Resource use Efficiency in Wheat Cultivation Under Resource Conservation Technology (Rct) in Eastern U.P., India

Abstract

The stagnation in yield growth may be the result of the degradation of resource base caused by mining of soil nutrients, declining organic matter levels, increasing salinity, depleting underground water table, buildup of weeds, pathogens and pest population. All these necessitated to think over sustainability of resources and conservation. The resource conserving technologies (RCTs) are in an emerging state all over the world. The study was conducted in Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh in the year 2011. Mirzapur district consists of 12 blocks. In four blocks RCTs were extensively adopted by the farmers, out of which, Jamalpur and Naryanpur blocks were randomly selected. Eight villages were selected from these blocks for the purpose of the study. A total 160 farmers (RCTs adopters 80 and non-adopters 80) were selected randomly. Costs and returns were estimated. Cobb-Douglas production function was used to measure resource use efficiency. The input use pattern of zero tillage and conventional tillage shows that zero tillage used fewer amounts (but some inputs like seed, irrigation used the costly) of many inputs in comparison to that of conventional tillage. The wheat grain yield obtained by adopters was significantly higher than that of nonadopters. The net returns and returns to cost ratio were also found to be higher, in case of adopters resource conserving technology. The value of the coefficient of multiple determination (R2) was found to be very high in case of adopters as well as non-adopters. The coefficient of elasticity of production (regression coefficient) attached to the variable human labour and tractor use turned out to be positive and significant incase of adopters and non-adopters whereas irrigation water and fertilizer were used excessively in case of adopters.