Scientific African最新文献

{"title":"Intra-household farm decisions, agricultural risks, and household welfare: Evidence from smallholder farmers in four SSA countries","authors":"Alhassan Abdul-Wakeel Karakara","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02693","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02693","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The agricultural sector in many Sub-Saharan African countries is marked by different risk factors. Furthermore, in many farming households, farm decision-making could either be taken by the husband alone or both spouses, most of the time with men making the main farming decisions. Using micro-level household datasets, Smallholder Household Survey, for four countries in sub-Saharan Africa, this study examines the effect of intra-household farm decisions on the likelihood of farmers experiencing agricultural risk on one hand, and the intersection of the drivers of agricultural risks and intra-household farm decisions' impact on smallholder household welfare. The study shows that socioeconomic factors determine the likelihood of farmers experiencing agricultural risk and that in the face of these risks, intra-household farm decisions affect household welfare. The study makes evidence-based recommendations to reduce farmers’ vulnerabilities to agricultural risks and proposes spousal joint decision-making regarding farming activities and smallholder household welfare enhancement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"28 ","pages":"Article e02693"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143815420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unveiling novel VEGFR-2 inhibitors: QSAR modeling, molecular docking, MD and MM-GBSA calculations, pharmacokinetics profiling and DFT studies","authors":"Sagiru Hamza Abdullahi ,&nbsp;Rajesh B. Patil ,&nbsp;Adamu Uzairu ,&nbsp;Muhammad Tukur Ibrahim ,&nbsp;Mustapha Abdullahi ,&nbsp;Babangida Abdullahi Saje","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02692","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02692","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Breast cancer ranks as the primary recurring cancer affecting women, the staggering 1.3 million cases reported annually call for impactful intervention strategies. Novel benzoxazole/benzimidazole molecules as VEGFR-2 target inhibitors were unveiled. To achieve this, a reliable QSAR model was built with statistical parameters such as an R² = 0.929, R²_adj = 0.917, Q²_cv = 0.899, and R²_pred = 0.603. Virtual screening identified compound 35 (pIC₅₀ = 4.165) as a lead molecule which facilitate the design of five novel candidates with higher predicted pIC₅₀ within the range of 4.208 to 4.698, via the addition and substitution of electron rich –OH, -NH₂, and -F at strategic positions on the template. Docking simulation with the VEGFR-2 target revealed their excellent affinities from -169.129 to -176.724 and -143.283 and -150.234 kcal/mol. Compound 35d with scores of -176.724, and -150.234 kcal/mol, underwent a 200-ns comparative MD simulation and MM-GBSA analysis with Sorafenib. The results revealed that 35d has a better propensity of stabilizing the VEGFR-2 target than Sorafenib. In addition, pharmacological profiling validated the drug-like potential of the proposed candidates, demonstrating 0 to 1 breaches of the Lipinski's rules and promising ADMET features. DFT analyses illustrates the reactive profiles of the proposed candidates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"28 ","pages":"Article e02692"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143814932","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modified fuzzy logic and artificial bee colony: An artificial intelligence approach to optimization and power quality improvement in an MPPT-based system","authors":"Musawenkosi Lethumcebo Thanduxolo Zulu ,&nbsp;Rudiren Sarma ,&nbsp;Remy Tiako","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02690","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02690","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microgrids are the most efficient method for generating, distributing, and regulating power for consumers using localized distributed energy resources. Nevertheless, achieving optimal economic dispatch and power quality enhancement in microgrids is a significant and challenging topic since solar and wind power generation are inconsistent. In this paper, optimization, and improvement of power quality in a maximum power point tracker (MPPT) based system utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) techniques are studied. The efficiency of a photovoltaic and wind energy system is maximized in this work by using an AI optimization strategy to determine the best scaling parameters for a fuzzy logic-based MPPT controller. This paper presents an improved fuzzy logic and artificial bee colony (FLABC) technique for optimization and power quality enhancement in an MPPT-based system. optimal economic dispatch solution for a microgrid, with the goal of meeting load and balance demand, while reducing the cost of power generation and gas emissions. The FLABC technique is proposed for optimization and power quality enhancement in an MPPT-based hybrid renewable system. The core strength of this study is in the application of AI engineering, particularly in the field of renewable energy as a significant replacement for fossil fuels. The power that goes from the PV wind to the load is directly impacted by the setting of the input and output parameters. Firstly, mathematical model that considers the various traits of distributed generation units and loads was built, with the aim to enhance ABC's global convergence performance to make the model fit. Second, the key stages were outlined for using the modified ABC to solve the optimal power quality enhancement. Thirdly, several scenarios simulations were highlighted the advantages and potency of the suggested strategy for optimal power quality enhancement in microgrids. The study was conducted using MATLAB/Simulink software for simulations. Under various climatic situations, the suggested ABC-based fuzzy controller's performances are compared to those attained using fuzzy logic and ABC controllers. The simulation results demonstrated that the suggested Fuzzy logic-based ABC controller outperformed the performance in terms of the solar energy gained.