Bundled sustainable agricultural practices and fertiliser-use intensity in contrasting agroecological contexts of Zambia

Musowe Nsakilwa; Elias Kuntashula

doi:10.51867/AQSSR.3.3.49

Authors

Musowe Nsakilwa The University of Zambia, Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension Studies, Lusaka, Zambia Author
Elias Kuntashula The University of Zambia, Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension Studies, Lusaka, Zambia Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51867/AQSSR.3.3.49

Keywords:

Agroecological Heterogeneity, Bundled Sustainable Agricultural Practices, Conservation Agriculture, Fertiliser-Use Intensity, Integrated Soil Fertility Management, Zambia

Abstract

Bundled Sustainable Agricultural Practices (SAPs) are promoted alongside inorganic fertiliser to strengthen soil management, productivity and resilience, yet the two may function as complements, substitutes or unrelated inputs depending on the production environment. This study examined the association between high bundled SAP adoption and fertiliser-use intensity among smallholder maize-producing households in Mungwi and Senanga districts, Zambia, and assessed whether the relationship differed by district and household farm decision-making. High adoption was defined as using at least two of crop rotation, crop-residue retention and minimum or zero tillage. Agricultural Household Theory provides the principal economic foundation for the study. Cross-sectional data were obtained from 582 households. The benchmark fertiliser models used 517 complete observations after excluding two designated outliers, while multiple imputation retained 580 non-outlier households. Robust logit models estimated adoption correlates, and heteroskedasticity-robust ordinary least squares models estimated pooled and district-interaction associations with ln(fertiliser kg/ha + 1). Observation weighting, upper-tail sensitivity tests, Poisson pseudo-maximum-likelihood estimation, inverse-probability-weighted regression adjustment, multiple imputation under missing at random and delta-adjusted missing-not-at-random analyses were used for robustness. High bundled adoption was observed among 26.3% of surveyed households. In the complete-case interaction model, the association was negative in Mungwi (estimate = -0.610; p = 0.018) and positive in Senanga (estimate = 3.331; p < 0.001). Under multiple imputation, the Mungwi estimate remained negative but was not statistically distinguishable from zero (estimate = -0.323; p = 0.162), whereas the Senanga association (estimate = 3.320; p < 0.001) and district interaction (estimate = 3.643; p < 0.001) remained robust to the evaluated missing-not-at-random departures. Female/joint farm decision participation did not significantly moderate the relationship (interaction p = 0.458). The findings demonstrate robust agroecological heterogeneity and support locally adapted fertiliser-SAP recommendations, with particularly strong evidence of complementarity in Senanga and greater uncertainty in Mungwi.

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