Adoption of Black Plastic Mulch as a Coping Strategy to Water Conservation Among Vegetable Farmers in Kisoro Municipality, Kisoro District

Harriet Nyiramutuzo; Edward Ssemakula; Rebecca Kalibwani

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijaas.20241005.13

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Adoption of Black Plastic Mulch as a Coping Strategy to Water Conservation Among Vegetable Farmers in Kisoro Municipality, Kisoro District

Harriet Nyiramutuzo^*, Edward Ssemakula, Rebecca Kalibwani

Published in International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences (Volume 10, Issue 5)

Received: 4 July 2024 Accepted: 29 July 2024 Published: 11 September 2024

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Abstract

The study was about the adoption of black plastic mulches as a copying strategy to water conservation among smallholder vegetable farmers in Kisoro Municipality, Kisoro district. Farmers in Kisoro District have increasingly adopted black plastic mulch to address these agricultural challenges. The use of black plastic mulch in this region helps in conserving soil moisture, controlling weeds, and enhancing crop yields. It was guided by three specific objectives which were to; establish the socio-economic characteristics of smallholder vegetable farmers, establish the knowledge level on the benefits of black plastic mulch among smallholder vegetable farmers and examine the factors influencing farmer’s decision to adopt black plastic mulch as a coping strategy to water conservation. The study employed a cross-sectional study design that used both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The study used a sample size of 300. The study used questionnaires and interview guide to collect data. The data collected was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). The results revealed that land ownership was a positive and significant factor at (sig. 0.000**), source of income at (sig.0.001*), credit accessibility at (sig.0.002**) and knowledge on use of black plastic mulches at (sig. 0.000**) The study concluded that vegetable farmers were characterized in terms of gender, age, farm size, marital status and level of education. The study also concluded that there was adequate knowledge level on the benefits of black plastic mulch among smallholder vegetable farmers. Such as; leads to higher yields and improved quality of vegetables, increase the growth rate of vegetables, reduce the risk of root damage, weed suppression, moisture conservation and contribute to soil health and protect the soil from wind and water erosion. The study finally concluded that there were significant and non-significant factors influencing farmer’s decision to adopt black plastic mulch as a coping strategy to water conservation among smallholder vegetable farmers which included; land ownership, limited extension training, source of income, knowledge on use of black plastic mulches and credit accessibility and non-significant ones were; un-availability of labour, infrastructure development, level of education, price of black plastic mulch and farm size.

Published in	International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences (Volume 10, Issue 5)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijaas.20241005.13
Page(s)	208-216
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Black Plastic Mulches, Vegetables, Quantitative Data, Questionnaire

