Adoption of Salt-Tolerant Rice Varieties among Coastal Farmers in Bagerhat, Bangladesh: Determinants, Constraints, and Decision-Making Factors

Abstract

Soil and water salinity increasingly shape rice-production decisions in coastal Bangladesh, yet the availability of salt-tolerant (ST) rice does not automatically translate into farm-level adoption. This study examines the extent and spatial pattern of ST-rice adoption, varietal choice, decision-making factors, and production constraints among 250 rice farmers surveyed across the nine upazilas of Bagerhat District from December 2025 to February 2026. Farmers were selected through a population-proportionate random-sampling procedure, and responses were recorded digitally using KoboToolbox. Adoption was defined as cultivation of at least one recognised ST rice variety during the reference production period. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, Welch's t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and binary logistic regression were used to compare adopters and non-adopters and identify factors associated with adoption. Overall, 39.6% of respondents were adopters. Adoption was highest in Mongla (53.3%) and Rampal (51.4%) and lowest in Chitalmari (20.0%). Among adopters, BRRI dhan97 (28.3%), BRRI dhan99 (23.2%), and Binadhan-10 (21.2%) accounted for 72.7% of primary ST varietal choices; 83.8% of adopters used ST rice in the Boro season. Mean adoption intensity was 65.0% of rice land. Adopters reported greater education, extension contact, ST-rice knowledge, quality-seed access, perceived yield advantage, profitability, farm compatibility, and trust, while non-adopters reported a substantially larger knowledge gap. In the adjusted logit model, perceived salinity severity (OR = 1.73, p < 0.001) and ST-rice knowledge (OR = 1.63, p < 0.001) were the strongest independent correlates of adoption; quality-seed access was positive at the 10% level. Labour requirement, saline intrusion, market-price uncertainty, and input cost ranked as the most severe overall constraints. The findings indicate that ST-rice adoption in Bagerhat is jointly shaped by salinity pressure and farmers' capacity to recognise, access, and manage suitable varieties, supporting integrated interventions that combine seed access, extension, demonstration-based learning, water management, and market-risk reduction.