MSc. THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION, COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCINCE, SCHOOL OFGRADUATE STUDIES, ARBA MINCH UNIVERSITY

Abstract

Ethiopia's nature-dependent agriculture associated with the country's geographical location, topography, and low adaptive capacity made the agricultural sector highly vulnerable to adverse effects of climate change. The humid intermediate and low-land agro-ecologies are favorable for sorghum production and using climate-smart agricultural practices. However, the farmers’ adoption of improved sorghum variety (Melkam) among small-scale farmers remained low. Thus, this study was delved into the factors that influence the adoption and farmers’ perception towards improved Sorghum variety and climate smart agricultural practices. The research design used in this study was mixed method, and using Systematic sampling technique, 182 samples of household heads were selected to collect data from Wozeqa, Holte, and Fuchucha kebeles of Arba Minch Zuria, Derashe and Karat Zuriya woredas, of south Ethiopia. Primary data was collected through structured interview schedule, interviewed from key informants, and focused group discussion. Secondary data was gathered from different written documents which were published or unpublished. The descriptive statistics were used to analyze, the existing sorghum varieties and climate-smart agricultural practices adopted by respondents. Likert-scale was used to analyze farmers’ perception towards improved sorghum variety and climate smart agricultural practices using five-point likert scales and the binary logit and right censored Tobit model was used for the analysis of factors that affect farmers’ adoption of improved sorghum variety and adoption level of climate smart agricultural practices using computer software. Based on the result of binary logit model; frequency of DAs contact, farm distance from home affected adoption of improved sorghum variety at 1%, farm size, livestock size, use of credit, and supply of improved variety at 5%, household labor size, and education level of respondents affected their adoption intensity of improved sorghum variety at 10% level of significant respectively. Additionally, as the result of right censored Tobit model, among the explanatory variables, sex, age, and availability of mulching materials affected intensity of adoption of climate smart agricultural practices at 10% significant level and use of credit, and attending on trainings at 5%, and having information towards selected climate-smart agricultural practices affected at 1% level of significant respectively. Cultivating local sorghum varieties, low farmers perception, socio-economic, demographic factors, and Infestations, some boundary disputes and stakeholder’s commitment were the main determining factors and challenges faced respondents’ adoption of innovations. Supplying improved agricultural inputs and stakeholders’ awareness creation was suggested to improve farmers’ adoption of improved sorghum variety (Melkam) and some CSA innovations.