References

[1]	Adams, R., Smith, J., Thompson, L., & Wang, Y. (2018). "Adoption of Plastic Mulches for Vegetable Production in California." University of California Cooperative Extension.
[2]	Amidon, T (2020), Biodegradable plastic mulch for water conservation in horticultural crops. Int. J. Curr. Microbiol. App. Sci. 8 (2).
[3]	Anikwe, M. A. N., Mbah, C. N., Ezeaku, P. I., & Onyia, V. N. (2017). Tillage and plastic mulch effects on soil properties and growth and yield of cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) on an ultisol in southeastern Nigeria. Soil and Tillage Research, 93(2), 264272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2006.04.007
[4]	Babu, R., Rana, S. S., Verma, N. K., & Kumar, R. (2015). "Effect of Black Plastic Mulches on Soil Temperature, Growth, and Yield of Vegetable kCrops: A Review." Agricultural Research Journal, 52(2), 97-102.
[5]	Bergholtz, M. B, (2016.) The effect of mulching and tillage on the water and temperature regimes of a loess soil: experimental findings and modeling. Soil. Till. Res. 96: 52–63.
[6]	Brodhagen, M., Peyron, M., Miles, C., Inglis, D. A., (2014). Biodegradable plastic agricultural mulches and key features of microbial degradation. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 99(3), 1039–1056.
[7]	Brown, M. A and Johnson, R. O, (2024). Accumulation of microplastic on shorelines worldwide: Sources and sinks. Environ. Sci. Technol. 45 (21), 9175–9179.
[8]	Browne, M. A., Dissanayake, A., Galloway, T. S., Lowe, D. M., Thompson, R. C., (2011). Ingested Microscopic plastic translocates to the circulatory system of the mussel, Mytilus edulis (L.). Environ. Sci. Technol. 42 (13), 5026–5031.
[9]	Gonzalez, E. A, (2023). Biodegradable plastic mulch films: impacts on soil microbial communities and ecosystem functions. Front. Microbiol. 9, 819. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.00819
[10]	Kibirige, P., Nsubuga, J., Mwesigwa, R., & Tumwesigye, W. (2019). "Barriers to Adoption of Sustainable Agricultural Practices among Smallholder Farmers: A Review." Journal of Sustainable Development, 12(2), 148-158.
[11]	Miles, C., Kolker, K., Reed, J., & Becker, G. 2015. Alternatives to plastic mulch for organic vegetable production (pp. 14). Vancouver, Washington: Washington State University.
[12]	Mugerwa, S., Nuwamanya, S., Kabirizi, J., & Kyamanywa, S. (2020). "Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Smallholder Vegetable Farmers’ Access to Markets in Kisoro District, Uganda." African Crop Science Journal, 28(4), 475-487.
[13]	Mugisha, R., Kyomuhendo, P., & Tumusiime, J. (2022). Enhancing Potato Yields with Plastic Mulch in Kisoro District. Ugandan Journal of Agricultural Research, 19(2), 45-58.
[14]	Mwangi, P., Karanja, J., & Njoroge, G. (2022). Sustainable Agriculture Practices in Kenya: The Role of Plastic Mulch. African Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 45(2), 156-170.
[15]	Nkurunziza, A., & Bwesigye, D. (2023). The Role of Plastic Mulch in Tomato Farming in Kisoro District. East African Journal of Agronomy, 22(1), 67-79.
[16]	Russell, W. E, (2019). Environmental Management of Plastic Mulch in Small Farms. Environmental Agriculture Journal, 17(1), 34-47.
[17]	Smith, J. & Jones, L. (2023). Economies of Scale in Black Plastic Mulch Use. Agricultural Economics Today, 40(2), 78-91.
[18]	Turyahabwe, G., Mukama, C., & Kiconco, M. (2023). Sustainable Agriculture in Uganda: Benefits and Challenges of Plastic Mulch. Journal of Sustainable Farming Practices, 15(3), 123-137.

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APA Style

Nyiramutuzo, H., Ssemakula, E., Kalibwani, R. (2024). Adoption of Black Plastic Mulch as a Coping Strategy to Water Conservation Among Vegetable Farmers in Kisoro Municipality, Kisoro District. International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences, 10(5), 208-216. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijaas.20241005.13

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ACS Style

Nyiramutuzo, H.; Ssemakula, E.; Kalibwani, R. Adoption of Black Plastic Mulch as a Coping Strategy to Water Conservation Among Vegetable Farmers in Kisoro Municipality, Kisoro District. Int. J. Appl. Agric. Sci. 2024, 10(5), 208-216. doi: 10.11648/j.ijaas.20241005.13

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AMA Style

Nyiramutuzo H, Ssemakula E, Kalibwani R. Adoption of Black Plastic Mulch as a Coping Strategy to Water Conservation Among Vegetable Farmers in Kisoro Municipality, Kisoro District. Int J Appl Agric Sci. 2024;10(5):208-216. doi: 10.11648/j.ijaas.20241005.13

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@article{10.11648/j.ijaas.20241005.13,
  author = {Harriet Nyiramutuzo and Edward Ssemakula and Rebecca Kalibwani},
  title = {Adoption of Black Plastic Mulch as a Coping Strategy to Water Conservation Among Vegetable Farmers in Kisoro Municipality, Kisoro District
},
  journal = {International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences},
  volume = {10},
  number = {5},
  pages = {208-216},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijaas.20241005.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijaas.20241005.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijaas.20241005.13},
  abstract = {The study was about the adoption of black plastic mulches as a copying strategy to water conservation among smallholder vegetable farmers in Kisoro Municipality, Kisoro district. Farmers in Kisoro District have increasingly adopted black plastic mulch to address these agricultural challenges. The use of black plastic mulch in this region helps in conserving soil moisture, controlling weeds, and enhancing crop yields. It was guided by three specific objectives which were to; establish the socio-economic characteristics of smallholder vegetable farmers, establish the knowledge level on the benefits of black plastic mulch among smallholder vegetable farmers and examine the factors influencing farmer’s decision to adopt black plastic mulch as a coping strategy to water conservation. The study employed a cross-sectional study design that used both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The study used a sample size of 300. The study used questionnaires and interview guide to collect data. The data collected was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). The results revealed that land ownership was a positive and significant factor at (sig. 0.000**), source of income at (sig.0.001*), credit accessibility at (sig.0.002**) and knowledge on use of black plastic mulches at (sig. 0.000**) The study concluded that vegetable farmers were characterized in terms of gender, age, farm size, marital status and level of education. The study also concluded that there was adequate knowledge level on the benefits of black plastic mulch among smallholder vegetable farmers. Such as; leads to higher yields and improved quality of vegetables, increase the growth rate of vegetables, reduce the risk of root damage, weed suppression, moisture conservation and contribute to soil health and protect the soil from wind and water erosion. The study finally concluded that there were significant and non-significant factors influencing farmer’s decision to adopt black plastic mulch as a coping strategy to water conservation among smallholder vegetable farmers which included; land ownership, limited extension training, source of income, knowledge on use of black plastic mulches and credit accessibility and non-significant ones were; un-availability of labour, infrastructure development, level of education, price of black plastic mulch and farm size.
},
 year = {2024}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Adoption of Black Plastic Mulch as a Coping Strategy to Water Conservation Among Vegetable Farmers in Kisoro Municipality, Kisoro District

