Determinants of variables associated with adoption behaviour of farmers towards recommended production technologies of winter rice in Assam

To take on the challenge of increasing rice production to reduce poverty we have to either developing some new modern varieties or to amplify the area under rice cultivation with existing forms. However, there is not ample scope for state like Assam, India where majority of the farmers are small and marginal farmers. Besides, the present recommended technologies await their full exploitation by the farmers. Therefore, the best way is to improve farmers’ adoption behaviour to make intensive cultivation. Therefore, an attempt has been made to ascertain the principal factors that play an important role in the adoption behaviour of rice farmers. For that purpose, 14 probable determinants were selected. For the study 120 winter rice farmers from Jorhat district was selected. The study revealed that almost 80 per cent farmers exhibited poor adoption behaviour on recommended winter rice production technologies. It also revealed that variables like extension contact, training exposure, information source utilisation, scientific orientation, awareness on recommended technologies and localiteness/cosmopoliteness were found to have a positive and substantial relationship to the adoption behaviour. The multiple regression model with all 14 predictors produced adjusted R² = 0.817, F (14, 105) = 38.948, p < 0.01. The results of the study indicate that if we intensify the farmer's adoption behaviour by manipulating the significant variables than also there is ample scope to increase the yield of winter rice with the existing varieties, which will ultimately help in reducing poverty.