Crop production increases food security and nutrition, and enhances livelihoods of rural populace in Kenya. There is a low levels of crops productivity in Kirinyaga County, and there is need to increase the production to feed the expanding population. This study aimed to analyze the effects of crop diversification on smallholder coffee farmers’ selected crops productivity in Kirinyaga Central and East Sub-Counties. The study was guided by utility maximization theory and response variables’ nature. The study was done in three agro-ecological zones (UM1, UM2, UM3) using a descriptive research design to collect smallholder coffee farmers’ household data on effects of crop diversification. A multistage sampling techniques was used to obtain a sample size of 408. Structured questionnaires were administered using Kobo toolbox to obtain data and Fractional Regression model was used to analyze data. The study found out that the average food crop productivity was 0.379, indicating low level. The study also found that there was a relationship between choice of crop diversification and selected crop productivity at p=0.000<0.05. Landscape heterogeneity (5.7%), crop rotation (13.4%), crop species diversity (56.6%) and land size (10.5%) were found to positively influence crops productivity whereas it was negatively influenced by agro ecological zones (AEZs) (4.4%). In conclusion, the study established that crop species diversity is the greatest contributor to crop productivity while agro-ecological zones (AEZs) negatively influenced it. The study recommends that extension providers be well trained, their content revised and supported financially to implement extension programs and policies that promote adoption of crop diversification strategies which enhances yield.
| Published in | International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management (Volume 8, Issue 3) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20230803.14 |
| Page(s) | 125-136 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Smallholder Farmer, Crop Diversification, Crop Productivity, Partial Factor Productivity
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APA Style
Micheni Pauline Kananu, Gathungu Geofrey Kingori, Dennis K. Muriithi, Ngeretha Njoki Ann. (2023). Effects of Crop Diversification on Food Crop Productivity Among Smallholder Coffee Farmers in Kirinyaga County, Kenya. International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, 8(3), 125-136. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20230803.14
ACS Style
Micheni Pauline Kananu; Gathungu Geofrey Kingori; Dennis K. Muriithi; Ngeretha Njoki Ann. Effects of Crop Diversification on Food Crop Productivity Among Smallholder Coffee Farmers in Kirinyaga County, Kenya. Int. J. Nat. Resour. Ecol. Manag. 2023, 8(3), 125-136. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20230803.14
AMA Style
Micheni Pauline Kananu, Gathungu Geofrey Kingori, Dennis K. Muriithi, Ngeretha Njoki Ann. Effects of Crop Diversification on Food Crop Productivity Among Smallholder Coffee Farmers in Kirinyaga County, Kenya. Int J Nat Resour Ecol Manag. 2023;8(3):125-136. doi: 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20230803.14
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Download@article{10.11648/j.ijnrem.20230803.14,
author = {Micheni Pauline Kananu and Gathungu Geofrey Kingori and Dennis K. Muriithi and Ngeretha Njoki Ann},
title = {Effects of Crop Diversification on Food Crop Productivity Among Smallholder Coffee Farmers in Kirinyaga County, Kenya},
journal = {International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management},
volume = {8},
number = {3},
pages = {125-136},
doi = {10.11648/j.ijnrem.20230803.14},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20230803.14},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijnrem.20230803.14},
abstract = {Crop production increases food security and nutrition, and enhances livelihoods of rural populace in Kenya. There is a low levels of crops productivity in Kirinyaga County, and there is need to increase the production to feed the expanding population. This study aimed to analyze the effects of crop diversification on smallholder coffee farmers’ selected crops productivity in Kirinyaga Central and East Sub-Counties. The study was guided by utility maximization theory and response variables’ nature. The study was done in three agro-ecological zones (UM1, UM2, UM3) using a descriptive research design to collect smallholder coffee farmers’ household data on effects of crop diversification. A multistage sampling techniques was used to obtain a sample size of 408. Structured questionnaires were administered using Kobo toolbox to obtain data and Fractional Regression model was used to analyze data. The study found out that the average food crop productivity was 0.379, indicating low level. The study also found that there was a relationship between choice of crop diversification and selected crop productivity at p=0.000<0.05. Landscape heterogeneity (5.7%), crop rotation (13.4%), crop species diversity (56.6%) and land size (10.5%) were found to positively influence crops productivity whereas it was negatively influenced by agro ecological zones (AEZs) (4.4%). In conclusion, the study established that crop species diversity is the greatest contributor to crop productivity while agro-ecological zones (AEZs) negatively influenced it. The study recommends that extension providers be well trained, their content revised and supported financially to implement extension programs and policies that promote adoption of crop diversification strategies which enhances yield.},
year = {2023}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - Effects of Crop Diversification on Food Crop Productivity Among Smallholder Coffee Farmers in Kirinyaga County, Kenya AU - Micheni Pauline Kananu AU - Gathungu Geofrey Kingori AU - Dennis K. Muriithi AU - Ngeretha Njoki Ann Y1 - 2023/10/12 PY - 2023 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20230803.14 DO - 10.11648/j.ijnrem.20230803.14 T2 - International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management JF - International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management JO - International Journal of Natural Resource Ecology and Management SP - 125 EP - 136 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2575-3061 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijnrem.20230803.14 AB - Crop production increases food security and nutrition, and enhances livelihoods of rural populace in Kenya. There is a low levels of crops productivity in Kirinyaga County, and there is need to increase the production to feed the expanding population. This study aimed to analyze the effects of crop diversification on smallholder coffee farmers’ selected crops productivity in Kirinyaga Central and East Sub-Counties. The study was guided by utility maximization theory and response variables’ nature. The study was done in three agro-ecological zones (UM1, UM2, UM3) using a descriptive research design to collect smallholder coffee farmers’ household data on effects of crop diversification. A multistage sampling techniques was used to obtain a sample size of 408. Structured questionnaires were administered using Kobo toolbox to obtain data and Fractional Regression model was used to analyze data. The study found out that the average food crop productivity was 0.379, indicating low level. The study also found that there was a relationship between choice of crop diversification and selected crop productivity at p=0.000<0.05. Landscape heterogeneity (5.7%), crop rotation (13.4%), crop species diversity (56.6%) and land size (10.5%) were found to positively influence crops productivity whereas it was negatively influenced by agro ecological zones (AEZs) (4.4%). In conclusion, the study established that crop species diversity is the greatest contributor to crop productivity while agro-ecological zones (AEZs) negatively influenced it. The study recommends that extension providers be well trained, their content revised and supported financially to implement extension programs and policies that promote adoption of crop diversification strategies which enhances yield. VL - 8 IS - 3 ER -
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