African Remote Sensing Applications (Environmental/Earth Science Methodology) | 09 November 2010
Adoption Patterns of Climate Resilient Vegetables among Smallholder Farmers in Central Sudan: Seed Variety Acceptance and Yield Gains
O, m, e, d, e, O, r, i, n, d, i, ,, N, j, o, r, o, g, e, N, y, a, m, a, i, ,, K, e, r, u, b, o, K, i, n, y, a, n, j, u, i, ,, K, a, j, w, a, n, g, K, a, r, e, k, e, i
Abstract
Climate change poses significant challenges to agriculture in Central Sudan, where smallholder farmers face increased variability in rainfall and temperature patterns. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including surveys and focus group discussions with a sample size of 150 farmers. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Seed variety acceptance showed a preference for climate-resilient varieties over conventional ones by 60%, with significant yield gains ranging from 20% to 30%. Climate-resilient vegetable seed varieties are being widely adopted by smallholder farmers in Central Sudan, leading to substantial yield improvements. Policy makers should promote the diffusion of climate-resilient seeds and provide training on their use and maintenance. Model estimation used $\hat{\theta}=argmin<em>{\theta}\sum</em>i\ell(y<em>i,f</em>\theta(x<em>i))+\lambda\lVert\theta\rVert</em>2^2$, with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.