Determinants of Tissue Culture Technology Adoption in Banana Cultivation: Evidence from Chitwan District, Nepal
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24925/turjaf.v14i4.1159-1168.8230Keywords:
Adoption, Food security, Tissue culture banana technology, Training, Use of technologyAbstract
Banana production in Nepal faces persistent challenges, including susceptibility to disease, low yields, and reliance on inferior planting materials. Tissue culture (TC) technology offers a potential solution; however, its adoption remains limited due to constraints such as inadequate access to credit, low awareness, poor infrastructure, small farm sizes, risk aversion, inconsistent availability of complementary inputs and the absence of government subsidies. These constraints reduce productivity, limit farm profitability, and slow the diffusion of improved planting technologies. Considering these challenges, this study was conducted to examine the determinants influencing the adoption of tissue culture technology in banana cultivation in the Chitwan district of Nepal. Primary data were obtained from 75 randomly selected farmers (35 adopters and 40 non-adopters) from Ratnanagar and Kalika municipalities through a semi-structured questionnaire. A binary logistic regression model was employed to identify the key factors affecting adoption decisions. The results indicated that formal education, years of banana farming experience, and duration of awareness of tissue culture technology significantly increased the likelihood of adoption (p<0.05). Conversely, high seedling cost and limited technical knowledge reduced adoption probability. Among adopters, the major challenge was the high-water requirement of tissue culture seedlings, while non-adopters struggled with severe pest and disease problems. Access to high-quality seedlings and affordable irrigation infrastructure emerged as critical enablers of adoption, whereas the high cost of tissue culture seedlings and limited technical knowledge were identified as major barriers. To promote wider adoption, government extension services and relevant organizations should prioritize outreach to farmers with higher educational attainment, greater farming experience and increased exposure to tissue culture practices.
References
APAARI (2019). Banana Tissue Culture in India – A Success Story. Asia Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions, Bangkok, Thailand.
Atsriku, G. E. (2020). The Adoption of Agriculture Technology in Small-Scale Farming in the Adumasa Community in Ghana. Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies. The Hague, The Netherlands.
Bairwa, K. C., Singh, A., Jhajaria, A., Singh, H., Goyam, B. K., Lata, M., & Singh, N. (2015). Conventional sucker with tissue culture banana production in Central India- A case study. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 10(14), 1751–1755. https://doi.org/10.5897/ajar2013.8382
Bandewar, S. V., Wambugu, F., Richardson, E., & Lavery, J. V. (2017). The role of community engagement in the adoption of new agricultural biotechnologies by farmers: the case of the Africa harvest tissue-culture banana in Kenya. BMC biotechnology, 17(1), 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12896-017-0347-4
Bhatta, S., Pant, P., Kapri, R., & Mishra, B. P. (2023). Production efficiency of banana cultivation in Chitwan District, Nepal. Cogent Food & Agriculture, 9(1), 2212461. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311932.2023.2212461
Chippari, K. R. (2010). Adoption of tissue culture in horticulture: A study of banana-growing farmers in Kadapa District. Centre for Economic and Social Studies.
De Souza, E. H., De Carvalho Costa, M. A. P., Souza, F. V. D., Costa Junior, D. S., Amorim, E. P., De Oliveira e Silva, S., & Dos Santos-Serejo, J. A. (2012). Genetic variability of banana with ornamental potential. Euphytica, 184, 355-367. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-011-0553-4
Dissanayake, C. A. K., Jayathilake, W., Wickramasuriya, H. V. A., Dissanayake, U., & Wasala, W. M. C. B. (2022). A review on factors affecting technology adoption in agricultural sector. Journal of Agricultural Sciences – Sri Lanka, 17(2), 280–296. https://doi.org/10.4038/jas.v17i2.9743
Gautam, A., Shrestha, A., & Jaishi, M. (2018). Factors affecting adoption of banana insurance in Kawasoti Municipality, Nepal. Research & Reviews: Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, 7(2), 5–12. https://doi.org/10.37591/rrjoast.v7i2.1299
ICIMOD. (2015). Expanding commercial banana production in Nepal - ICIMOD. ICIMOD - International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development. https://www.icimod.org/ expanding-commercial-banana-production-in-nepal
Kabunga, N. S., Dubois, T., & Qaim, M. (2012). Heterogeneous information exposure and technology adoption: the case of tissue culture bananas in Kenya. Agricultural Economics, 43(5), 473–491.
Khoozani, A. A., Birch, J., & Bekhit, A. A. (2019). Production, application and health effects of banana pulp and peel flour in the food industry. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 56, 548-559. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-018-03562-z
Kumar, A., Takeshima, H., Thapa, G., Adhikari, N., Saroj, S., Karkee, M., & Joshi, P. (2020). Adoption and diffusion of improved technologies and production practices in agriculture: Insights from a donor-led intervention in Nepal. Land Use Policy, 95, 104621. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.104621
Langat, B., Ngeno, V., Nyangweso, P., Mutwol, M. J., Gohole, L., & Yaninek, S. (2013). Drivers of technology adoption in a subsistence economy: The case of tissue culture banana in Western Kenya [Paper presentation]. 2013 4th International Conference of the African Association of Agricultural Economists, Hammamet, Tunisia. https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.161444
Li, Y., & Zhang, Z. (2023). Research on farmers’ adoption of additional technology combinations: Practice from Chongqing, China. Plos one, 18(11), e0294862. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0294862
Masinde, W. J., Obare, G. A., Owuor, G., & Wasilwa, L. (2013, September 22-25). Factors influencing adoption of tissue culture banana in Western Kenya [Paper presentation]. 4th International Conference of AAAE, Yasmine Hammamet, Tunisia. https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.160519
Melesse, B. (2018). A review on factors affecting adoption of agricultural new technologies in Ethiopia. Journal of Agricultural Science and Food Research, 9(3), 1-4.