AU  - Harriet Nyiramutuzo
AU  - Edward Ssemakula
AU  - Rebecca Kalibwani
Y1  - 2024/09/11
PY  - 2024
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijaas.20241005.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijaas.20241005.13
T2  - International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences
JF  - International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences
JO  - International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences
SP  - 208
EP  - 216
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2469-7885
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijaas.20241005.13
AB  - The study was about the adoption of black plastic mulches as a copying strategy to water conservation among smallholder vegetable farmers in Kisoro Municipality, Kisoro district. Farmers in Kisoro District have increasingly adopted black plastic mulch to address these agricultural challenges. The use of black plastic mulch in this region helps in conserving soil moisture, controlling weeds, and enhancing crop yields. It was guided by three specific objectives which were to; establish the socio-economic characteristics of smallholder vegetable farmers, establish the knowledge level on the benefits of black plastic mulch among smallholder vegetable farmers and examine the factors influencing farmer’s decision to adopt black plastic mulch as a coping strategy to water conservation. The study employed a cross-sectional study design that used both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The study used a sample size of 300. The study used questionnaires and interview guide to collect data. The data collected was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). The results revealed that land ownership was a positive and significant factor at (sig. 0.000**), source of income at (sig.0.001*), credit accessibility at (sig.0.002**) and knowledge on use of black plastic mulches at (sig. 0.000**) The study concluded that vegetable farmers were characterized in terms of gender, age, farm size, marital status and level of education. The study also concluded that there was adequate knowledge level on the benefits of black plastic mulch among smallholder vegetable farmers. Such as; leads to higher yields and improved quality of vegetables, increase the growth rate of vegetables, reduce the risk of root damage, weed suppression, moisture conservation and contribute to soil health and protect the soil from wind and water erosion. The study finally concluded that there were significant and non-significant factors influencing farmer’s decision to adopt black plastic mulch as a coping strategy to water conservation among smallholder vegetable farmers which included; land ownership, limited extension training, source of income, knowledge on use of black plastic mulches and credit accessibility and non-significant ones were; un-availability of labour, infrastructure development, level of education, price of black plastic mulch and farm size.

VL  - 10
IS  - 5
ER  -

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Author Information

Harriet Nyiramutuzo

Agriculture and Agribusiness, Bishop Stuart University, Mbarara, Uganda

Contact Email
Edward Ssemakula

Agriculture and Agribusiness, Bishop Stuart University, Mbarara, Uganda
Rebecca Kalibwani

Agriculture and Agribusiness, Bishop Stuart University, Mbarara, Uganda

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APA Style

Nyiramutuzo, H., Ssemakula, E., Kalibwani, R. (2024). Adoption of Black Plastic Mulch as a Coping Strategy to Water Conservation Among Vegetable Farmers in Kisoro Municipality, Kisoro District. International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences, 10(5), 208-216. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijaas.20241005.13

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ACS Style

Nyiramutuzo, H.; Ssemakula, E.; Kalibwani, R. Adoption of Black Plastic Mulch as a Coping Strategy to Water Conservation Among Vegetable Farmers in Kisoro Municipality, Kisoro District. Int. J. Appl. Agric. Sci. 2024, 10(5), 208-216. doi: 10.11648/j.ijaas.20241005.13

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AMA Style

Nyiramutuzo H, Ssemakula E, Kalibwani R. Adoption of Black Plastic Mulch as a Coping Strategy to Water Conservation Among Vegetable Farmers in Kisoro Municipality, Kisoro District. Int J Appl Agric Sci. 2024;10(5):208-216. doi: 10.11648/j.ijaas.20241005.13

