Project entitled "Behavioral Analysis of Farmers Decision Making on Agricultural Innovations" under ICAR NBFSFARA grant (NFBSFARA/Extn- 4022/2014-15). Started on April 1st, 2014 and ends on March 31st, 2016

Objectives

To assess the farmers' decision making process in selection, adoption and continuation of innovations in different cropping systems of Karnataka and Gujarat to evolve innovation-decision process models.
To analyze the influence of push factors exerted from technology generation, dissemination and facilitation systems and the pull factors emanated from technology utilization, marketing and consumption systems on the farmers' decision making in the two states.
To categorize farmers on the basis of adoption rate for specific innovations and determine their characteristics based on which recommend strategies to hasten innovation decision among late adopters.

Gujarat has been chosen as having considerably higher agricultural growth rate over the last few years continuously. Gujarat farmers are known for their innovativeness. Farmers' personality traits, situation factors and the support systems may be significantly different across the state and a thorough investigation into the role of these on the innovation decision making process is possible. Hence Gujarat state has been chosen as study area.

Agro-Climatic Zones and Cropping Systems: Three to four agro-climatic zones as Gujarat having commonalities in cropping systems have been selected for the project. It is proposed to study following cropping systems that prevail in the State.

Irrigated Situation: Paddy - Paddy,Cotton/Cotton -Vegetables, Groundnut- Rabi Sorghum Vegetables (Potato/ Tomato)

Rainfed Situation: Paddy - Pulse/Maize-Pulse/Groundnut - Pulse

Selection of the villages: Identified 10 villages in 5 selected cropping systems of Gujarat and carried out participatory appraisal of villages. There were 10 villages viz. Vasda and Ranpur from Deesa taluka, Barvala and Simasi from Junagadh taluka, Rajpara and Jotingda from Botad taluka, Dumlav and Saradiya from Godhara taluka and Kharenti and Nagrama from Matar taluka.