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"28 ","pages":"Article e02690"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143825969","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing fault detection and classification in photovoltaic systems based on a hybrid approach using fuzzy logic algorithm and thermal image processing","authors":"Abdelilah Et-taleby ,&nbsp;Yassine Chaibi ,&nbsp;Nouamane Ayadi ,&nbsp;Badr Elkari ,&nbsp;Mohamed Benslimane ,&nbsp;Zakaria Chalh","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02684","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02684","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the rapid expansion of photovoltaic systems globally, efficient fault detection and classification have become crucial to sustaining optimal energy yield and minimizing costly downtimes. Traditional PV fault detection techniques often face limitations in scalability, precision, and the ability to diagnose various fault types. Addressing this gap, this study presents a hybrid model that leverages thermal image processing integrated with the Mamdani fuzzy logic algorithm to accurately detect and classify six critical PV fault types: partial shading, total shading, cracked cells, short circuits, activated bypass diodes, and disconnected modules. This innovative approach employs a two-phase process wherein thermal image data undergoes feature extraction for temperature and shadow analysis, followed by fuzzy logic-based classification, achieving a high accuracy rate of 98.85 %. By delivering high accuracy, the method outperforms conventional techniques, reducing misclassification in diverse operational environments. The performance of the proposed model has been validated through extensive testing, establishing a comprehensive framework for PV system diagnostics. It represents a significant advancement in renewable energy technology and contributes meaningfully to advancing sustainable energy systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"28 ","pages":"Article e02684"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143808771","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hydrogeochemical controls on groundwater salinization in a coastal aquifer, SE Ghana: Implications for seawater mixing and anthropogenic influences","authors":"Shadrack Fosu ,&nbsp;Felisa Maame Nuamah-Amonoo ,&nbsp;Emmanuel Daanoba Sunkari ,&nbsp;Emmanuel Abrokwah ,&nbsp;Samuel Agyarko Ndur","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02688","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02688","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coastal aquifers across the globe are vulnerable to long-term salinization due to the attendant effects of climate change. Despite this threat to coastal aquifers, techniques for geochemical fingerprinting of the sources and factors controlling groundwater salinization are still evolving. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the hydrogeochemical characteristics, identify sources of groundwater constituents, and evaluate processes and sources that contribute to groundwater salinization in the Ga West Municipality in SE Ghana by calculation of Revelle Index (RI) and Seawater Mixing Index (SMI) values, geochemical modelling, and chemometric analysis. The results indicate that sodium (Na⁺) and bicarbonate (HCO₃^-) are the dominant ions in the groundwater. The predominant water types are Na-HCO₃-Cl (24.4 %) and Na-Ca-HCO₃-Cl (17.2 %), with other mixed forms. The results of the chemometric analysis revealed that groundwater constituents are mainly derived from anthropogenic sources and salinization with limited contribution from geogenic and evaporation crystallisation processes. The groundwater shows undersaturation with respect to gypsum, calcite, aragonite, talc, halite, and quartz. The RI values range from 0.11 to 6.54 with an average value of 0.97, indicating that about 58.6 % of the boreholes in the study area are affected by salinization. Also, the SMI values indicate that 21 % of the samples show seawater intrusion as the cause of groundwater salinization. However, the groundwater salinization can also be attributed to anthropogenic activities like farming in the study area. These key findings imply that groundwater salinization in the Ga West Municipality driven by seawater mixing and human activities, poses a significant threat to agricultural productivity due to increased soil salinity. Thus, there is the need for sustainable groundwater management practices and monitoring systems to mitigate the impacts and ensure the availability of fresh water for future generations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"28 ","pages":"Article e02688"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143791355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence and associated risk factors of intestinal parasite infections among patients attending Dil Yibza Health Center, North Gondar, Ethiopia","authors":"Ayanew Amogne ,&nbsp;Destaw Damtie","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02679","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02679","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Intestinal parasite infections (IPIs) are a significant global public health issue, particularly in Ethiopia, where data on prevalence and associated risk factors are lacking in regions like Dil Yibza town, northwest Ethiopia. The present study assessed the prevalence and associated risk factors of intestinal parasite infections (IPIs) among patients attending Dil Yibza health center in Beyeda district, north Gondar zone, Ethiopia. The authors conducted