1.
(Agricultural machinery Engineering)
Adoption of Precision Agriculture Technologies in Ethiopia
P.O.Box:1888; Adama, Ethiopia
Biniam Zewdie G/Kidan *
•Haramaya Institute of University
P.O.Box:138; Dire Dawa, Ethiopia
•Mobile: +251910408218/+25191582832
•E-mail: nzg2001nzg@gmail.com/zewdienico@gmail.com

2.
08/19/22
2
 Background & Justification
 Statement of Problems
 Hypothesis/Seminar Questions
 Objectives Of Seminar
 Significance of Seminar
 Scope of Seminar
Agricultural Technology Adoption
Conceptual Framework of Adoption of PA Technologies

3.
• Global Adoption - In Precision Agriculture in Australia, Interest in Precision Agriculture (PA)
has Increased Rapidly Within the Grain Growing Regions Over Recent Years (David et al.,
2017). Many Farmers have Invested in Machinery Guidance Systems And Yield Monitors, But
Few are using the Technology to Manage Spatial Variability Across Farming Zones.
• In Argentina farmers in the province of Cordoba, Pampas and Bones Aires, often equip their
combine harvesters with yield monitors (Bongiovanni and Lowenberg, 2015). Differential
Global Positioning System (DGPS) is available from private companies for broadcasting
information. In addition, Variable Rate Technologies are used for seeding and fertilizer
application.
• In Africa PA is being used in Kenya, Egypt, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Ethiopia, and South Africa. In
South Africa, farmers have reported that the costs saved while using variable rate fertilizer
and irrigation are the major factors in adopting precision agriculture (Jacobs et al., 2018).

4.
• Ncube et al. (2018) suggested that African farmers could benefit from PA in terms of increase
in water and nutrient efficiency and timely carrying activities such as weeding. Benefit from
precision agriculture include soil preparation, fertilization, irrigation, and weed management.
• In General, It Appears that Countries Such as USA, Australia, Canada, and Argentina Are
Likely to use Wide Spread use of Precision Agriculture Due To Financial, Farm Size And
Education Level (Jenson 2018).
• The Ethiopian land holding is less than one hectare in the highlands and a bit more in Afar,
Gambelia, and Somali Regions. Hence, adoption of precision farming may be difficult, as the
technology requires large farms of at least 60 hectares. However, the current system of
cluster based farming for a single commodity (several hundred farmers clustered to grow a
single crop variety) may open the possibility of adoption for site- specific input application
(Berhanu M., 2019)

5.
• The high cost of initial investment on machineries, soft wares and the skilled labour that can
use it may scare adoption of precision farming. However, studies (David et al. 2017, Hamouz
et al. 2013, Jenson 2018) have shown that the benefit out weights the investment cost.
• On The Other Hand, There Is Vast Fertile Land Suitable For Irrigation In Awash, Omo, Wabe
Shebelle, And Dawa Genale Valleys. These Valleys Are Suitable For Irrigated Wheat, Rice,
Maize, Pulses, and Horticultural Crops Production.
• Ethiopia Is Importing 30% of Wheat, 70% of Sugar and Rice, and 85% of the Vegetable Oil
Annual Demand From Abroad. This has Brought A Huge Burden For The Economy Which
Otherwise Would Have Been Used For Development. Hence The Government Of Ethiopia has
A Project to Intensify the Productivity of Wheat in the Highlands and Increase the Area of
Wheat Production in the Lowlands of Afar, Wabe Shebelle and Omo Valleys Using Irrigation.
(Berhanu M., 2019)

6.
• In Ethiopia, since large- and small-scale farmers are using furrow (Agegnehu et
al., 2015) and flood irrigation that resulted (Zeleke et al., 2010) Ethiopia has
been one of the countries affected by soil sanity in the world (IFPRI, 2010).
• Precision farming, which provides a holistic approach, helps farmers to
manage the spatial and temporal crop and soil variability within a field in
order to increase profitability, optimize yield and quality, and reduce costs
(Paustian and Theuvsen, 2017).
• Precision agriculture (PA) is considered as a paradigm shift in the management
of variability within agricultural sector (Whelan and McBratney, 2010).

7.
According to Sileshi B., (2016)
• Precision Farming Technology Can Be Introduced In Large Farms Such As Sugar Estates, Cotton,
and Cereals Farms In The Low Lands And Fits Well With The Cluster Approach Of Farming In
The High And Mid Altitudes.
• The Technology Enables Correct Tillage, Land Levelling and Seeding Resulting In Uniform Crop
Stand Establishment and Maturity That Maximizes Product Quality and Minimizes Loss.
• Precision Farming Saves Irrigation Water, Energy, Reduces the Cost of Herbicides, and Assists
the Correct Application Of Fertilizer.
• Ethiopia Has Vast Fertile Lands Suitable For Irrigation, However, The Current Method Of
Furrow Irrigation Promotes Salt Affected Soils, Wastes Water and Energy, Hence Precision
Irrigation Using Center Pivots Can Sustain Soil Health and Saves Water and Energy.

