Advisory intensity and agricultural technology adoption: Nonlinear causal evidence from maize and soybean farmers in Benin

Abstract

This study assesses the causal effect of the intensity of participation in agricultural advisory services on the adoption of three groups of technologies by maize and soybean farmers in Benin. A multivariate Probit model with instrumental variables was applied to data collected from 2,300 farming households over three growing seasons. The results show that participation intensity in agricultural advisory services significantly increases the probability that farmers will adopt improved maize and soybean varieties, as well as integrated soil fertility management practices related to maize cultivation. A nonlinear relationship between extension intensity and technology adoption was also revealed through the dose-response function. Beyond a certain threshold of extension intensity, the marginal effect on the adoption of improved varieties begins to decline. Furthermore, a significant correlation is observed between the error terms of the adoption equations, indicating that the technologies studied are interdependent within each crop. It also emerges that agricultural extension is effective only when the main barrier to technology adoption is informational in nature. Consequently, improving the coverage and intensity of participation in agricultural advisory services constitutes the primary policy lever for increasing the dissemination of agricultural technologies and innovations among smallholder farmers.