Drivers of Technology Intensity in Integrated Striga Management among Smallholder Maize Farmers in Northern Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the intensity of adoption of the Integrated Striga Management for Africa (ISMA) package among smallholder maize growers in Bauchi and Kano States, Nigeria. Using a multi-stage sampling approach, primary data were collected from 508 respondents via structured interview schedules and analysed using descriptive statistics alongside a Tobit regression framework. The average age of project participants and non-participants was 39 and 38 years, respectively. Male farmers constituted the predominant demographic group among both participants (88.7%) and non-participants (86.0%). Across the sample, the mean household size was 11 members, average landholding was 3 hectares, and mean farming experience was 18 years. The empirical Tobit estimates demonstrated that formal educational attainment, marital status, and agricultural experience had negative and statistically significant associations (P < 0.01, P < 0.10, and P < 0.05, respectively) with adoption intensity. Conversely, farm size, spatial distance to technology distribution outlets, and farm income showed positive and statistically significant associations (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, and P < 0.01, respectively). The principal barriers to widespread technology utilization were identified as insufficient technical information on application methods (ranked 1st) and difficulty in distinguishing Desmodium companion crops from indigenous weed species within push-pull setups (ranked 2nd). The study concludes that land size, spatial proximity, liquidity, and farmer experience are pivotal in determining how intensively ISMA practices are deployed. The recommendations include expanding extension outreach through Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPs) to conduct practical field demonstrations and improving localized access to certified inputs.