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ijaas.20241005.13,
  author = {Harriet Nyiramutuzo and Edward Ssemakula and Rebecca Kalibwani},
  title = {Adoption of Black Plastic Mulch as a Coping Strategy to Water Conservation Among Vegetable Farmers in Kisoro Municipality, Kisoro District
},
  journal = {International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences},
  volume = {10},
  number = {5},
  pages = {208-216},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijaas.20241005.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijaas.20241005.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijaas.20241005.13},
  abstract = {The study was about the adoption of black plastic mulches as a copying strategy to water conservation among smallholder vegetable farmers in Kisoro Municipality, Kisoro district. Farmers in Kisoro District have increasingly adopted black plastic mulch to address these agricultural challenges. The use of black plastic mulch in this region helps in conserving soil moisture, controlling weeds, and enhancing crop yields. It was guided by three specific objectives which were to; establish the socio-economic characteristics of smallholder vegetable farmers, establish the knowledge level on the benefits of black plastic mulch among smallholder vegetable farmers and examine the factors influencing farmer’s decision to adopt black plastic mulch as a coping strategy to water conservation. The study employed a cross-sectional study design that used both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The study used a sample size of 300. The study used questionnaires and interview guide to collect data. The data collected was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). The results revealed that land ownership was a positive and significant factor at (sig. 0.000**), source of income at (sig.0.001*), credit accessibility at (sig.0.002**) and knowledge on use of black plastic mulches at (sig. 0.000**) The study concluded that vegetable farmers were characterized in terms of gender, age, farm size, marital status and level of education. The study also concluded that there was adequate knowledge level on the benefits of black plastic mulch among smallholder vegetable farmers. Such as; leads to higher yields and improved quality of vegetables, increase the growth rate of vegetables, reduce the risk of root damage, weed suppression, moisture conservation and contribute to soil health and protect the soil from wind and water erosion. The study finally concluded that there were significant and non-significant factors influencing farmer’s decision to adopt black plastic mulch as a coping strategy to water conservation among smallholder vegetable farmers which included; land ownership, limited extension training, source of income, knowledge on use of black plastic mulches and credit accessibility and non-significant ones were; un-availability of labour, infrastructure development, level of education, price of black plastic mulch and farm size.
},
 year = {2024}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Adoption of Black Plastic Mulch as a Coping Strategy to Water Conservation Among Vegetable Farmers in Kisoro Municipality, Kisoro District

AU  - Harriet Nyiramutuzo
AU  - Edward Ssemakula
AU  - Rebecca Kalibwani
Y1  - 2024/09/11
PY  - 2024
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijaas.20241005.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijaas.20241005.13
T2  - International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences
JF  - International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences
JO  - International Journal of Applied Agricultural Sciences
SP  - 208
EP  - 216
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2469-7885
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijaas.20241005.13
AB  - The study was about the adoption of black plastic mulches as a copying strategy to water conservation among smallholder vegetable farmers in Kisoro Municipality, Kisoro district. Farmers in Kisoro District have increasingly adopted black plastic mulch to address these agricultural challenges. The use of black plastic mulch in this region helps in conserving soil moisture, controlling weeds, and enhancing crop yields. It was guided by three specific objectives which were to; establish the socio-economic characteristics of smallholder vegetable farmers, establish the knowledge level on the benefits of black plastic mulch among smallholder vegetable farmers and examine the factors influencing farmer’s decision to adopt black plastic mulch as a coping strategy to water conservation. The study employed a cross-sectional study design that used both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The study used a sample size of 300. The study used questionnaires and interview guide to collect data. The data collected was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). The results revealed that land ownership was a positive and significant factor at (sig. 0.000**), source of income at (sig.0.001*), credit accessibility at (sig.0.002**) and knowledge on use of black plastic mulches at (sig. 0.000**) The study concluded that vegetable farmers were characterized in terms of gender, age, farm size, marital status and level of education. The study also concluded that there was adequate knowledge level on the benefits of black plastic mulch among smallholder vegetable farmers. Such as; leads to higher yields and improved quality of vegetables, increase the growth rate of vegetables, reduce the risk of root damage, weed suppression, moisture conservation and contribute to soil health and protect the soil from wind and water erosion. The study finally concluded that there were significant and non-significant factors influencing farmer’s decision to adopt black plastic mulch as a coping strategy to water conservation among smallholder vegetable farmers which included; land ownership, limited extension training, source of income, knowledge on use of black plastic mulches and credit accessibility and non-significant ones were; un-availability of labour, infrastructure development, level of education, price of black plastic mulch and farm size.

VL  - 10
IS  - 5
ER  -

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