18 research outputs found
Indigenous knowledge based abiotic indicators used in weather prediction by farmers of Wayanad, Kerala, India
Get PDFThe paper presents twenty abiotic indicators used by farmers for weather prediction in Wayanad district, Kerala.These indicators were based mainly on the appearance of sky, color and patterns of cloud, moon, wind, rainbow andtemperature. The popularity of these indicators among farmers was measured using use validity score (UVS) based onpurpose of use, extent of use and perceived reliability. With this score, we categorized the indicators into high, mediumand low popularity classes. Five indicators were assessed as high popularity, four as low popularity and the remaining,medium popularity
Farm Transition Network (FTN) - A Participatory Approach to Reinvent University Agricultural Extension inIndia
No full textFunctional Roles of Farmer Producer Companies: the Stakeholders’ Perception
Get PDFThis study explored the perception of stakeholders of selected Farmer Producer Companies (FPC) ofKerala, India, on the functional role of such companies in the livelihood betterment of farmers. Five roles were identified and ranked based on the percentage scores for understanding the perception of the role of FPCs. The five roles analyzed included facilitate development of member farmers, increase the cultivation of particular crop, identify needs of farmers and conduct trainings/ exposure visits, delivery of services to farmers and creation of more employment among farmers. Based on results it was inferred that stakeholders from various FPCs in the state identified delivery of services to farmers as the most important functional role of FPCs. This was followed by the role of farmer development facilitation which was agreed by over 75 percent of all categories. Creation of more employment opportunities for farmers, and impart of trainings and exposure visits to them was given comparatively less importance by all the stakeholders. The least important role identified was increasing the crop cultivation
Development of a Scale to Measure the Attitude towards Innovation Use in Rice Farming
Get PDFThis study elucidates the entire methodology adopted for the development of a scale to measure farmers’ attitude towards innovation use (AIU) in rice farming. To measure the attitude of farmers towards innovation use in rice farming, a comprehensive list of 30 statements was developed by thoroughly reviewing the literature available and modifying some items from pre-existing scales. The items for this Likert-type scale were developed following the criteria put forward by Edwards and Kilpatrick (1948). These items were subjected to a thorough sorting process in consultation with domain experts and 19 statements were finally selected for the measuring instrument to be developed. These items were sent to judges for expert content evaluation. Based on the content validity index score for items and modified Kappa statistic, 15 statements were finally selected to constitute the proposed scale. The internal consistency check using Chronbach’s alpha was used to ensure the reliability of the proposed scale, and a value of 0.88 was obtained, indicating higher reliability. The standardized scale has practical applicability in measuring the attitude of farmers towards innovation use in rice farming
Determinants of Social and Technological innovations adoption among Small Tea Growers (STGs) in South India
No full textThis study examined the adoption of social and technological innovations among Small Tea Growers (STGs) in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Data from 150 growers were analyzed to identify the major factors influencing adoption behaviour. Most growers reported a medium level of innovation adoption, indicating a gradual but steady uptake of improved practices in the small tea sector. Annual income, occupation, area under tea and access to basic mechanization showed positive associations with adoption, while age and formal education exhibited negative relationships, suggesting that younger and moderately educated growers were more receptive to new practices. MCA was used to examine the contribution of variables such as age, education, occupation, income, farm machinery and area under tea to the adoption dimensions. The findings also indicated that Tamil Nadu growers had higher adoption levels than Kerala growers, largely due to stronger institutional support and better access to key resources. These results highlight the need for targeted support that enhances growers’ economic capacity and strengthens their linkages with extension and cooperative networks. Improving access to affordable credit, practical training, and low-cost mechanization can further accelerate innovation uptake. The study provides useful insights for researchers and policymakers seeking to promote sustainable improvements in smallholder tea cultivation
Performance analysis of coconut enterprises facilitated through agribusiness incubators
