Abstract:
The importance of social networks and their effects on the development process have gained
wide recognition among academicians and practitioner’s; Social networks play a significant role
in learning and in farmers’ adoption of new agricultural technologies. Thus, the study was
carried out to identify effects of social networks on soybean technology adoption and its
production. To meet the objective of the study, multistage sampling procedure was used to select
Woreda, Kebles and 386-sample respondents Moreover, both qualitative and quantitative data
were collected have reliable information from primary and secondary sources. Data were
analyzed using descriptive statistics, inferential statistics (T-test and chi-square test), and binary
logistic regression model. Social Network Analysis (Ucinet software, version6) were used as a
tool to analyze the existing social networks. The results identified three type of social networks
for dissemination of soya bean technology, which include: bonding, bridging and linking, among
them about 82.5% of adopters and 17.5% of non-adopters involved in all type of bonding,
bridging and linking of social networks. Those involved in all bonding, bridging, linking social
network had the highest level of output (4.75 quintal/household), and those involved in single
social network had 1.5 up to 4.125 quintal/household of soya bean production. The binary
logistic regression model output showed that, family size, off/non-farm income, training for soya
bean, bridging, linking, bonding and bridging, bridging and linking, all bonding, bridging,
linking were found to have positive and significant influence on the adoption of recommended
soya bean technology. Likewise, education and marital status have negative and significant
influences on adoption of soya bean technology. In general, study showed that involving of all in
bonding, bridging, linking social networks, relatives, friends, and neighbors were the most
important nodes of information, seed sources; influential networks in the adoption of
recommended soya bean technology and soya bean production in the study area. Therefore,
government and nongovernmental organization should emphasized on capacity-building
program on social capital strengthen strategy and more research investments in understanding
the differentiated outcomes of these forms of social networks on use and adoption of technologies
to further guide agricultural interventions.
