Socio-Economic Profiles and Agronomic Management Practices of Smallholder Dairy Farmers Adopting Fodder Crops in Southwestern Uganda

<title>Abstract</title> <p> The expansion of smallholder dairy and livestock production across Southwestern Uganda has intensified the demand for dedicated cultivated forage. However, empirical understanding of how human capital and farm governance structures dictate spatial field setups, cropping architectures, and soil fertility input decisions remains limited. This study evaluated the socio-demographic profiles of forage producers, characterized spatial field setups and soil management practices, and identified the socio-spatial determinants of forage land allocation and input adoption across four districts (Isingiro, Kazo, Kiruhura, and Mbarara) in Southwestern Uganda (N = 58). Structured cross-sectional survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, non-parametric group comparisons (Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis H tests), and Pearson's chi-square (chi ² ) tests of independence to evaluate bivariate linkages between human capital drivers and agronomic practices. Cultivated forage systems are heavily dominated by maize ( <italic>Zea mays</italic> ) cultivars (96.6%), primarily planted as pure monocultures (70.7%) on dedicated plots averaging 5.05 ± 5.15 acres. Most farmers (77.6%) continuously crop fodder on the exact same plot for an average of 2.85 ± 2.71 years. Despite high land-use intensity, 46.6% of farms apply zero external soil amendments. Bivariate analysis revealed that operational authority and geographic location serve as the primary drivers of field practice, hired Farm Managers oversee significantly larger dedicated forage plots (7.15 ± 6.47acres) than Farm Owners (3.23 ± 2.58 acres; U = 238.0, p = 0.005) and display higher commercial inorganic fertilizer adoption (37.0 % vs. 19.4 %). Furthermore, District Location significantly dictated total forage land allocations (H = 25.624, p &lt; 0.001, peaking in urban-adjacent Mbarara at 65.91 38.00 acres) and soil amendment strategies (chi ² = 13.429, p = 0.037), with inorganic fertilizer dominating market-connected Mbarara (54.5 %) and livestock manure dominating pastoral Kiruhura (45.0 %). Demographic variables, including gender (p = 0.720) and formal education level (p = 0.383), showed no statistically significant effect on plot scale or input choice. Smallholder forage systems in Southwestern Uganda operate under continuous single-crop extraction with substantial soil nutrient mining risks. Agricultural policy and extension interventions should prioritize operational decision-makers (hired managers), foster leguminous crop diversification, and tailor input strategies to regional market. </p>