Appropriateness of recommended agricultural water-management technologies as perceived by the personnel of research and extension system: A study in the eastern region of India

Abstract

The key to agricultural development in the eastern region of India, where problems of excess water and water scarcity coexist, is the scientific management of water resources with the adoption of recommended water-management technologies. A vast networking of infrastructure for the development and dissemination of water- management technologies have been designed since the very inception of planned economic change. Despite these concerted efforts, a large number of recommended technologies are either being adopted in piece-meal or not at all. The research and extension systems have been generating and disseminating technologies, therefore, it was felt worthwhile to assess the feasibility and appropriateness of recommended tecnologies as perceived in the first instance by the personnel of the research system and followed by the extension personnel. These steps were felt to be a precursor to screen the recommended technologies for their dissemination and evaluation in different farming systems. The assessment of recommended water-management technologies was performed after their documentation from different organisations working in the field of water management in two eastern India states viz. Orissa and West Bengal. The perception of 30 personnel members of the research system regarding the feasibility of these technologies elucidated that out of 86 documented recommended water-management technologies, 40 were having feasibility scores of ≥ 4.0; 8 technologies with score £ 3.0 and the rest of the 38 technologies with a score between 3.0 and 4.0 on a feasibility continuum range from 1.0 (not feasible) to 5.0 (highly feasible). Out of 40 recommended technologies (already assessed as highly feasible by the research personnel), extension personnel have perceived 16 and 10 technologies as highly appropriate and feasible, respectively. While six and four technologies were found to be less appropriate and feasible, respectively. Correlation of all nine indicators of appropriateness with feasibility of technologies was significant. Five indicators of appropriateness viz. simplicity, physical compatibility, production sustainability, cultural compatibility and cost together constituted 36.8 per cent of the total variation in feasibility with the ‘t’ values and ‘F’ values being significant. It indicates that not appropriateness of technologies alone but other factors influence the feasibility of technologies.