a health center-based cross-sectional study on 404 systematically selected patients visiting Dil Yibza health center, north Gondar zone (Ethiopia), from December 2019 to February 2020. Data were collected using a pretested, structured Amharic version of a questionnaire after obtaining verbal consent from each respondent. Approximately 2–3 g of fresh stool samples were collected and subjected to direct saline wet mount and formaldehyde concentration methods. All data were coded and entered into SPSS software version 25 to perform the statistical analysis. The association between the risk factors and the presence of IPIs was determined using bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions. P-values &lt;0.05 were considered to be statistically significant. We identified nine species of intestinal parasites. The overall prevalence of IPIs was 55.2 %. Entamoeba histolytica/ dispar (46.5 %) was the most predominant parasite followed by Ascaris lumbricoides (9.2 %), Giardia lamblia (2.7 %), hookworm species (1.2 %), Hymenolepis nana (1.0 %), Trichuris trichiura (0.7 %), Enterobius vermicularis (0.5 %), and Schistosoma mansoni (0.2 %). We found double and triple parasitic infections in 6.7 % and 0.2 % of the respondents, respectively. Being divorced (AOR = 3.21, CI = 1.15–8.96, <em>p</em> = 0.03), illiteracy (AOR = 2.61, CI = 1.24–5.49, <em>p</em> = 0.011), having diarrhea (AOR = 4.22, CI = 2.57–6.91, <em>p</em> = 0.001), absence of handwashing habit after defecation (AOR = 4.36, CI = 2.83–6.72, <em>p</em> = 0.000), the habit of eating unwashed vegetables (AOR = 5.43, CI = 4.33–23.77, <em>p</em> = 0.000), dirt under fingernails (AOR = 5.63, CI = 2.60–11.32, <em>p</em> = 0.001), and poor personal hygiene (AOR = 7.01, CI = 4.35–8.95, <em>p</em> = 0.015) were associated risk factors for IPIs (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). In conclusion, the prevalence of IPIs in the study area is high. We recommend the regular provision of health education on personal hygiene and environmental sanitation and periodic deworming.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"28 ","pages":"Article e02679"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143808773","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Antidiabetic and anti-obesogenic potential of some artificial sweeteners; and their modulatory effects on iron-induced hepatic oxidative stress","authors":"Huda Ismail,&nbsp;Almahi I. Mohamed,&nbsp;Nontokozo Z. Msomi,&nbsp;Md. Shahidul Islam","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02667","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02667","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The excessive consumption of simple carbohydrates, such as sucrose and fructose, has been identified as one of the most significant risk factors contributing to the development of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Consequently, the use of artificial sweeteners (AS) as sugar alternatives has surged. Present study was intended to examine the antioxidant, anti-obesogenic, and anti-diabetic potential of commonly used AS, namely saccharin, sucralose, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium, using <em>in vitro, ex vivo,</em> and <em>in silico</em> experimental models. The <em>in vitro</em> antioxidant activity was determined using the DPPH, NO, and OH^• radical scavenging activities. The effects of the sweeteners on α-amylase, α-glucosidase, pancreatic lipase inhibitions, and glucose uptake using yeast cells were also evaluated. Computational molecular docking was further conducted to examine their mode of enzyme inhibitory activity. Additionally, their protective effect against Fe²⁺-induced oxidative hepatic injury was investigated <em>ex vivo</em>. Saccharin showed the most significant (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05) <em>in vitro</em> antioxidant activity among the other sweeteners. Sucralose showed the most potent inhibitory effects against carbohydrate digestive enzymes, α-amylase (IC₅₀= 0.2%), and α-glucosidase (IC₅₀= 0.60%). Furthermore, it exhibited the most pronounced enhancement of glucose uptake in yeast cells (IC₅₀= 0.06%). While aspartame was most effective against pancreatic lipase (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05), molecular docking results revealed that all sweeteners have appreciably strong binding affinity for the enzymes studied. Further, treatment with AS reversed oxidative stress, as evident by a reduction in nitric oxide (NO) and increased glutathione (GSH) level, catalase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, with saccharin being the most effective in terms of antioxidative effects. Overall, the results of this study suggest that all studied AS have some level of antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and anti-obesogenic effects with saccharin found to be the most beneficial sweetener followed by sucralose, at least in this experimental condition. Hence, it is recommended that saccharin and sucralose may be used as a supplement in antidiabetic and anti-obesity food products.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"28 ","pages":"Article e02667"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143828376","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Geospatial analysis of shoreline change of ethekwini coastline from 1990 – 2023","authors":"Zachariah H. Mshelia,&nbsp;Ekang C. Amatebelle,&nbsp;Johanes A. Belle","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02685","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02685","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coastal areas are dynamic environments impacted by both natural and anthropogenic processes. Hence, it is important to continually and accurately monitor these areas for change and develop coastal management strategies. The present study uses the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) and satellite imagery to assess the changing dynamics of the Durban coastal stretch of the