Adoption of improved chickpea varieties: evidences from tribal region of Gujarat

R L Shiyani, P K Joshi, M Asokan, M C S Bantilan, 'Adoption of improved chickpea varieties: evidences from tribal region of Gujarat', Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics, vol. 55(2), pp.159-171, Indian Society of Agricultural Economics, 2014

The paper examines the factors influencing the adoption of recently developed improved chickpea varieties in a few remote and backward tribal villages in Gujarat. The data for the study are collected from 96 chickpea growers selected from four villages in Limkhera block of Panchmahals district in Gujarat pertaining to the agricultural year 1995-96. The data were collected from the selected farmers on farmers' characteristics; size of land holding, soil types, cropping pattern, irrigation facilities, adoption of improved chickpea varieties, input use and output attained. Tobit model was employed for the analysis. The study reveals that the adoption of newly introduced chickpea varieties are gradually increasing in their areas by replacing the prominent local variety. The duration of crop, farm size, yield risk, and experience of growing chickpea crop are the main factors which influenced the adoption of improved varieties. There was substantial increase in yield levels, income and labour productivity of these varieties in comparison to the local variety. Based on the analysis it is concluded that the improved varieties with stable yield will act as a crop insurance to the farmers who are poor and deprived of insurance coverage