Odendo, M., de Groote, H. and Odongo, O.M. (2002) Assessment of Farmers’ Preferences and Constraints to Maize Production in the Moist Mid-Altitude Zone of Western Kenya. Proceedings of the 5th International Conference of the African Crop Science Society, Lagos, 769-775.

has been cited by the following article:

• TITLE: Demography and Socio-Economic Aspects on Irrigated Smallholder Agricultural Enterprises and Their Association with the Cultivation of Maize (Zea mays L.) as a Selected Field Crop

  AUTHORS: Tsumbedzo Jutas Mavhungu, Azwihangwisi Edward Nesamvuni, Khathutshelo Alfred Tshikolomo, Ndivhudzannyi Sylvestor Mpandeli, Johan Adriaan van Niekerk

  KEYWORDS: Maize, Association, Irrigated Smallholder Agricultural Enterprises, Demography, Livelihoods

  JOURNAL NAME: Agricultural Sciences, Vol.15 No.7, July 10, 2024

  ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study is to correlate demography and socio-economic aspects at Irrigated Smallholder Agricultural Enterprises and their association with the Cultivation of Maize in order to determine its positive impacts at irrigated smallholders’ agricultural entrepreneurs’ household. Chi-square test was used as descriptive analysis method. The Fischer Exact tests were employed to test demography (gender, age, education, and income) in winter and summer production season of irrigated smallholder agricultural enterprises and their association with the cultivation of selected field crop (i.e. maize). The results show that gender results were not being statistically significant, as measured by the Phi measure of effect size, φ = 0.149, p = 0.011, and φ = 0.05, p = 0.392 in summer. As far as age is concern, it appears to be a statistically significant association between cultivating maize and age in winter, φ = 0.046, p = 0.730 in winter and φ = 0.172, p = 0.013. Education winter result not being statistically significant, the effect size showed a weak association, as measured by the Phi measure of effect size, φ = 0.112, p = 0.305 and φ = 0.035, p = 0.948 in summer. Income result not being statistically significant, as measured by the Phi measure of effect size, φ = 0.049, p = 0.399 and φ = 0.081, p = 0.166 in summer. In conclusion, the study shows that the development of best management practices must be based on a comprehensive analysis of the livelihoods and irrigated smallholder agricultural enterprise farming styles of participating irrigated smallholder agricultural entrepreneurs.