Kavumvuli, Phulumensi Revokatusi2026-03-122026-03-122013https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/20.500.14820/7401DissertationThis study aimed at finding out challenges that cause low adoption of the land degradation mitigation strategies by smallholder maize farmers in Kasulu District. It specifically aimed at: identifying the rate and effectiveness of the adopted degradation mitigation measures, assess factors that influence the adoption, and identifying the potentials and barriers of the interventions. A total of 140 respondents were involved through simple random, stratified and purposeful sampling. Household questionnaire survey and field observations were used for primary data collection. The findings revealed adoption of mitigation measures resulted into significantly higher maize productivity compared to non-adoption. Furthermore, the study indicateda significant link between social economic factors and degradation mitigation measures adoption. Binary Logistic Regression Analysis Model shows the duration a farmer has adopted the practice, the household wealth status, and awareness on land conservation, farm size, and involvement in alternative income sources influenced adoption differently. To conserve the land, peasants moderately practiced terracing, crop rotations, traditional bush fallow, and inorganic fertilizer application. This was because most farmers could not afford to pay for the extra labour cost required to pay for some mitigation measures. The key identified challenges were lack of sufficient access to extension services, increased costs of the farm inputs, increased costs in farm labour. activities, and conservatism. The study concluded that, existence of challenges have perpetuated land degradation which have as the result significantly affected the production of maize by smallholder farmers in miombo areas.enMitigation strategiesLand degradationMiombo woodlandsKasulu districtTanzaniaThesis