IMPACT OF FIELD DAYS ON FARMERS’ KNOWLEDGE AND INTENT TO ADOPT PUSH PULL TECHNOLOGY IN UGANDA

This study assessed farmers’ knowledge and intent to adopt push-pull technology to control striga and cereal stem-borers based on a field day experience. The study utilized cross-sectional data collected during on- spot surveys conducted in 2014 and 2015 across seven districts of Uganda. 849 respondents, 474 in 2014 and 375 in 2015 participated in the study. Collected data was analyzed using STATA version 12. Findings unveiled that average age of the participants in 2014 and 2015 was 42.3±14.1 years. More male respondents 63% in 2014 and 65% in 2015 participated in the exercise. Over three-quarters of the farmers who participated in the field days both in 2015 and 2014 had the problem of striga and stem borer in their farms. More than three quarters (over 75%) of the interviewed farmers cite push-pull technology as effective in controlling striga and stemborer, improving both soil fertility and yields of cereals providing quality fodder. The effectiveness of field days during 2015 was considerably improved due to the improved training packages hence willingness to adopt or continue the technology uptake was significant.  For knowledge intensive technology such as push-pull the training packages need to be tailor-made to suit their farming practices and demonstrates the advantages over other pest and weed management approaches. The findings showed that the training components that demonstrate how push-pull can be integrated with other technologies and host farmers demonstrating that will improve the perception about the technology. It was evident that what the farmers saw for themselves has more value than what they were told.  Further, through field days, training of farmers should focus on translating the science into a common and easy to understand language so that farmers can easily grasp how the technology works and embrace it as an alternative farming system.