Farmers’ perceptions and determinants of indigenous technical knowledge (ITK) use in ricebean production in Nyanza Region of Kenya

Costa Kokwon; James Ouda; Alice Chesambu; Valarie Palapala

doi:10.51867/ajernet.6.3.90

Authors

Costa Kokwon Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7719-7852
James Ouda Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0942-6169
Alice Chesambu Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya
Valarie Palapala United States International University, Kenya

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51867/ajernet.6.3.90

Keywords:

Farmers' Perception, ITK, Nyanza Region, Ricebean Farming, Sustainability

Abstract

This study examined the perceptions of farmers towards Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK) in ricebean (Vigna umbellata) production. It was guided by the perception-adoption mediation framework based on the diffusion of innovations and technology adoption theories. The survey design applied was a cross-sectional survey on ricebean-growing farmers in the Nyanza region. Purposive, systematic and snowball sampling was used to recruit 397 respondents. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and key informant interview and analysed using descriptive statistics, the perception index and multivariate regression analysis. Farmers highly ranked ITK in terms of environmental friendliness (mean=4.49), low cost (4.33), accessibility (4.18), cultural acceptability (4.17) and human safety (4.16). Moderate ratings were given to effectiveness, and similarity to CK was the lowest (3.08). Education had a significant effect on the perceptions of effectiveness (p ≤ 0.001), availability (p ≤ 0.013) and affordability (p ≤ 0.020); land size had an effect on the perceptions of effectiveness (p = 0.058) and environmental friendliness (p ≤ 0.005); income level had an effect on the perceptions of effectiveness (p ≤ 0.001) and affordability (p ≤ 0.041). Differences in genders were significant with human safety (p ≤ 0.033), environmental friendliness (p ≤ 0.033) and ITK resembling CK (p ≤ 0.070). The results indicate that ITK is significant in that it is cost-effective and environmentally friendly and culturally acceptable, and there is a need to tailor-create interventions according to the socio-demographic variables in order to make ricebean farming sustainable.

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