Most adoption studies have employed cross-sectional data in a static discrete choice modelling
framework to analyze why some farmers adopt at a certain point in time. The static approach
does not consider the dynamic environment in which the adoption decision is made and thus
does not incorporate the speed of adoption and the effect of time-dependent elements in
explaining adoption. The adoption speed of an innovation is important in various aspects.
Based on data from a survey of a random sample of 331 smallholder households in western
Kenya, this study investigated determinants of time to adoption of mineral fertilizer, animal
manure and compost using Duration analysis. Results revealed that factors that influenced
timing of the adoption varied by the practices. Whilst education level of the household head,
cattle ownership, location of the farm, access to extension services, and participation in land
management programmes accelerated the adoption of different practices, age of household
head, relative farming experience and market liberalization retarded the adoption. Gender of
household head gave mixed results. To speed up adoption of the practices requires policies
that promote farmers’ participation in land management programs, access to extension
services and markets in addition to stratified targeting of different practices to specific
locations and farmers.