The Agricultural Guide application is a crucial component of the digital extension system in Saudi Arabia, providing modern and evidence-based information on sustainable agricultural practices to the farming community. The adoption of digital extension tools has been widely recognized as a key driver in enhancing crop productivity. This study aimed to assess the impact of the Agricultural Guide application on the adoption of sustainable olive farming practices in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The impact was evaluated by analyzing the farming practices of the users and non-users of the application, identifying key determinants of application usage through machine learning techniques. The study also analyzed barriers to its adoption. A structured questionnaire was employed to collect data from 229 olive farmers in the Al-Jouf region. The findings reveal that the majority of respondents were non-users of the application. Significant differences were observed between users and non-users regarding the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices, including irrigation management, soil improvement, pest control, and harvesting techniques. Furthermore, farmers’ productivity, income levels, and digital information sources were significantly influenced by their usage of the application. A random forest analysis, with a predictive accuracy of 94.12%, identified key determinants of the application usage, including digital information sources, soil improvement practices, irrigation management, and education level. The study highlights the need for targeted educational programs under the supervision of the Agricultural Extension Department to enhance farmers’ awareness and knowledge of the Agricultural Guide application. Expanding its adoption within the farming community has the potential to significantly promote sustainable agricultural practices and improve overall agricultural productivity in Saudi Arabia.

Understanding beekeepers’ satisfaction, attitudes toward extension services, and the adoption of recommended beekeeping practices could play a vital role in designing and executing effective interventions to promote the adoption of recommended beekeeping practices to improve honey production. Therefore, a study was undertaken to assess beekeepers’ satisfaction and attitudes towards extension services and the level of adoption of recommended beekeeping practices among rural women in the Hail region, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from women beekeepers located in the Hail region, Saudi Arabia, using a simple random sampling technique with the help of a pre-tested paper-based questionnaire. The results revealed that most beekeepers were highly satisfied and showed neutral attitudes toward extension services. Despite the neutral attitudes toward extension services, a considerable portion indicated a higher adoption of recommended beekeeping practices. Moreover, rural women needed professional guidance and training for beekeeping. The beekeepers’ age showed a negatively significant correlation with the beekeepers’ satisfaction. Beekeepers’ education level showed a positively significant correlation with satisfaction. The extension services provided to beekeepers showed a negatively significant correlation with beekeepers’ attitudes. Therefore, the study suggests that training extension agents through the active involvement of the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, should be implemented to improve beekeepers’ attitudes toward beekeeping. In addition, the government should facilitate the adoption of innovative and sustainable beekeeping practices by enhancing its availability on the market at low prices.

Food insecurity remains a structural impediment to rural welfare in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with smallholder farming households in northern Nigeria among the most severely affected. This study examined the socioeconomic determinants of food security among farming households in Kano State, Nigeria, with emphasis on the role of institutional credit access, using the Food Consumption Score (FCS) methodology. Data were collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews using multi-stage cluster sampling and analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis, one-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression. Slightly fewer than half of the sampled households met the food-secure threshold, and food security status was significantly associated with the level of access to institutional credit, with a noticeable gap in food security status between high-access and no-access households. Multiple regression confirmed that access to institutional credit, farming experience, and farm size were significant and positive determinants of food security, while household size was a significant negative determinant. These findings demonstrate that institutional credit is an important, policy-actionable pillar of rural food security in Kano State Nigeria, best pursued alongside corresponding investments in farmer experience-transfer, land access, and household welfare.