Level Analysis in Ghana. Scientia Agricola. 73. 201-208. 10.1590/0103-9016-2015-0163.
36. Nhemachena, C. and Hassan, R. (2007) Micro-Level Analysis of Farmers’ Adaptation to Climate Change in Southern Africa. IFPRI Discussion Paper No. 00714. International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington DC.
37. Njagi, T., Mathenge, M., Mukundi, E. and Carter, M. (2017). Maize Technology Bundles of Food Security in Kenya. Innovation Lab for Assets and Market Access Policy Brief. Feed the Future.
38. Noack, F. and Larsen, A. (2019) The Contrasting Effects of Farm Size on Farm Incomes and Food Production. Environmental Research Letters, 14. Article ID: 084024. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab2dbf.
39. Nyaga, J., Muthuri, C.W., Barrios, E., Oborn, I., Sinclair, F.L. (2019). Enhancing Maize Productivity in Agroforestry Systems Through Managing Competition: Lessons from Smallholders’ Farms, Rift Valley, Kenya. Agroforestry Systems 93, 715–730 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-017-0169-3.
40. Nyakaisiki, K., Mugume, I., Ngailo, T. and Nakabugo, R. (2019). The Use of Indigenous Knowledge in Predicting Changes in Seasonal Rainfall by Smallholder Farmers of Ruteete Subcounty, Kabarole District. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 7, 13-22. doi: 10.4236/gep.2019.71002.
41. Olajire, M.A., Matthew, O.J., Omotara, O.A., & Aderanti, A. (2019). Assessment of Indigenous Climate Change Adaptation Strategies and Its Impacts on Food Crop Yields in Osun State, Southwestern Nigeria. Agricultural Research, 9, 222-231.
42. Olsson, L., H. Barbosa, S. Bhadwal, A. Cowie, K. Delusca, D. Flores-Renteria, K. Hermans, E. Jobbagy, W. Kurz, D. Li, D.J. Sonwa, L. Stringer. (2019). Land Degradation. In: Climate Change and Land. IPCC Special Report on Climate Change, Desertification, Land Degradation, Sustainable Land Management, Food Security, And Greenhouse Gas Fluxes In Terrestrial Ecosystems [P.R. Shukla, J. Skea, E. Calvo Buendia, V. Masson-Delmotte, H.-O. Pörtner, D. C. Roberts, P. Zhai, R. Slade, S. Connors, R. van Diemen, M. Ferrat, E. Haughey, S. Luz, S. Neogi, M. Pathak, J. Petzold, J. Portugal Pereira, P. Vyas, E. Huntley, K. Kissick, M. Belkacemi, J. Malley, (eds.)]. In press.
43. Osewe, M., Liu, A. & Njagi, Timothy. (2020). Farmer-Led Irrigation and Its Impacts on Smallholder Farmers’ Crop Income: Evidence from Southern Tanzania. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 17. 1512. 10.3390/ijerph17051512.
44. Ranjan, P., Patle, G.T., Prem, M., & Solanke, K.R. (2017). Organic Mulching- A Water Saving Technique to Increase the Production of Fruits and Vegetables. Current Agriculture Research Journal, 5, 371-380.
45. Raskin, B. and Osborn, S. (2019). Agroforestry Handbook. Agroforestry for the UK July 2019.
46. Republic of Netherlands. (2018). Climate Change Profile: Kenya. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands. www.govenment.nl/foreign-policy-evaluations.
47. Republic of South Africa. (2012). A framework for the development of smallholder farmers through cooperative development. Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
48. Roba, T. (2018). Review on: The Effect of Mixing Organic and Inorganic Fertilizer on Productivity and Soil Fertility. Open Access Library Journal 5, 1-11. doi: 10.4236/oalib.1104618.
49. Schipper, E. L. F. (2020). Maladaptation: When Adaptation to Climate Change Goes Very Wrong. One Earth, 3(4), 409–414.
50. Shikuku, K. M., Winowiecki, L., Twyman, J., Eitzinger, A., Perez, J. G., Mwongera, C., Läderach, P. (2017). Smallholder Farmers’ Attitudes and Determinants of Adaptation to Climate Risks in East Africa. Climate Risk Management Volume 16.
51. Shongwe, P. (2014). Factors Influencing the Choice of Climate Change Adaptation Strategies by Households: A Case of Mpolonjeni Area Development Programme (ADP) in Swaziland. Journal of Agricultural Studies Volume 2 No. 1.
52. Su, Y., Gabrielle, B., Beillouin, D. et al. (2021). High probability of yield gain through conservation agriculture in dry regions for major staple crops. Sci Rep 11, 3344. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-82375-1.
53. Tadesse, Addis. (2016). Adaptation and Constraints of Conservation Agriculture. Journal of Biology, Agriculture and Healthcare Vol. 6 No. 1 of 2016. www.iiste.org.
54. Telkar, S. G., Singh, A. K. and Kumar, J. (2017). Effect of Population Proportion of Component Crops on Growth, Yield and Nutrient Uptake of Component Crops in Maize+Soybean Intercropping. International Journal of Bio-resource and Stress Management 2017, 8(6):779-783. Doi: https://doi.org/10.23910/ijbsm/2017.8.6.3c0363 .
55. Thi, T.P. and Chaovanapoonphol, Y. (2014). An Evaluation of Adaptation Options to Climate Pressure on Highland Robusta Coffee Production, Daklak Province, Vietnam. World Journal of Agricultural Research, Volume 2 No.:205-215.
56. United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. (2015). Cereal Crops: Rice, Maize, Millet, Sorghum, Wheat. An Action Plan for African Agricultural Transformation. Feeding Africa 21-23 October 2015.
57. United Nations. (2015). Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Resolution 70/1 Adopted by the General Assembly on 25 September 2015.
58. Verma, H. (2021). Conservation Agriculture (CA) practices to improve Soil Fertility. In book: Sustainable Soil Fertility Management (pp.101- 127). Publisher: NOVA Science Publishers, New York, U.S.A.
59. Waongo, M., Laux, P., Kunstmann, H. (2015). Adaptation to Climate Change: The Impacts of Optimized Planting Dates on Attainable Maize Yields Under Rainfed Conditions in Burkina Faso. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, Volume 205,2015, Pages 23-39, ISSN 0168-1923, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2015.02.006
60. Wushuai, Z., Chunrong, Q., Kimberly, M., Carlson, X., Ge, X., Wang, X., Chen. (2021). Increasing Farm Size to Improve Energy Use Efficiency and Sustainability in Maize Production. Food and Energy Security. Volume10, Issue1 February 2021.
61. Zhang, W., Qian, C., Carlson, K.M., Ge, X., Wang, X. & Chen, X. (2021). Increasing Farm Size to Improve Energy Use Efficiency and Sustainability in Maize Production. Food and Energy Security. Issue 1 February 2021.
Copyright (c) 2022 Millicent Kabara, Perez Ayieko Onono-Okelo, Martin N. Etyang
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.