eThekwini Municipality from 1990 to 2023. Net Shoreline Movement (NSM), End Point Rate (EPR), and Linear Regression Rate (LRR) were calculated in DSAS to analyse the shoreline changes. The analysis revealed significant variations in erosion and accretion across the coastline. The average shoreline movement was 2.49 m in the north and -7.42 m in the south, indicating predominant erosion in the southern regions. Specifically, 53.85 % of transects in the north and 71.9 % in the south were negative distances, highlighting erosion areas. The EPR analysis indicated an average annual change rate of 0.09 m/year for the north and -0.22 m/year for the south, with erosion rates averaging -2.05 m/year in the north and -1.21 m/year in the south between 1990 and 2023. The LRR method corroborated these findings with annual changes of -0.01 and -0.37 m/year, respectively. High erosion rates were concentrated in areas such as Umhlanga Rocks and Beachwood, while engineered structures contributed to accretion in parts of Durban North. Conversely, the southern coastline, particularly around Amanzimtoti and Isipingo, experienced more erosion than accretion due to fewer protective structures. This study highlights the dynamic nature of shoreline changes along the Durban coast. Understanding these trends is essential for effective coastal planning and management and building resilience against the multiple hazards ravaging coastal communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"28 ","pages":"Article e02685"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143791254","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Amharic document clustering using semantic information from neural word embedding and encyclopedic knowledge","authors":"Dessalew Yohannes ,&nbsp;Yenewondim Biadgie Sinshaw ,&nbsp;Surafiel Habib Asefa ,&nbsp;Yaregal Assabie","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02657","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02657","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Amharic is the working language of Ethiopia, and its complex morphology, coupled with limited usable resources, makes the development of text processing applications for the language a challenging task. In this paper, we introduce Amharic document clustering system using an integration of the semantic information extracted from the word embedding model and encyclopedic knowledge. The encyclopedic knowledge is stored as a database with tree-like structures, enabling the construction of structured concepts, whereas the word embedding is used to capture the contextual relatedness between two concepts. Text features are extracted and further expanded with semantically similar concepts by mapping document words to the structured concepts constructed from the encyclopedic knowledge. The expanded text features are subsequently weighted using the TF-IDF method, resulting in a weighted document-by-term matrix. Finally, documents are clustered based on this matrix using the spherical <span><math><mi>k</mi></math></span>-means algorithm. The proposed system is tested using an Amharic text corpus and the Amharic Wikipedia which is utilized as encyclopedic knowledge. The implementation is carried out in low-resource setting and we use word embedding to capture the semantic information of terms. Various experiments are conducted, and test results show that the use of encyclopedic knowledge with semantic information shows better performance in comparison to other conventional clustering techniques, providing new insights for advancing text clustering, especially for low-resourced languages where computational and linguistic resources are limited.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"28 ","pages":"Article e02657"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143786288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Financial credit and cocoa productivity-enhancement agronomic practices in Ghana","authors":"Bismark Amfo ,&nbsp;Vincent Abankwah ,&nbsp;Mohammed Tanko","doi":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02691","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.sciaf.2025.e02691","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Undertaking agronomic practices effectively requires capital, reiterating the essence of finance in boosting agricultural output. However, a major obstacle in cocoa production is poor access to financial credit. We compiled cross-sectional data from 125 cocoa farmers in Ghana to examine the relationships between access to financial credit and adoption of productivity-enhancement agronomic practices. Three-stage least-squares regression, exponential mean model with endogenous regressors, and seemingly unrelated bivariate probit were employed. We found that less than one-third of cocoa farmers obtained financial credit, with an average of U$154, mainly from informal sources. Productivity-enhancement agronomic practices undertaken are mulching, retention of trees, planting of shade trees and legumes, pruning, insecticides application, and weed control, with an average of five per farmer. Being a migrant, farm age, employing hired labour, farm size, and extension contacts boost cocoa farmers’ access to financial credit. Nonetheless, education reduces it. Also, education, being a migrant, living in farm settlements/farmsteads, farming as main occupation, experience, individual/leasehold/sharecropping land ownerships, and employing family labour enhance adoption of productivity-enhancement agronomic practices. Nevertheless, farm size lessens it. Moreover, financial credit amount and adoption of productivity-enhancement agronomic practices significantly and positively influence each other, indicating inter-causal connection and direct relationship between the two.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21690,"journal":{"name":"Scientific African","volume":"28 ","pages":"Article e02691"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143815422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}