Articles: Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension

• Exploring Socio-Economic Characteristics on Adoption Intensity of Biochar Among Farming Households In Sub-Humid Regions of Western Kenya 

  Kyalo, Annastacia Maitha; Mogaka, Hezron; Kirimi, Florence Kaumi; Kizito, Kwena; Ndirangu, Samuel Njiri; Onyari, Charles Nyambane; Muriithi, Lydia; Elvin, Otara Nyaboe; Mutungi, Scholastica Katava; Kiprotich, Shadrack; Njiru, Moses Muchangi; Kamau, Ezekiel Areri (University of Embu, 2025-02-13)

  Agriculture is a cornerstone of Kenya's economy, yet declining soil fertility and low adoption of sustainable agricultural technologies, such as biochar, have hindered productivity among smallholder farmers. Biochar is ...
• Factors Influencing Youth Farmers' Use of Soil and Water Conservation Technologies In Drylands of Machakos County,Kenya 

  Mutungi, Scholastica Kavata; Mogaka, Hezron Rasugu; Kirimi, Florence Kaumi; Onyari, Charles Nyambane; Muriithi, Lydia; Otara, Elvin Nyaboe; Kiprotich, Shadrack; Njiru, Moses Muchangi; Kyalo, Annastacia Maitha; Kamau, Ezekiel Areri (UoEm, 2025-04-02)

  Land degradation presents a serious threat to sustainable soil and water resources, primarily through erosion, declining soil fertility, and extreme weather events. Addressing these challenges involves selecting appropriate ...
• Decomposition of the Coffee Value Chain Among Smallholder Farmers in Embu and Kirinyaga Counties in Central Kenya 

  Musau Wambua, Daniel; Ndirangu, Samuel N.; Mogaka, Hezron; Gichimu, Bernard M. (UoEm, 2024-10-24)

  The coffee value chain is lengthy and complex with numerous actors and this exposes the farmers to inherent financial risks. This study sought to decompose the coffee value chain and its dynamics. The study was undertaken ...
• Do combined sustainable agricultural intensification practices improve smallholder farmers welfare? Evidence from eastern and western Kenya 

  Nyarindo, Wilckyster Nyateko; Mugera, Amin; Hailu, Atakelty; Obare, Gideon Aiko (UoEm, 2024-02-21)

  Smallholder farmers often bundle different sustainable agricultural intensification (SAI) practices to boost crop yield and address soil fertility challenges. However, there is a dearth of empirical studies that investigate ...
• Determinants of adoption and adoption intensity of integrated soil fertility management technologies among sorghum farmers in Upper Eastern Kenya 

  Kiprotich, Shadrack;  Mogaka, Hezron;  Ndirangu, Samuel Njiri; Nyambane Onyari, Charles (UoEm, 2023-08-03)

  Climate change manifestations and population pressure are some of the most critical challenges that affect agricultural productivity. Integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) technologies are among the agricultural ...
• Analysis of the factors affecting farm-level output of mangoes among small-scale farmers in Mwala Sub-County, Kenya 

  Isaboke, Hezron N.; Musyoka, Kennedy (2022-06)

  The factors affecting farm-level output of mangoes among small-scale farmers in Mwala Sub-County, Kenya were examined. The first stage of regression analysis resulted that family and hired labour, amount of pesticides ...
• Analysis of the determinants of farmer participation in sorghum farming among small-scale farmers in Siaya County, Kenya 

  Okeyo, Samuel; Ndirangu, Samuel N.; Isaboke, Hezron N.; Njeru, Lucy K; Omenda, Jane A (Elsevier Ltd., 2020-09-16)

  Sorghum as a drought tolerant crop provides an alternative opportunity towards increasing food production in the face of global climate change, mostly affecting Sub-Saharan Africa. Kenya is in the fore front in increasing ...
• Distribution, abundance and natural enemies of the invasive tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) in Kenya 

  Kinyanjui, G; Khamis, F M; Ombura, F L O; Kenya, E U; Ekesi, S; Mohamed, S A (cambridge university press, 2021-05-17)

  Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) has become a serious menace to sustainable production of tomato in Kenya. A survey was conducted between April 2015 and June 2016 to determine its distribution, abundance, infestation, and damage ...
• Extension-Market Linkages on Banana Commercialisation Among Smallholder Farmers in Meru Region, Kenya 

  Kirimi, Florence Kaumi; Onyari, Charles Nyambane; Njeru, Lucy Karega; Mogaka, Hezron Rasugu (Journal of Agricultural Extension, 2022-01)

  The study examined the effect of extension-market linkages on banana commercialisation among smallholder farmers in the Meru region, Kenya. The study sampled 400 farmers from a target population of 288,802 from the Meru ...
• Determinants of Participation of Smallholder Farmers in Weather Index Insurance in Embu County, Kenya 

  Isaboke, Hezron Nyarindo (Journal of Agricultural Extension, 2021-07)