8.
HYPOTHESIS/SEMINAR QUESTIONS
• What is the Influence of Socioeconomic Factors, Agroecological Factors, Institutional
Factors, Information Sources, Farmer Perception, Behavioral and Technological Factors
in The Adoption of PAT By Farmers?
• Based On Systematic Literature Review, Is it Possible to Build A Conceptual Model
that Reflects and Consolidates the Determinants of Pat Adoption By Farmers?

9.
OBJECTIVES OF SEMINAR
• The Main Objective of this Seminar is to Perform A Systematic Literature
Review of Studies On Determinants of Adoption of PAT and To Build A
Conceptual Framework That Consolidates The Determinants of Adoption
Of PAT By Ethiopian Farmers.

10.
SCOPES OF SEMINAR
• The Use Of Precision Agriculture Technologies (PAT) and the Adoption
of Innovations in Agriculture are Crucial For Establishing The Production
Patterns and to Mitigate Specific Risks Associated to Agriculture. In this
Scopes, performed a systematic review of literature related to the
determinants of adoption of PAT, compiling the results of ex-post
researches.

11.
• Methodological Aspects - in this Seminar; Literature was Collected On the Adoption Rate of
Precision Agriculture (PA) Technologies in Ethiopia and other different Countries.
• A Literature Search was Conducted through the Web Of Science (Apps. Web of knowledge.
Com, Google Scholar (Scholar. Google. Com), AGRIS (Agris. Fao. Org), Research Gate
(Https://Www.Researchgate.Net), Ethiopian Journal Of Agricultural Sciences, The Ethiopian
Society Of Soil Science (Www. Esss. Org. Et), and Libraries Of The Ethiopian Institute Of
Agricultural Research and National Soils Research Center.
• We Searched The Literature Published Up To 2021, Using “Precision Agriculture”, “Precision
Farming”, “Smart Agriculture”, and “Variable Nutrient Management” As Key Terms. Several
Publications That Provide Empirical Evidence On Precision Agriculture Were Reviewed In This
Seminar.

12.
• The Seminar Was Grouped With Respect to their Seminar Objectives and Hypothesis, and
Categorized Into Studies Focusing On Precision Agriculture, Smart Agriculture, and Precision
Farming. Scientific Articles, Reports, Books and Relevant Web Pages Found After The Review
Process Were Studied and Information On the Adoption Of PA Technologies In Different
Countries Was Compiled.
• The Countries are Divided Into two Groups as Developed Countries and Developing Countries
Based On United Nations Classification (UN, 2014).
• The Data are Summarized In Tables to Make the Data More Readable and Comparable. The
Adoption Of PAT Technologies is Studied in Ex-ante and Ex-post Approaches.
• Ex-post Studies Demonstrate The Reasons and Conditions That Influenced And Still Influence
The Decisions About Adoption Of PAT Technologies. Now, Ex-ante Studies Allow Analyzing The
Acceptance Of A New Technology Prior To Its Market Introduction.

13.
• The Adoption Of Improved Agricultural Technologies Is Very Important Means For Poverty
Alleviation and to Bring Assure Food Security In Developing Country.
Making A Decision About A Particular Innovation Goes Through Five Steps, Which are Called
The Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT) [Rogers, E. M. (2003)].
• The First Stage is When the Individual Gets to Know the Innovation and How A New Technology
Functions, Its Purpose and The Need For It.
• The Second Stage Occurs When the Individual Likes or Dislikes this New Technology.
• The Third Stage is The Decision Made by Individuals to Accept or Reject the Technology.
• The Fourth Stage is the Implementation of this New Technology and
• The Finally Stage Confirms the Decision Made By The Individual.

14.
1) Relative Advantage: Answers “Is the New Technology is Better than Existing Technology?’’
2) Compatibility: The Degree to Which an Innovation is Seen as Consistent With Existing
Experiences, Needs, and Beliefs of Adopters;
3) Complexity: The Degree of How Difficult the Innovation is to Understand and Use;
4) Trialability: The Degree to Which The Innovation May be Used on a Limited Basis;
5) Observability: The Degree to Which the Results of an Innovation are Visible to Others
There are Five Attributes that Encourage an Individual to Like A New Technology and
Affect Their Decision As [Rogers, E. M. (2003)] Identified - Second Stage

15.
According to the definition of [Loevinsohn M, Sumberg J, Diagne A. (2012)],
• Adoption is the integration of a new technology (Loevinsohn et al., 2013) into
existing practice and is usually proceeded by a period of “trying” and some
degree of adaptation.
• [Bonabana-Wabbi J. (2012)] defines adoption as a mental process an
individual pass from first hearing about an innovation to final utilization of it.
• It has two categories: rate of adoption and intensity of adoption. The former is
the relative speed with which farmers adopt an innovation, has as one of its
pillars, the element of time.
• While, Intensity of Adoption Refers to the Level of Use of A Given Technology
in Any Time Period

