Technological change in banana production: A comparative analysis of drip and traditional method of cultivation in middle Gujarat

A comparative analysis and technological change of banana cultivation under drip and conventional irrigation methods were studied by collecting data from 120 each of drip and non-drip farms of Anand and Vadodara district during 2017-18. It was revealed from the study that per ha cost of cultivation of banana (Cost C₂) was slightly less (₹ 7782.4) under drip method of irrigation as compared to the conventional method. The yield and net profit were significantly higher (about 19 and 38 percent) on drip farms over conventional irrigated farms. It indicated that productivity was higher in the drip method due to efficient use of inputs or saving of resources, labour (20 percent), water (31.11percent), growth regulators (22.72 percent), plant protection chemicals (22.30 percent), fertilizers (13.23 percent) and manures (7.76 percent). The benefit-cost ratio over Cost C₂ under drip and conventional irrigation methods were 2.61 and 2.12, respectively. The regression coefficient of irrigation was positive and significant, indicated an increase in output level by 0.175 and 0.115 percent in drip farms and overall, respectively. Simultaneously, it was negative and non-significant (-0.13) on conventional farms, indicating higher or inefficient water use. The technological change in banana production has brought about 22.56 percent productivity difference between the two methods, out of which 20.45 percent was due to the difference in the method of cultivation with the same level of resource use and 2.11 percent difference in output was due to more use of the quantity of input in the conventional method of banana cultivation.In a nutshell, this revealed the superiority of drip in yield and returns advantage by spending less on all inputs.