FACTORS AFFECTING DIFFUSION AND ADOPTION OF IMPROVED (SORGHUM VARITIES IN (SKRDP, 2001-2008

Abstract

The study was conducted in south Kordofan, Sudan in the working area of south Kordofan rural development programme (SKRDP) for the period (2001-2008). The main objective of the study was to determine and assess the factors affecting diffusion and adoption of some recommended packages of the improved sorghum varieties approved by concerned committees, identify some farmers socioeconomic and demographic characteristics, some relative advantages of the innovation and the extension activities that affect the process of diffusion and adoption of improved sorghum recommended packages. The study was based on primary data collected through a social survey as research method, and questionnaire as data collection instrument. Multi stage stratified random sampling technique, from three localities namely Kadugli, Dilling, and Rashad as strata were used. The rural administrative units were considered as strata and the extension villages were other strata. Two hundred respondents were selected systemically from village’s population records. The secondary data from the relevant sources were used too. Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the data, presenting the results in descriptive statistics, frequency distribution and percentages to profile the sample, and Chi square test at level of significance (0.05, 0.01) were used to detect the dependency of the variables of the study(the dependent and independent variables) in affecting change of knowledge and practice of farmers towards some recommended packages of improved sorghum, and it’s affect on diffusion and adoption of these packages. xv The most important findings of the study were: –Higher percentages of farmers (adopters and non adopters) knew about the recommended improved sorghum, especially Wad Ahmed variety which indicates the high rate of awareness. –High literacy was recorded among respondents in the area (78%) had been obtained different levels of education, due to the religious education for Muslims in khalwa and the formal education before university. –The majority of respondents (78%) grow crops in their own land, for home consumption. –Unexpectedly high ratio of women headed the house holds (21%) because of civil war and high divorce incidence. _The adoption of the recommended packages of improved sorghum(seed rate, spacing, weeding)showed significant differences between the adopters and the non adopters by the source of information on agriculture, size of the family, kind of the training obtained, comparing the local sorghum with the improved in productivity, revenues and quality of the straw as forage. The adoption of some recommended packages of improved sorghum(spacing, seed rate ,weeding) showed non significant differences between the adopters and the non adopters by age groups, social status, level of education, comparing local sorghum with the improved in seed color , taste and making kisra and aseida. xvi – – The most important recommendations were: – Strengthening the link between extension, research, and the farming community in a unified strategy. – Conduct extension surveys to determine the real problems and needs of the farming community. – Provide the extension staff with suitable training for more effective extension work. – Apply on farm research to adapt the findings of research to the practical situation. – Provide farmers with the farm inputs and credit at the suitable time. – More research is needed to identify the most affecting factors on diffusion and adoption of the new ideas.