The improvement of agricultural productivity using technology is an important avenue for increasing output, reducing poverty and tackling land degradation. However, there is disagreement about which type of technology is most appropriate for smallholders. While some promote the need for natural resource management practices and low external input, others advocate the need for input intensification. This study has examined the nature of the relationship that exists between the two broad categories by using fertiliser and certified seed as input-intensive technologies and manure and soil conservation as natural resource management practices. Alongside this, the paper has also identifi ed the factors that facilitate and impede the probability of those technologies being adopted.