Beyond adoption/rejection of agricultural innovations: Empirical evidence from smallholder rice farmers in Tanzania

Abstract

This study seeks to explore the adoption of rice research-based innovations in rural Tanzania. Apart from the age and level of education of the head of household, which had an influence on the adoption of herbicide in both study areas, the influence of other variables on the adoption of fertilizer and transplanting varied between the study areas. Moreover, the study shows that adoption of the selected innovations is context-dependent. In Tanzania, rice farming is characterized by the predominance of traditional rice varieties. Farmers grow these varieties for household consumption or income, or both, under crop management practices that are well attuned to the available resources. The observed discontinuation and adaptation of innovations make sense, given the production circumstances in which the farmers operate. The findings of the study raise issues with research implications for improved rice production in the study areas.