Farmers' practices and willingness to adopt supplemental irrigation in Burkina Faso.

This study analyzes farmers' practices and willingness to adopt supplemental irrigation on rainfed crops in the Sahelian and Sudano-Sahelian areas of Burkina Faso. A survey of 629 farmers revealed a diversity of farming practices within and between two agro-climatic zones. Over 65% of farmers believe that supplemental irrigation is a good way to mitigate the adverse effects of dry spells on crop yields. Determining factors of farmers’ willingness to adopt supplemental irrigation were identified using a logistic model. Lack of information is the major obstacle to promoting this innovation. Farmers’ training and information dissemination are the best ways to increase the acceptance of this promising technology.