16.
2.2. DETERMINING FACTORS OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION
• This Paper Deeply Reviews The Major Determining Factors Which Influences
Agricultural Technology Adoption In Five Parts, i.e., Economic, Technological,
Demographic, Socio-cultural, and Institutional Factors.
1. Economic Factors
• Many Authors Have Analyzed Farm Size As One Of Important Determinant Factors Influencing
Technology Adoption.
• The Cost Of Adopting Agricultural Technology Is Also The Critical Factors For Technology
Adoption.
2. SOCIO-CULTURAL FACTORS
• Cultural Differences/Traits Enter Into The Agricultural Technological Adoption Process Through
Network Formation, Indirect Effects Such As Imitation, Peer Effects, and Norm-based Diffusion.

17.
2. Technological factors
• The farmers’ decision of whether or not to adopt a given new technology is based
on a careful evaluation of many factors.
• If the technology is very complex and difficult to operate, it cannot attract the
farmers to adopt it.
3. Demographic factors
• Farmers’ age, gender and educational status are likely influence the probability
of farmers’ adoption of new technology [Mamudu. A., Emelia. Guo., Samuel, K. (2012).
• Many studies revealed that being women headed negatively influencing
technology adoption decisions.
• Due to social and cultural values and norms, males have the freedom to mobility,
to attend in different training, meetings and workshops.

18.
5. Institutional Factors
• Access to extension service helps to spread information and farmers to get updated
information regarding agricultural technologies which helps them to adopt the new
technologies easily.
• Access to credit is very critical factor to adoption of agricultural technology by the
smallholders.
• Information access about a new technology is another factor that determines technology
adoption.
• Access to road, distance to the nearest market and farmers training center is an important
factor which determine the technology adoption.
• Access to irrigation is also the main factor which likely influences the adoption of agricultural
technologies. many studies reported the significant influence of irrigation water access to the
agricultural technology adoption.

19.
Determinants of PAT adoption – Adapted de Souza Filho et al. (2011), Tey e Brindal (2012) e Pierpaolia et al. (2013), based on
Table 1.

20.
2. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK OF ADOPTION OF IMPROVED NEW TECHNOLOGIES
• The Most Important Variables Included In This Review is Farm Size, Family Size, Off-farm
Income, Gender, Educational Status, Access to Extension, Access to Irrigation, Access to Market
and Social and Cultural Traits. Some Variables Affect The Probability Of Adopting The
Technologies More Than Other Factors In Specific Areas And On Specific Technologies.
• If The Technology Is Very Complex and Difficult to Operate and Apply, The Farmers Cannot
Be Voluntary to Easily Accept it Rather they Prefer Divisible Technologies Like High Yielding
Varieties And Fertilizer [Mignouna, B., Manyong, M., Rusike, J., Mutabazi, S., & Senkondo, M.
(2011).
• The Farmers With Large Farms are Likely to Adopt A New Technology As they Can Afford to
Devote Part of Their Land to Try New Technology Than The Farmers Who has Small Land
[Solomon Y, Endrias O. (2018)]. Also, Farmers Who Live Around Farmers Training Center Are
Likely to Adopt the Technology than Who Lives Far From The Center [Yanggen, D., Kelly, V.,
Reardon, T., & Naseem, A. (1998)].

21.
Adopted from; Yanggen, D., Kelly, V., Reardon, T., & Naseem, A. (1998).

22.
FIGURE 2 - INTEGRATED MODEL OF ADOPTION OF PRECISION AGRICULTURE
TECHNOLOGIES BY FARMERS.
The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) Of Venkatesh And
Bala (2018)

23.
KEY BENEFITS OF ADOPTION OF PAT
1. Decision Accuracy-information Technology Is Very Useful For Farmers, Researchers And Other People To Make
Decisions Regarding Their Agricultural Activities And Marketing. The Varieties Of Different Sensors With
Generated Data Enables Better Understanding Of An Interaction Of Dynamic Crop, Soil And Weather
Conditions While Machinery Data Leading To More Accurate And Fast Decision Making.
2. Agriculture Advancement- With The Development Of New Technologies Like Improved Varieties and Hybrids,
Fertilizers, Irrigation Technologies Like Drip Or Sprinkler System, Weeding Technologies Insecticides, Pesticides
With Their Optimum Dose And Their Application On Optimum Time In The Agriculture Field Helps In Sustainable
Production.
3. Suitable Planning-information Technology Has Provided Farming Software Which Can Keep Better Track Of
Agriculture and Predict Yields. Farmers Can Efficiently Improve Their Agriculture Production With Superior
Utilization Of Modern Farming Technology And Methodology.
4. Prediction Of Weather–weather Prediction Becomes Also Possible With This Improved Technology. This Weather
Data Aware The Farmers Regarding Weather Conditions Like Rainfall, Drought, Hailstorms Etc. and Help Them
To Plan Accordingly.
5. Marketing- What And Where A Suitable Market For Selling Their Agriculture Produce At A Valuable Rate Is Key
Issues For The Farmer Community, Which Can Also Get Achievable With Technologies.