Get PDFAgribusiness incubators (ABI) catalyze entrepreneurship development by facilitating technology and institutionalized services. The study addresses the performance analysis of enterprises promoted through coconut sector ABIs working in Kerala. Primary and secondary data collected from 30 randomly selected ABI graduated entrepreneurs in business were used to characterize the enterprises. The results indicated that 56 per cent of enterprises joined ABIs at the nascent stage and were able to receive government funding under different subsidy schemes. Majority of enterprises (72%) shared features of micro-enterprises in terms of the number of persons employed (01-10) and annual turnover less than ` 25 lakh. Most of the micro-enterprises (66%) functioned as sole proprietary firms, whereas small enterprises were registered as limited company/partnership firms (20%). Virgin coconut oil (VCO) was the major product in 40 per cent of enterprises followed by coconut chips (20%), coconut chocolates (10%), desiccated coconut (07), neera and tender coconut water-based drinks (07%). Performances of two purposively selected enterprises producing VCO and coconut chips were undertaken using break-even analysis. Production and sales of both VCO and coconut chips were more than the calculated BEP values of 1000 litres and 500 kg respectively. This indicated that both enterprises operated at profitable levels. The findings suggest that the entrepreneurs who completed the business incubation program had greater success in their business irrespective of the business size. This can be attributed to their greater access to technologies and entrepreneurship development programmes under the ABI
Climate change perspectives and conservation of sacred groves: Case of Sharngakavu, Kerala
No full text433-443India has a rich tradition in conserving non-forest patches known as sacred groves, through cultural and religious beliefs.
Sacred groves not only preserve the indigenous biodiversity, it also mitigates the effects of climate change. This study
explored the climate change awareness and environmental and cultural perceptions of people associated with Sharngakavu
sacred grove in Kerala. Data was collected separately from native residents (NR) and non-resident devotees (NRD) through
interviews and focus group discussions (FGD). Weighted average index (WAI) and Garrett scores were used to measure the
perceived effects of climate change and the importance of socio-cultural values in sacred grove conservation. The results
indicated that females in the middle age group of 41-65 years belonging to above poverty line economic status and graduate
level of education dominated both NR and NRD categories. There was not much difference in the climate change awareness
score of NR and NRD which were recorded at 97.5% and 92.5%, respectively. The majority of the respondents indicated a
perceived increase in atmospheric temperature, decrease in precipitation, high seasonal variation in rainfall pattern, heavy
decrease in water availability in natural sources, frequent occurrence of heat waves, and frequent recurring natural calamities
as the important changes in weather parameters which was actually reflected in the weather data recorded from the region.
Among the socio-economic parameters, the majority perceived food production to have recorded a very high increase
despite the effect of climate change but livelihood options indicated deterioration. Religious beliefs and the conservation of
biodiversity were the most important factors that influenced the continued conservation of this sacred grove
Impact of institutionalisation of labour through labour banks on the rice farming sector in Kerala
No full textParticipatory Learning, Experimentation, Action and Dissemination (PLEAD)
No full text The authors evolve a model for technology evolution and adaptation in agriculture through a participatory approach. The model follows the premise that the integration of local knowledge, the experience of farmers and quality assessment of evolved strategies help in developing technologies that promote the long-term sustainability of the system. The premise is tested through field interventions under way in 18 farmer research groups (FRG) formed for the purpose in the two agroclimatic zones of Kerala where rice forms the major crop. The experimentation is carried out in fields of selected promoter farmers from the FRGs, taking into account the existing agro-ecological peculiarities and land-use pattern. Appropriate technologies for the system are selected by the farmers from a basket of scientifically proven options and are integrated to enhance the quality of farmer-tried strategies, without researchers conducting any new experiments. The process has resulted in evolving the participatory learning, experimentation, action and dissemination (PLEAD) model, which allows interactive participation of farmers, thereby enabling them to become decision makers through the process of action–reflection–action (PRAXIS) of successful field trials conducted by them. The key elements of the model include agro-ecosystem scanning, farmer-led experimentation and farmer-to-farmer extension. The processes provide lateral and co-learning experiences that benefit all the participants. </jats:p
