This study identified decision variables influencing fertilizer adoption and optimal fertilizer rates among smallholder farmers in the Ethiopian highlands. The fertilizer adoption and fertilizer use were examined in four regional states using a questionnaire survey, which was administered to 2880 farm households. A double hurdle model was used to analyze factors influencing the two independent decisions of adoption of fertilizers and use of fertilizers. The model estimates of the first hurdle revealed that the probability of fertilizer adoption increased by 1.2% as household education status improved, by 1.4% for an increased number of active family members, by 5.6% with improved access to credit, by 3.4% with cooperative membership, by 3.3% with an increase in farm size, by 4.6% when soil and water conservation practices are employed, and by 3.4% when agroecology of the farm is located in the medium to highland zone. Conversely, the probability of fertilizer adoption reduced by 0.9% for an increase in family size, 0.6% with 1 km distance from all-weather road, 1.6% for a kilometer further to farm plots, and 0.9% for an increase in number of parcels. The intensity of use of fertilizers was influenced by education status of the household head, family size, access to credit, membership to cooperatives, use of crop rotation, annual income, number of farm plots owned, use of soil and water conservation, and agroecology. Therefore, a concerted effort is needed to encourage fertilizer adoption and optimum fertilizer use intensity by improving households’ resource endowment, institutional capacity to deliver services, and infrastructure development.

中文翻译：

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埃塞俄比亚高原小农户对谷类作物施肥决策的决定因素

本研究确定了影响埃塞俄比亚高地小农的化肥采用和最佳化肥率的决策变量。对 2880 个农户进行问卷调查，调查了四个地区州的肥料采用和肥料使用情况。采用双障碍模型分析影响化肥采用和化肥使用这两个独立决策的因素。第一个障碍的模型估计显示，随着家庭教育状况的改善，化肥采用的概率增加了 1.2%，活跃家庭成员数量的增加增加了 1.4%，获得信贷的机会增加了 5.6%，合作社增加了 3.4%随着农场规模的扩大，会员人数增加 3.3%，采用水土保持措施时增加 4.6%，增加 3。当农场的生态农业位于中高地地区时为 4%。相反，随着家庭规模的增加，肥料采用的概率降低了 0.9%，距离全天候道路 1 公里的概率降低了 0.6%，距离农田更远 1 公里的概率降低了 1.6%，地块数量的增加降低了 0.9%。 . 化肥使用强度受户主受教育程度、家庭规模、获得信贷、合作社成员资格、轮作使用情况、年收入、拥有的农田数量、水土保持和农业生态的影响. 因此，需要共同努力，通过提高家庭的资源禀赋、提供服务的机构能力和基础设施发展来鼓励化肥的采用和优化化肥使用强度。