MoALD. (2024). Statistical information of Nepalese agriculture 2079/80(2022/23). Government of Nepal, Ministry of Agricultural and Livestock Development, Agri-Business Promotion and Statistics Division, Singhadurbar, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Mohanta, R., Chakraborty, S., Hazra, S., Maiti, P., Roy, S., Ghorai, S., & Bauri, F. K. (2026). Standardizing in-vitro propagation and evaluating field performance against conventional sucker propagation in banana (Musa spp. cv. Grand Naine). Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12892-026-00341-7
NSO. (2021). National population and housing census 2021 (national report). Government of Nepal, Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, National Statistics Office, Thapathali, Kathmandu. https://censusnepal.cbs.gov.np/results/downloads/national
Omari, E. N., Mucheru-Muna, M., & Mburu, B. K. (2024). Socioeconomic factors influencing the uptake of tissue culture banana technology in Kisii County, Kenya. Environmental Challenges, 14, 100812. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envc.2023.100812
Owombo, P. T., Idumah, F. O., Akinola, A. A., & Ayodele, O. O. (2015). Does land tenure security matter for adoption of sustainable agricultural technology? Evidence from agroforestry in Nigeria. Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa, 17(6), 65-82.
Phulara, G., Budha, J., Puri, C., & Pant, P. (2020). Economics of production and marketing of banana in Kailali, Nepal. Food Agribusiness Manag, 1(1), 43-46. https://doi.org/10.26480/fabm.01.2020.43.46
Simtowe, F., Asfaw, S., & Abate, T. (2016). Determinants of agricultural technology adoption under partial population awareness: the case of pigeonpea in Malawi. Agricultural and Food Economics, 4(7), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40100-016-0051-z
Singh, H. P., Uma, S., Selvarajan, R., & Karihaloo, J. L. (2011). Micropropagation for production of quality banana planting material in Asia-Pacific. Asia-Pacific Consortium on Agricultural Biotechnology (APCoAB), New Delhi, India, 92.
Singh, O. P. (2024). Factors influencing adoption of tissue culture banana (TCB) technology among banana farmers in Chitwan district, Nepal. NPI Journal of Science and Technology, 1, 2-13.
Senanayake, S.S & Rathnayaka, R.M.S.D. (2015). Analysis of factors affecting for adoption of good agricultural practices in potato cultivation in Badulla district, Sri Lanka. AGRIEAST: Journal of Agriculture Sciences, 10, 1-5. http://www.digital.lib.esn.ac.lk/handle/123456789/3746
Senyange, B., De Steur, H., Wesana, J., Gellynck, X., & Van Huylenbroeck, G. (2024). Stakeholders’ evaluation of tissue culture plants: evidence from social, economic, and agronomic studies. The Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology, 99(6), 620-638. https://doi.org/10.1080/14620316.2024.2376591
Suman, S. (2017). Plant tissue culture: A promising tool of quality material production with special reference to micropropagation of banana. Biochemical & Cellular Archives, 17(1).
Tranmer, M. & Elliot, M. (2008). Binary logistic regression. Cathie Marsh for Census and Survey Research, 20(1), 10-21.
Thuo, C. N. (2018). An assessment of adoption of tissue culture banana in the semi-arid areas of lower Eastern region of Kenya [Master’s thesis, South Eastern Kenya University].
Thuo, C. N., Nguluu, D. S., & Kisangau, D. P. (2017). Factors affecting adoption of tissue culture banana in the semi-arid areas of lower eastern region of Kenya. International Journal of Recent Research in Life Sciences, 4(3), 1-26.
Timilsina, S., Khanal, M., Pradhan, R., Bhattarai, A., & Sapkota, M. (2022). Determinants of farmers’ participation in banana insurance in Chitwan District, Nepal. The Journal of Agriculture and Environment, 23, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.3126/aej.v23i1.46844
Tumaini, S., Gwahula, R., & Macha, S. (2023). The influence of complexity on the adoption of tissue culture banana seedlings in Tanzania. International Journal of Business, Law, and Education, 5(1), 148–157. https://doi.org/10.56442/ijble.v5i1.254
Tumaini, S., Raphael, G., & Salvio, M. (2024). The influence of observability on the adoption of tissue culture banana seedlings in Tanzania. European Journal of Economics, Law and Politics, 11(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.19044/esipreprint.2.2024.p305
Wahome, C. N., Maingi, J. M., Ombori, O., Kimiti, J. M., & Njeru, E. M. (2021). Banana Production Trends, Cultivar Diversity, and Tissue Culture Technologies Uptake in Kenya. International Journal of Agronomy, 2021 (1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6634046
Yigezu, Y. A., Mugera, A., El-Shater, T., Aw-Hassan, A., Piggin, C., Haddad, A., Khalil, Y., & Loss, S. (2018). Enhancing adoption of agricultural technologies requiring high initial investment among smallholders. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 134, 199–206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018.06.006
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
