Improving seed selection and storage to increase yields among Ugandan potato growers

Last registered on November 26, 2024

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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title

Improving seed selection and storage to increase yields among Ugandan potato growers

RCT ID

AEARCTR-0001014

Initial registration date

January 27, 2016

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published

January 27, 2016, 9:17 AM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Last updated

November 26, 2024, 7:47 AM EST

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

Country

Uganda

Region

southwest

Primary Investigator

Name

Bjorn Van Campenhout

Affiliation

Ifpri

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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name

Piet Van Asten

PI Affiliation

IITA

Contact Investigator

PI Name

Senne Vandevelde

PI Affiliation

LICOS-KULEUVEN

Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status

Completed

Start date

2016-02-15

End date

2017-05-10

Keywords

Agriculture

Additional Keywords

technology adoption, seed selection, extension

JEL code(s)

O13, O33

Secondary IDs

Prior work

This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.

Abstract

To spur sustainable intensification in potato growing in southwestern Uganda, previous research within PASIC has shown that it’s primarily a seed quality issue. While increasing access to potato seed derived from basic pathogen free starter seed should remain a key policy priority, existing seed systems may currently be too weak to be scaled up in a relatively short time. Therefore, small interventions aimed at increasing awareness about the importance of the quality of existing planting material, as well as increasing skills in selection and handling of seed material may be more cost effective. This view was share by IFDC-Catalyst, who have set up seed screen houses in a rather ad-hoc way. The hypothesis is also in line with previous research that identified knowledge gaps as a significant barrier to crop intensification methods more in general. This research will engage in action research on the (relative) effectiveness of providing information on how to select, store and handle planting material to improve potato seed quality. To do so, we will use a social experiment in the field that exposes farmers to short agricultural extension messages (for example through a short video) on how to select the best planting materials and on how to store and handle planting materials between the last harvest and the next planting season. The experiment will use a design that will enable us to also disentangle the effect of information on the selection of seeds from the effect of information on storage and handling.

External Link(s)

the entire project is under Version Control using Git and linked to a (private) repository hosted at bitbucket.

PSS video

PSSH video

Registration Citation

Citation

Van Campenhout, Bjorn, Piet Van Asten and Senne Vandevelde. 2024. "Improving seed selection and storage to increase yields among Ugandan potato growers." AEA RCT Registry. November 26. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.1014-14.0

Former Citation

Sponsors & Partners

Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)

We will use a social experiment in the field that exposes farmers to short agricultural extension messages (for example through a short video) on how to select the best planting materials and on how to store and handle planting materials between the last harvest and the next planting season. The experiment will use a design that will enable us to also disentangle the effect of information on the selection of seeds from the effect of information on storage and handling.

Intervention (Hidden)

Intervention Start Date

2016-04-01

Intervention End Date

2017-05-01

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)

potato yield, household consumption expenditure.

Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)

Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

2X2 factorial design. About 100 households will receive information on how to select the best planting materials from the previous harvest. About 100 households will receive information on how to store and handle planting materials between the last harvest and the next planting period. This will be done in such a way that there are 50 households that receive both types of information and 50 households that do not receive any information at all (a control group).

Experimental Design Details

Randomization Method

We have access to baseline data. Randomization will be done on a computer after bloc matching. An algorithm was developed to perform a hierarchical clustering in groups of equal cluster size using nearest neighbor matching. The algorithm also tries to maximize distance between households within each cluster (based on GPS coordinates) to minimize spillover effects. We have used the following cluster variables: household size, age of household head, average productivity of potato, gender of household head, total area of potato cultivation , consumption per capita, distance to input distributor, amount of credit received in the last year and whether the household had access to extension for potato growing. The algorithm can be found here (http://is.gd/ZGP3cF), the script that generates the randomization here (http://is.gd/fmfgCm) and the allocation of treatment here (http://is.gd/1FfWIW). The last is also uploaded as supporting materials to this registration.

Randomization Unit

household level: potato growing farm households in eastern uganda

Was the treatment clustered?

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters

200

Sample size: planned number of observations

200

Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms

200

Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)

The agronomy survey suggests an increase in yields from about 4.5 tons/ha to 14 tons/ha. Power calculations to detect ¼ th of such an effect suggests we need about 94 observations in each treatment arm. We therefor propose to run an experiment that involves about 200 observations in a 2x2 factorial design. In such a design, about 100 households will receive information on how to select the best planting materials from the previous harvest. About 100 households will receive information on how to store and handle planting materials between the last harvest and the next planting period. This will be done in such a way that there are 50 households that receive both types of information and 50 households that do not receive any information at all (a control group).

Supporting Documents and Materials

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IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name

IFPRI IRB #00007490 FWA #00005121

IRB Approval Date

2016-02-26

IRB Approval Number

2016-12-DSGD-M

Analysis Plan

Analysis Plan Documents

pap

MD5: 29018654dcc1251de9c779e2df4f5dc8

SHA1: ba234146244b792c1d81496100ae603f0b242163

Uploaded At: April 22, 2016

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?

