Evaluation of the Effect of Stone Lines and Microdosing Adoption on Sorghum Yield and Income: A Case of Smallholder Farmers in Burkina Faso

Adopting both stone lines and microdosing together increased sorghum yield by 70% and net income by 60% among smallholder farmers, compared to not adopting both techniques. The study used data from 420 farm households with 1,280 plots, identifying 368 sorghum plots where these practices were used. Factors like extension visits, education, access to credit and subsidies, household size, family labor, livestock units, and perception of soil fertility influenced adoption. While microdosing alone boosted yield, its effect on net income was not significant. The combination showed strong synergy, suggesting that promoting both techniques together can improve productivity and food security.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This present study aims to investigate the factors influencing the combined adoption of stone lines and microdosing and its effect on sorghum yields and net income. By adjusting for biases in observable and unobservable factors, the multinomial endogenous switching regression (MESR) model was employed to estimate the net effects of adoption on outcomes. The average treatment effect on treated (ATT) was also employed to evaluate the effects of stone lines and microdosing adoption. For a more accurate estimation of farmer output and farming income, the inverse probability weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA) was also estimated. In achieving our purpose, we collected data from 420 farm households which had 1280 plots for four main crops. The total sample identified 368 sorghum plots with stone lines and microdosing adoption. The MESR results indicated that the number of extension visits, level of education, access to agricultural credit, access to subsidies, household size, family labour and tropical livestock unit (TLU), and perception of soil fertility all played significant roles in the adoption of the stone lines and microdosing combination. The ATT revealed that adopters of the stone lines and combined microdosing had a higher sorghum yield than their counterfactual. The adoption of the stone lines and microdosing increased sorghum yield and net sorghum income, respectively, by 70% (p < 0.001) and 60% (p < 0.001). This result shows a strong synergy in agricultural productivity between the stone lines and the microdosing. However, the sorghum yield was positively and significantly affected by the microdosing adoption, but the effect on net income was non-significant. The results demonstrate that adopting both techniques would be more effective, and this would let smallholder farmers improve their sorghum yield and income. The study recommends intensifying efforts to promote the use of both technologies simultaneously, educating smallholder farmers on the proper use of microdosing, and encouraging fertilizer subsidies for smallholder farmers in order to farm yield and maintain food security.