Agricultural Economics (Amsterdam, Netherlands), The study aims to track adoption of improved chickpea varieties, and assess their on-farm benefits in some remote and backward tribal villages in Gujarat, India, where few newly developed varieties were introduced by a non-government organization. It also determines key factors which were influencing their adoption. The study found that adoption of improved chickpea varieties was gradually increasing by replacing a prominent local variety. Duration of crop maturity, farm size, yield risk, and farmers' experience of growing chickpea crop were significantly influencing their adoption. The on-farm benefits as a result of improved varieties were realized in terms of increased yield levels, higher income and labor productivity, more marketable surplus, price premium and stabilized yields in fluctuating weather. Breeding short duration varieties with stable yield levels under varying weather, and organizing seed multiplication and dissemination in regions, where moisture stress is a problem during maturity of chickpea, are the major suggestions.
Coffin, H. Garth (author), Gunjal, Kissan (author), Kebede, Yohannes (author), and Department of Agricultural Economics, McGill University, Quebec, Canada
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
1990-04
Published:
Netherlands
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 94 Document Number: C07290
The potential uses of on-farm computers in management and the problems in these uses are analyzed. The analysis is based on a study of present uses of on-farm computers in Sweden. The results are compared with experiences from other countries. On-farm computer owners use almost the same management methods as before the computer investment. The main difference is that they used to hire service organizations to do some of the management tasks and now they are doing it by themselves with the aid of the computer. Thus, the on-farm computer owners have to have the same knowledge level as the service agents and advisers. The use of on-farm computers has so far affected the processing and storage of data for farm management purposes. A potential next step is communication of data from external computer systems at suppliers, customers, advisers and other farmers as well as automated data capture within the farm. One hindrance for this development is the lack of standardization of data and concept definitions. If this potential was realized the marginal costs of data and information would decrease. It would be profitable to use more information in the farm management, i.e. to develop the farm management functions. When farmers develop their management methods they will need still more knowledge. Service agents and advisers would have to change from doing management tasks for farmers to teaching farmers how to do these tasks and supporting farmers in the interpretation and analysis of information.
search through journal, This paper provides quantitative evidence on the impact of the Training and Visit (T&V) extension system in the irrigated Punjab of Pakistan. Three models are analyzed using limited dependent variable regression: the impact of T&V on the number of extension contacts with farmers: the effect of extension contact on farmers' knowledge of wheat technology; and the impact of T&V on the adoption of improved wheat technology. The first model analyzes the impact of T&V on the quantity of extension contact and the latter two models analyze the effect on the quantity and quality of extension contact. It is concluded that T&V has increased the quantity but not the quality of extension contact and this, in turn, has increased farmers' knowledge and adoption of technology. However, the overall impacts have been small relative to those observed in a similar area in India. (original)
