Determinants of the adoption of integrated disease management practices for maize lethal necrotic disease among smallholder maize farmers in Kenya

Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease [MLND] continues to pose a significant challenge to maize production and food security in Kenya, owing to its rapid spread through seeds and vector transmission. Pertinent research has proposed the use of integrated disease management practices, but the drivers of adoption of therecommended control practices remain underexplored. Recent research has concentrated on the disease epidemiology and the resistance of various maize varieties; there is limited empirical evidence concerning the socioeconomic, institutional, and perceptual factors influencing farmers’ usage of integrated disease strategies. This study addresses this gap by analysing the adoption and simultaneous application of mechanical, chemical, and cultural control practices against MLND among smallholder maize farmers in Kenya. Employing cross-sectional data from 398 households surveyed across five agro-ecological zones [AEZ] in December 2023, a multivariate probit [MVP] model was fitted to account for the interdependence among adoption decisions. The findings indicate adoption of MLND control practices varied, with cultural practices being the most adopted at 78.8%, mechanical at 28.6% and chemical practices at 14.6%. Adoption of MLND-tolerant varieties remained relatively low at 7.3% in comparison to the other practices.. The MVP analysis reveals significant complementarities between mechanical and chemical practices [p = 0.195, p < 0.01] and substitutability between chemical and cultural practices [p =- 0.327, p < 0.01]. Perceived effectiveness increased the likelihood of adopting mechanical and chemical practices while access to extension services and group membership significantly accelerated the adoption of culturalpractices. Additionally, agro-ecological zones [AEZ] had an influence, highlighting the spatial heterogeneity in adoption behaviours. These results underscore the importance of farmer perceptions, information accessibility, and social networks in influencing farmers adoption decisions. Policy initiatives should therefore prioritize strengthening extension services, support farmer groups, and enhancing access to MLND-related information across various agro-ecological zones to improve integrated disease management and maize productivity in Kenya.