Determinants of multiple agricultural technology adoption of smallholders for major cereal crop production in South Wollo Zone, Ethiopia

Enhanced adoption of agricultural technology packages is essential for boosting productivity, strengthening food security, and mitigating poverty in Ethiopia. However, adoption rates in the country remain persistently low. Thus, this study examines the determinants of multiple agricultural technology adoption among smallholder farmers producing main cereals in South Wollo zone, Ethiopia.

A multistage sampling approach was applied to gather cross-sectional data from 440 farm households. A multinomial logit model was employed to analyze the determinants of agricultural technology adoption decisions.

Multinomial logit estimates revealed that adoption of alternative agricultural technologies was significantly and positively influenced by the household head’s sex, education, cultivated land size, market participation, remittance income, credit access, plot number, oxen ownership, extension contact frequency, and training participation. Conversely, the household head’s age, plot distance from homestead, and distance from development centers exerted significant negative effects; However, larger cultivated land sizes hindered adoption of the full technology package and the improved seed-fertilizer combination specifically in wheat production.

The federal and regional governments, extension services, NGOs, and donors should collaborate with smallholders to enhance information, credit access, off-farm income, tailored training, and advisory support, accelerating modern technology uptake. Policymakers must prioritize these drivers to boost teff and wheat yields and socioeconomic benefits.