Socio-Economic and Agronomic Advantages of Super Seeder Adoption over Conventional Practices in Rice-Wheat System: A Study from Sirsa District, Haryana, India

Abstract

Farmers burn paddy trash during the wheat-sowing season in northern Indian states like Haryana, which reduces soil fertility and generates harmful fumes that are harmful to humans, animals, and the environment. It is necessary to look at the possibility of using resource-conserving alternative methods in agriculture like the super seeder technique, to save vital inputs. A study involving 120 superseeder adopters and non-adopter farmers was carried out in the Sirsa district of Haryana state. Data revealed that 45 per cent of the farmers had medium level of adoption, 35 per cent  had a low adoption level, and 20 per cent of the farmers exhibited high adoption level Results illustrates that socio- economic status, level of education and size of land holding found to be significant and were positively related to an increased level of adoption.While comparing the relative advantages between super seeder adoption and conventional practices, it was reported that time taken by super seeder was 3.03 hrs/ha, on the other hand in conventional practices it was reported 15hrs/ha. Additionally other advantages such as saving of fuel, labor requirement and cost of sowing reported was 64.8 percent, 79.8 per cent and 54.9 per cent respectively. Regarding socio economic impact a large majority of the farmers reported an increase in expenditure on performance of social ceremonies, an increase in investment in their children's education and allocation of funds towards the construction and repairing of houses. Furthermore, an improvement in social status, an increase in social participation, increase in agricultural land on lease, conservation of natural resources was observed.