Lekei,David Eliatosha2025-12-052025-12-052014https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/20.500.14820/7171DissertationThe continuous fall of maize production and low adoption of recommended maize production practices like phosphate fertilizer application in Hai District, Kilimanjaro Region have enhanced to conduct this study. The study investigated factors influencing the adoption of phosphate fertilizers in Hai District. Specifically it aimed at, assessing the current level of adoption of recommended phosphate fertilizer, determine the independent factors that influences the adoption of recommended phosphate fertilizers and finally to determine the intervening factors that influence the adoption of recommended phosphate fertilizers in selected villages in Hai District. Primary data were collected by the use of an interview schedule from 120 respondents selected at random. Data were analysed by using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) computer program where descriptive statistics such as frequency and percentage were used to determine distribution of the study variables. Correlation was used to determine relationship between independent and dependent variables while Chi — square tested the significance difference between variables. Findings reveal that the level of adoption of recommended phosphate fertilizer package in the study area is low. Majority 76% of respondents did not apply phosphate fertilizer at all. Only 9.2% used the recommended rates while 15% of the respondents used phosphate fertilizers below the recommended rate of 50kg or 100kg per acre (125kg or 250kg per Ha) for those who applied DAP and MRP, respectively. Several factors seemed to have influence on the level of adoption. These are age, level of education and farm size of respondent. There is strongly influence of the intervening factors, namely the Efficiency Misperception (EM), Need tension (NT) (regarded as need aspects), awareness (knowledge), and prominence (perception). In general, the adoption of recommended phosphate fertilizer package in the study area is strongly influenced by the intervening variables.enPhosphate fertilizerMaize ProductionHai districtThesis