Factors Determining the Adoption of Agroforestry Practices in North Western Parts of Tamil Nadu

The purpose of this study was to assess the adoption level of agroforestry in North western parts of Tamil Nadu. This study was conducted from January to May, 2013. Data was collected from 240 households randomly selected from North western parts of Tamil Nadu. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Data was analyzed using Microsoft Office Excel and the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) where Freidman test was applied. The results showed that the agroforestry species planted on farmland were Textonagrandis (100%) followed by Tamrindus indicus (76.1%). Freidman test showed that Textonagrandis is more preferred by farmers with 2.38 mean rank. The most influencing factors are: Nitrogen fixation with 5.12 mean rank followed by soil erosion reduction, waste assimilation, changing climatic conditions, carbon storage, soil cover improvement, increasing soil fertility and then improving soil structure with mean rank of 4.55, 4.40, 4.28, 3.27, 3.17, 2.77 and 1.88 respectively diversification of products was the most important economic factor influencing farmers to adopt Agroforestry species with mean rank of 2.63 and training and agricultural extension with 2.69 as mean rank as the first social factors influencing farmers to adopt agroforestry species. The lack of seedlings was the most critical constraint faced by famers in adoption of agroforestry species with 3.62 mean rank value. Agroforestry nursery establishment, training on agroforestry practices and availability of bank credit loan were the major suggestions given by respondents to resolve the mentioned constraints with respective percentages of 100, 64.2 and 17.9. This research showed many factors influencing the farmers to adopt agroforestry species.