24.
• Adoption of improved agricultural technologies is the foremost tools from the review, it was obtained
that technological, socio-cultural, demographic, economic and institutional factors are the main
determinant factors which hinders the rate and intensity of technology adoption.
• The farmers’ perception toward the nature/characteristics of the technology is a pre-condition for their
decision. Individual decision whether to adopt the technology or not depends on five attributes; relative
importance of the new technology over the existing one, the degree of compatibility, the degree of
complexity, trialability, and observability.
• As the review revealed that, the effect of the variable varies depending on the nature and cost of
technologies, educational status of the individual and its exposures to different accesses.
• Knowing the determinant factors of agricultural technology adoption and incorporating farmers
preference criteria and need is very crucial points for policy makers and agricultural technology
developer to overcome the low adoption rate problems and in turn for boosting production and
productivity, food self-sufficiency and ensuring food security in Ethiopia & Other developing countries.

25.
• This paper performed a systematic literature review of studies of the drivers of adoption of
precision agriculture technologies (PAT), featuring the main technologies used and the factors
of major influence in the adoption of PAT. furthermore, we analyzed the influence over
factors as socioeconomic, agroecological, behavioral, information sources, perception by the
farmer and technological in the adoption of PAT.
Based on the studies analyzed we were able to build up some propositions relating the
determinants identified in the studies analyzed with the probability of farmers adopt or not
PAT, which may indicate pathways for development of future studies. the assumptions are as
below:
• Producers that have larger farms are more likely to adopt PAT, since the adoption can
generate economies of scale.
• Producers with higher level of education are more likely to adopt PAT, since they have more
knowledge about best production practices.

26.
The Assumptions Continues…
• The age of the producers can be a limiting factor in the PAT adoption: as older farmers are
more resistant there are in adopting new technologies.
• Farmers who have other sources of income besides agriculture are more likely to adopt PAT,
because the risk of failure of adoption is less impactful in income than those who rely
exclusively on agriculture.
• Producers with greater availability of financing sources for funding the production and
financing of machinery are more likely to adopt PAT, since the access to these sources can
encourage the purchase of new machinery and modern inputs.
• Farmers who participate in associations and cooperatives have more experience changes with other
producers and this aspect influence the adoption of PAT

27.
• Producers who have more access to sources of information about PAT are more likely to adopt
new technologies because they get awareness about the impact of adoption on the farm
business.
• Producers who have better management of rural business are more likely to adopt PAT
because this vision creates more chances of identifying opportunities for investment in PAT,
affecting profitability in the long term.
• Producers who have a positive perception regarding the use of pat are more likely to adopt
these technologies because they are more willing to experiment and innovate.
• The opportunity to experiment the technology on a smaller scale before its adoption in the
entire area provides a greater chance of adoption of PAT, because producers can evaluate the
results and impacts of the adoption in their business before exposing themselves to the risk of
adopting in the full area.
The Assumptions Continues…

28.
• Negative past experiences and difficulties in adopting certain technology negatively influence
the adoption of PAT by the producer, because the negative history of adoption can create
barriers in adopting new technologies.
• The type of technology to be adopted influences adoption of new technologies. PAT perceived
as simpler are more likely to be adopted than technologies that are more complex.
• The crop type influences the adoption of precision agriculture. producers of row crops
(soybeans, corn, cotton) are more likely to adopt the PAT that crops such as vegetables, fruits
and minor crops.
• More sensitive and risky crops require more technology to operationalize the production,
which demands greater adoption of precision agriculture by producers. we expect that this
work contributed to the construction of future studies relating the adoption of precision
agriculture worldwide
The Assumptions Continues…

29.
• As a Recommendation, we Propose Good Capacity Building and Youth
Empowerment to Champion Technology Adoption and Utilization In
The Ethiopia. It Is Further Recommended That Farmers are
Capacitated to Change their Orientation about the Effect of Climate
Change and the Best Practice to Adopt in Compliance With he Three
Pillars (GPS, GIS, RS) of 5R’s PAT.

30.
Biniam Zewdie G/Kidan *
•Haramaya Institute of University
P.O.Box:138; Dire Dawa, Ethiopia
•Mobile: +251910408218/+25191582832
•E-mail: nzg2001nzg@gmail.com/zewdienico@gmail.com