Determinant of Agricultural Lime Technology Adoption by Smallholder Farmers in Ejere District of West Shewa Zone of Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Smallholder farmers in Ethiopia largely practice subsistence agriculture, which is constrained by low productivity. This challenge is partly attributed to declining soil fertility, limited access to essential inputs such as fertilizers and quality seeds, and increasing soil chemical degradation particularly soil acidity. To address soil acidity, agricultural lime application has been widely recommended by the national research system as an effective soil reclamation practice. Therefore, this study aims to identify and analyze the key factors influencing smallholder farmers’ adoption of agricultural liming technology. Data were collected from 145 households using a structured questionnaire and analyzed through descriptive statistics and a binary logistic regression model. Results show that agricultural lime adoption is significantly and positively influenced by education, farm size, access to lime technology, extension contact, field-day participation, and cooperative membership, while age and market distance negatively affect adoption. The findings suggest that enhancing extension services, input accessibility, and farmer training can substantially improve liming technology uptake and productivity on acidic soils.