Effect of wheat row planting technology adoption on small farms yield in Ofla Woreda, Ethiopia

Abstract

Ethiopian agriculture the back bone of the economy yet is characterized by small scale farming and
experienced erratic rainfall as well as drought. The low produce can possibly grow through developing
technology adoption and improved practices on the marginal farm lands. This study, therefore, examines the
impact of wheat row planting technology adoption on small farms yield in Ofla Woreda, Southern zone of
Tigrai, and Ethiopia using a primary data sources from a survey of a random sample of 300 small scale farm
household heads. Of which 99 household heads were wheat row planting adopters (users) and the remaining
201were wheat grower households sow in broadcasting method non adopters (non users).To deal with this,
propensity score matching (PSM) econometric tool was implemented. Next, the average treatment effects on
the treated (ATT) estimated result was obtained using PSM method and has proven that wheat row planting
technology adopter small farm household heads was gotten with a range of 40 to 60 quintal of wheat yield per
hectare at a cost of sowing 4,800 ETB larger in a single production year unlike to the matched control group
which is below 20 quintal at a Birr 3,600 cost of sowing. At the end, the researcher has recommended that
scaling up of wheat row planting technology adoption as a package to increase wheat crop output on the
marginal land and fasten the anti-poverty policy struggle is indispensable in Southern Tigrai, Ethiopia.