  The study examined how multiple factors influence participation of farmers in Weather Index Insurance WII in Embu County, Kenya. Data wer e collected from a sample of 401 smallholders following multi stage sampling technique ...
• Factors Influencing Adoption of Improved Cultivars of Macadamia (Macadamia spp.) among Small-Scale Farmers in Embu County, Kenya 

  Njiru, Moses Muchangi; Mogaka, Hezron Ruzungu; Ndirangu, Samuel Njiir; Gichimu, Bernard Mukiri (Journal of Agricultural Extension, 2021-10)

  The study investigated the factors influencing adoption of improved cultivars of macadamia (Macadamia spp.) among small-scale farmers in Embu County, Kenya. Data was collected from a sample of 384 small-scale farmers obtained ...
• Determinants of Farmers’ Knowledge on Soil and Water Conservation Technologies in Dry Zones of Central Highlands, Kenya 

  Njenga, Maureen W.; Mugwe, Jayne N.; Mogaka, Hezron R.; Nyabuga, George; Oduor, Nathan; Kiboi, Milka; Ngetich, Felix; Mucheru-Muna, Monicah; Sijali, Isaya; Mugendi, Daniel (Journal of Agricultural Extension, 2021-10)

  This study ascertained the socioeconomic determinants of farmers’ knowledge on soil and water conservation technologies in Dry zones of Central Highlands of Kenya involving 400 farming households. Results showed that the ...
• Determinants of smallholders farmers' participation in collective marketing of maize in the central highlands of Kenya 

  Mogaka, Hezron; Mugwe, Jayne; Ayieko, David, M; Bett, Eric, k (African Journal of Rural Development, 2019-06-30)

  Collective marketing has been proposed as a solution to the problem of poor access to markets in developing nations. However, smallholders’ market participation is still limited. This study assessed farmers’ perception ...
• Household socio-economic factors influencing choice of agro-advisory dissemination pathways for climate change in semi-arid areas of Kenya 

  Onyango, Debra, A; Mogaka, Hezron; Ndirangu, Samuel; Kizito, Kwena (Sage publishers, 2021-07-02)

  Development in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is adversely affected by climate change and variability due to the dependence of its economies and livelihoods primarily on rain-fed agriculture. This creates the need for agro-advisories ...
• Extension-Market Linkages on Banana Commercialisation Among Smallholder Farmers in Meru Region, Kenya 

  Kirimi, Florence K.; Onyari, Charles N.; Njeru, Lucy K.; Mogaka, Hezron R. (2022-01)

  The study examined the effect of extension-market linkages on banana commercialisation among smallholder farmers in the Meru region, Kenya. The study sampled 400 farmers from a target population of 288,802 from the Meru ...
• Effect of on-farm testing on adoption of banana production technologies among smallholder farmers in Meru region, Kenya 

  Kirimi, Florence Kaumi; Onyari, Charles N.; Njeru, Lucy K.; Mogaka, Hezron N. (Emerald, 2021-08)

  Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of on-farm testing on the adoption of banana production technologies among smallholder farmers in the Meru region, Kenya. Design/methodology/approach – The ...
• Smallholder Coffee Productivity as Affected by Socioeconomic Factors and Technology Adoption 

  Wambua, Daniel M.; Gichimu, Bernard M.; Ndirangu, Samuel N. (Hindawi, 2021-02)

  Despite the increase in area under coffee in Kenya in the last decade, productivity has been on the decline. Numerous production technologies have been developed through on-station research but there has been limited ...
• Analysis of the determinants of farmer participation in sorghum farming among small-scale farmers in Siaya County, Kenya 

  Okeyo, Samuel O.; Ndirangu, Samuel N.; Isaboke, Hezron N.; Njeru, Lucy K.; Omenda, Jane A. (Elsevier, 2020-09)

  Sorghum as a drought tolerant crop provides an alternative opportunity towards increasing food production in the face of global climate change, mostly affecting Sub-Saharan Africa. Kenya is in the fore front in increasing ...
• Extension training for banana value addition among smallholder farmers in Meru and Tharaka-Nithi counties, Kenya 

  Kirimi, Florence K.; Nyambane, Charles O.; Njeru, Lucy K.; Mogaka, Hezron R. (Academic Journals, 2021-04)

  Extension training is intended to increase the efficiency and performance of the human resource that acts responsibly in a society based on a communication interaction with knowledge sources. The main objective of this ...
• Comparing productivity of rice under system of rice intensification and conventional flooding: A switching regression approach 

  Kaloi, Francis Kadipo; Isaboke, Hezron N.; Onyari, Charles N.; Njeru, Lucy K. (Academic Journals, 2020-10)

  This paper examined the factors influencing rice productivity in Mwea Irrigation Scheme using the System of rice intensification (SRI) and conventional flooding (CF). Stratified sampling was used to obtain 364 smallholder ...

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