Barriers to sustained adoption of integrated soil fertility management practices: evidence from smallholder farmers in northern Ghana

Abstract While numerous studies have examined the initial adoption of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) practices, little is known about the factors that sustain their continued use over time. This study addresses this knowledge gap by analyzing the determinants of sustained ISFM adoption among smallholder farmers in northern Ghana. The analysis draws on primary data from a 2023 structured survey of 412 randomly selected maize-farming households across 15 communities—formerly part of the Northern Region, now administratively designated as the Savannah and Northeast regions—and highlights the roles of insurance awareness, extension services, market accessibility, and credit availability. The results show that insurance awareness is positively associated with intercropping or relay cropping, yet negatively correlated with continued use of improved seeds, suggesting the need for insurance products that better align with specific input strategies. Market inaccessibility emerges as a major constraint, underscoring the importance of rural infrastructure development to support ISFM uptake. Credit availability exhibits a positive but statistically insignificant association with chemical fertilizer use, while it is significantly negatively associated with organic fertilizer use, indicating a potential trade-off whereby improved financial access may favor chemical inputs over organic ones. Extension services and household labor availability are both positively associated with input intensity, emphasizing the roles of information and labor resources in sustaining ISFM practices. Overall, the findings suggest the need for integrated policy measures combining tailored insurance schemes, infrastructure investment, and balanced financial support to promote long-term ISFM adoption and sustainable agricultural intensification.