Determinants of adoption and intensity of adoption of improved wheat varieties among small holder farmers in the case of Kutaber District, Ethiopia

This study aimed to assess the adoption and intensity of adoption of improved wheat varieties. A multistage sampling procedure was employed to select 329 randomly chosen farmers. Cross-sectional data were collected during the 2020/2021 production year, supplemented by four focus group discussions (FGDs) and eight key informant (KI) interviews. A Double Hurdle model was employed, with the first hurdle using a Probit model to analyze the adoption decision, and the second hurdle using a Truncated Tobit model to examine the intensity of adoption of improved wheat varieties, measured as the ratio of land allocated to improved cultivars to the total wheat area. The results indicate that sex of the household head, family size, participation in off-farm activities, access to credit, livestock ownership, distance to market centers, participation in training, seed access, peer influence, and access to irrigation positively affected adoption and intensity of adoption. In contrast, greater distance to market centers had a negative effect on both adoption decisions and intensity of use. Disease and pest pressure were major constraints to wheat production during the study year. Government and stakeholders should focus on strength credit access, improving seed supply systems, strengthening farmer training, organizing field-day demonstrations, and promoting peer learning to reduce knowledge gaps about the technology. Encouraging off-farm income opportunities and addressing production constraints will further enhance the adoption and intensity of adoption of wheat technologies.