Post-adoption behaviour of farmers towards soil and water conservation technologies of watershed management in Northern Shivalik foothills
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53550/Keywords:
Post-adoption, Soil and water conservation, Watershed management, TechnologyAbstract
The study was undertaken at ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation Research Centre, Chandigarh from November, 2012 to June 2015 in five watersheds developed by the Centre, with the objectives to study the post-adoption behaviour of farmers regarding watershed technologies. The watersheds selected were (i) Aganpur Bhagwasi (district Patiala, Punjab), (ii) Johranpur (district Solan, Himachal Pradesh), (iii) Mandhala (district Solan, Himachal Pradesh), (iv) Kajiana (district Panchkula, Haryana), and (v) Sabeelpur (district Panchkula, Haryana). The post-adoption behaviour of 225 beneficiary farmers who adopted different Soil and Water Conservation (SWC) technologies for watershed management were studied in detail regarding their present status of continue-adoption, diffusion, dis-adoption and also technological gap. Combining the data for all the five watersheds, it was observed that 79% of the farmers continued to adopt SWC technologies even after withdrawal of the project. Twenty one percent dis-adopted the technologies and 23% were adopting with technological gap. The analysis revealed that the adoption and spreading of SWC practices is not a technical problem that can only be solved by research, but also a socio-cultural and economic problem, with many constraints playing a role. Diffusion of adopted SWC technologies also occurred, and 16% of SWC technologies were diffused to other farmers' fields in nearby areas for natural resource conservation on watershed basis
References
Bagdi, G.L., Mishra, P.K., Kurothe, R.S., Arya, S.L., Patil, S.L., Singh, A.K., Bihari, B., Prakash, O., Kumar, A. and Sundarambal, P. 2015. Post-adoption behaviour of farmers towards soil and water conservation technologies of watershed management in India. Int. Soil Water Cons. Res., 3: 161-169.
Black, W. 1983. Discontinuance and diffusion: Examination of the post adoption decision process. Adv. Consum. Res., 10: 356-361.
Bodnar, F. Schrader, T. and Van Campen, W. 2006. Choices in project approach for sustained farmer adoption of soil and water conservation measures in Southern Mali. Land Degrad. Dev., 17: 479-494.
De Graaff, J., Amsalu, A., Bodnar, F., Kessler, A., Posthumus, H. and Tenge, A. 2008. Factors influencing adoption and continued use of long- term soil and water conservation measures in five developing countries. Appl. Geogr., 28: 271-280.
Demake, Abera birhanu. 2003. Factors influencing adoption of soil and water conservation practices in North Western Ethopia. Institute of Rural Development. University of Goettingen. Discussion Paper, No 37, 76 p.
Ellis, F. 1988. Peasants' Economics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Feder, G. and Umali, D.L. 1993. The adoption of agricultural innovations: A review. Technol. Forecast Soc., 43: 215-219.
Kessler, C.A. 2006. Decisive key-factors influencing farm households' soil and water conservation investments. Appl. Geogr., 26: 40-60.
Olarinde Luke, O., Oduol Judith, B., Binam Joachim, N., Diagne, A., Njuki Jemimah and Adekunle, A.A. 2012. Impact of the adoption of soil and water conservation practices on crop production: baseline evidence of the Sub Saharan Africa Challenge Programme. Am. Eurasian J. Agric. Environ. Sci., 12(3): 293-305.
Rogers, E.M. 1983. Diffusion of Innovations (3rd edition). The Free Press. A Division of Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc. New York. Collier Macmillan Publishers, London.
Rogers, E.M. 2003. Diffusion of Innovation. The Free Press, pp 21-30. Sarkar, J. 1998. Technological diffusion: alternative theories and historical evidence. J. Econ. Surv., 12: 131-176.
Valera, J.B. and Plopino, R.F. 1987. Philosophy and principle of extension. In: An Introduction to Extension Delivery Systems by J.B. Valera, V.A. Martinez and R.F. Plopino (eds.). Island Publishing House, Manila, pp 51-61.
Wauters, E., Bielders, C., Poesen, J., Govers, G. and Mathijs, E. 2010. Adoption of soil conservation practices in Belgium: an examination of the theory of planned behaviour in the agrienvironment domain. Land Use Policy, 27(1): 86-94.
Woldeamlak, Bewket. 2007. Soil and water conservation intervention with conventional technologies in Northwestern Highlands of Ethiopia: acceptance and adoption by farmers. Land Use Policy, 24(2): 404-416.