Yes

Intervention Completion Date

May 01, 2016, 12:00 +00:00

Data Collection Complete

Yes

Data Collection Completion Date

May 01, 2017, 12:00 +00:00

Final Sample Size: Number of Clusters (Unit of Randomization)

246

Was attrition correlated with treatment status?

Final Sample Size: Total Number of Observations

246

Final Sample Size (or Number of Clusters) by Treatment Arms

246

Data Publication

Is public data available?

Yes

Public Data URL

https://bitbucket.org/bjvca/potseedrct/src/3685eb35fe3eddf9418b5ea3081819c11c207089/data/endlineV1.csv?at=master&fileviewer=file-view-default

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Program Files

Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Abstract

To feed a growing population, agricultural productivity needs to increase dramatically. Agricultural extension information, with its public, non-rival nature, is generally undersupplied, and public provision remains challenging. In this study, simple agricultural extension video messages, delivered through Android tablets, were tested in the field to determine if they increased farmers’ knowledge of recommended practices on (i) potato seed selection and (ii) seed storage and handling among a sample of potato farmers in southwestern Uganda. Using a field experiment with ex ante matching in a factorial design, it was established that showing agricultural extension videos significantly increased farmers’ knowledge. However, results suggested impact pathways that went beyond simply replicating what was shown in the video. Video messages may have triggered a process of abstraction, whereby farmers applied insights gained in one context to a different context.

Citation

Van Campenhout B, Vandevelde S, Walukano W, Van Asten P (2017) Agricultural Extension Messages Using Video on Portable Devices Increased Knowledge about Seed Selection, Storage and Handling among Smallholder Potato Farmers in Southwestern Uganda. PLoS ONE 12(1): e0169557. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0169557

URL

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0169557

Abstract

Pervasive use of poor quality seed remains an important reason for low yields throughout the developing world. We explore cost-effective ways to increase the quality of the local stock of seed tubers among a sample of Ugandan potato farmers. We do this by providing agricultural extension information on (i) how to select the best seed tubers and (ii) how to properly handle and store seed tubers until the next planting season. The information is conveyed in the form of engaging videos, shown to individual farmers on mobile devices. The relative effectiveness of the information interventions is tested using an individually randomized controlled trial with a 2x2 factorial design. However, such interventions are prone to spillovers, and there are indications that control farmers might have learned about seed selection, storage and handling through their proximity to, or contacts with, farmers in the treatment group. Therefore, we explicitly model spillovers ex post using a randomization-based framework and use both farmers' GPS locations as well as survey data on actual interactions between treatment and control farmers to define the social networks through which information travels. After accounting for spillovers, we find evidence that especially the video containing information on seed selection translated into a higher awareness and adoption of recommended practices, a higher probability of using improved inputs as well as higher consumption

Citation

Vandevelde, Senne; Van Campenhout, Bjorn; and Walukano, Wilberforce. 2018. Spoiler alert! Spillovers in the context of a video intervention to maintain seed quality among Ugandan potato farmers. LICOS Discussion Paper 407/2018. Leuven, Belgium: LICOS Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance

URL

http://www.ifpri.org/publication/spoiler-alert-spillovers-context-video-intervention-maintain-seed-quality-among-ugandan

Abstract

Purpose

Pervasive use of poor quality seed remains an important reason for low yields throughout the developing world. We explore ways to increase the quality of the local stock of seed tubers among a sample of Ugandan potato farmers.

Design/methodology/approach: Using videos, we provide agricultural extension information on (i) how to select the best seed tubers and (ii) how to properly handle and store seed tubers until the next planting season. The relative effectiveness of the information interventions is tested using an individually randomized controlled trial where we model spillovers using a randomization-based framework for estimating causal effects under interference between units.

Findings: Especially the video on seed selection translated into increased awareness and adoption of recommended practices, increased probability of using improved inputs, as well as higher consumption.

Practical implications: Interventions aimed at improving seed quality are important in the absence of access to high-quality seed. Video messages are becoming increasingly useful as a complementary tool in agricultural extension.

Theoretical implications: Randomization-based inference can be used to take into account spillover effects in the analysis rather than the design phase of an experiment.

Citation

Vandevelde, S., Van Campenhout, B., & Walukano, W. (2021). Accounting for spillovers in assessing the effectiveness of video messages to improve potato seed quality: evidence from Uganda. The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 1-32.

URL

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1389224X.2021.1880454

Reports & Other Materials

Description

Results Report

Citation

File

ResultsReport_1014_filled.pdf

MD5: bf030427c8bcb9bee3315eeb36e401f8

SHA1: 4256ca1c44e9c874af9ce72bc1c19a52d6c6267d

Uploaded At: November 26, 2024