Influence of plant health clinic services on potato (solanum tuberosum) production among smallholder farmers in Molo Sub-County, Kenya

Abstract

Potato is one of the most important valued food and cash crop in Kenya. However, health issues which includes plant disease, pests, weed, and soil health continue to pose a major threat to potato production resulting in low yields and returns among farmers particularly the smallholder in Molo Sub-County. Plant health Clinics use innovative approach like human clinic to offer significant services to farmers in terms of crop protection advice, training, and diagnosis in the country, but research pertaining to the influence of these services on potato production in Molo Sub-County had not been studied. The purpose of this study was therefore to determine the influence of plant health clinic services on potato production among smallholder farmers in Molo Sub-County, Kenya. The study used cross-sectional survey design. The accessible population consisted of 6,000 smallholder potato farmers, and a total sample of 152 respondents were selected using proportionate and simple random sampling approach. Key informants were selected purposively via a process of theoretical sampling. Data was collected using a questionnaire and an interview guide. The questionnaire was administered to smallholder potato farmers and ten respondents for key informant interviews. A pilot study was carried out using 30 farmers in Nessuit ward of Njoro Sub-County. The reliability of the questionnaire was determined using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and it yielded a coefficient 0.726α, which was accepted. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 22 to run descriptive and inferential statistics. Multiple regression analysis was used to establish the influence of plant health clinic services on potato production among smallholder farmers in Molo Sub-County at a significance level of 0.05. It was found that plant health clinic advisory services, training services and diagnostic services had a statistically significant influence on potato production. The results showed that 61.8% (R 2 = 0.618), 78.1% (R2 = 0.781) and 59% (R2 = 0.590) of variation in the potato production were explained by advisory services, training services and diagnostic services respectively. The study concluded that plant health clinic advisory services, training services and diagnostic services have an influence on potato production among smallholder potato farmers in Molo Sub-County, Kenya. The study recommends that the County and National government enhance and strengthen the provision of plant health clinic services to potato farmers in the area. The smallholder potato farmers also need empowerment in terms of general education, capacity building and sensitization on use of plant health clinic services to improve potato production.