Adoption Of High-yielding Varieties Research Articles

Radio and technology adoption during India’s Green Revolution: Evidence from a natural experiment

Can mass communication play a role in spurring technology adoption and productivity growth in agriculture, particularly when there are significant barriers to social learning? To answer this question, I estimate the impact of regional radio broadcasts, that included significant farm programming, on the adoption of high-yielding varieties (HYVs) of rice and wheat during the Green Revolution in India. I exploit the staggered expansion of the regional radio network to identify the impact. Using an annual district-level administrative dataset from 1966 to 1978, I find that introduction of regional farm radio broadcasts led to a large persistent increase in the adoption of HYVs of rice, a spatially heterogeneous technology less amenable to social learning. By contrast, there was at most a transient impact on the adoption of HYVs of wheat, a spatially homogeneous technology with a lot of scope for social learning. Importantly, I find that the regional farm radio broadcasts increased rice yields by 15%, a magnitude potentially large enough to justify the investments in the expansion of the regional radio network. Overall, this paper demonstrates that mass communication can indeed play a key role in diffusing profitable agricultural innovations when there are significant barriers to social learning.

Impact of Integrated Crop Management in Green gram under Rice fallows

India accounts for 33 per cent of the world area and 22 per cent of the world production of pulses. Green gram (Vigna radiate L. Wilczek.) is the third important pulse crop in India after chick pea and red gram. It is grown in about 36 lakh hectares with the total production of about 17 lakh tonnes with a productivity of about 500 kg per hectare. The reasons for low productivity include non adoption of improved varieties and unawareness of recommended crop production and protection technologies. The extent of adoption of improved agricultural technologies is a crucial aspect under innovation diffusion process and is most important for enhancing vertical agricultural production. Keeping this in view, frontline demonstrations on green gram were conducted at 20 locations in Chodavaram block of Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh, with an objective to demonstrate the high yielding varieties (HYVs) and latest improved technologies to the farmers. The demonstrations included adoption of HYVs (WGG-42 and IPM-2-14), seed treatment, integrated nutrient management and timely plant protection in comparison to farmers practice. The incidence of Yellow vein mosaic was 0-5 per cent in improved varieties compared to 20-25 per cent in local variety. Both the varieties, WGG-42 and IPM-2-14 recorded 5.3 quintals per ha and 5.8 quintals per hectare, which was much higher than the local variety cultivated by farmer (3.8-4.0 q/ha). The cost economics also reflected the superiority of ICM practices which registered BC ratio of 3.53-3.56 when compared to farmers practice (2.76-3.10).

Translational Chickpea Genomics Consortium to Accelerate Genetic Gains in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

The Translational Chickpea Genomics Consortium (TCGC) was set up to increase the production and productivity of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). It represents research institutes from six major chickpea growing states (Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh) of India. The TCGC team has been engaged in deploying modern genomics approaches in breeding and popularizing improved varieties in farmers’ fields across the states. Using marker-assisted backcrossing, introgression lines with enhanced drought tolerance and fusarium wilt resistance have been developed in the genetic background of 10 elite varieties of chickpea. Multi-location evaluation of 100 improved lines (70 desi and 30 kabuli) during 2016–2017 and 2018–2019 enabled the identification of top performing desi and kabuli lines. In total, 909 Farmer Participatory Varietal Selection trials were conducted in 158 villages in 16 districts of the five states, during 2017–2018, 2018–2019, and 2019–2020, involving 16 improved varieties. New molecular breeding lines developed in different genetic backgrounds are potential candidates for national trials under the ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project on Chickpea. The comprehensive efforts of TCGC resulted in the development and adoption of high-yielding varieties that will increase chickpea productivity and the profitability of chickpea growing farmers.

Africa's “Seed” Revolution and Value Chain Constraints to Early Generation Seeds Commercialization and Adoption in Ghana

The study aims to deepen understanding of how Early Generation Seeds value chain constraints impede commercialization and adoption of High Yielding Varieties (HYV) or improved Maize seeds by smallholders in Ghana within the broader strategies of a “Green Revolution for Africa”. Using qualitative and quantitative information obtained through one-on-one interviews with 15 key informants, a household survey from 110 smallholder farmers and document reviews, we discuss constraints and bottlenecks engendered by value chain structures, processes and mechanisms in Ghana's formal seed distribution system. Seven main challenges were identified that undermine trust and hinder the expansion of HYVs: (1) the limited capacity of public institutions, (2) constrained capacity of the emerging private sector, (3) a lack of well-defined, fair and enforceable contracts between stakeholders in the delivery system, (4) land-tenure limitations, (5) poor forecasting of farmers' demands for seeds by research institutions and seed producers, (6) sparse marketing arrangements for improved maize seeds, and (7) concentration of power to control seed supply in the hands of few institutions. We argue these seven issues weaken power asymmetry within the maize seed value chain's governance mechanism to create nodal points that give prominence to key public institutions, NGOs, and research institutions who control the production and distribution of improved seeds. Ultimately, trust among actors and its value chain outputs is undermined, negatively affecting the commercialization, availability, and adoption of improved seeds. Moving forward, upgrading the maize seed value chain must be pursued through targeted public and private sector relationships that acknowledge diverse actors' critical roles in the value chain.

Climate risk and agricultural technology adaption: evidence from rice farmers in the Ayeyarwady River delta of Myanmar

Crop income can be raised in two ways: one way is to increase crop productivity and the other is to grow high-value crops that could be sold at high prices in the market. This study evaluated the adoption determinants of high-yielding varieties (HYVs) and high-value varieties (HVVs) of rice and their associations on crop income using data collected in coastal areas of the Ayeyarwady River delta, which is prone to climate shocks such as saltwater intrusion and cyclones. We used cross-sectional data on 298 rice-producing households and 393 rice plots to conduct multinomial logit estimates, which revealed that the heights of the plots, and past exposure to saltwater intrusion negatively affected the adoption of HVVs. Our estimates also suggest that while the adoption of HYVs is not associated with high rice yield, income, or profit, HVV adoption is associated with high income and profit.

Development of self-sufficiency village for seed provision of superior variety in Majalengka Regency

Farmer group-based seed production can support the provision of quality seed in areas according to consumer preferences. The purpose of the study was to determine the role of the Seed Self-sufficiency Village (SSV) in providing and accelerating the adoption of new high-yielding varieties of rice. This study used primary data from the assistance of the SSV Field School Model, which was carried out in the Gangsa I Farmers Group, Jatitengah Village, Jatitujuh Subdistrict, Majalengka Regency, West Java. Data on seed production by farmer group-based seed production obtained during 2016-2019 included data on the development of the number of breeders, production areas, production capacity, number of seed marketing partners and consumer preferences for new varieties produced. The data and information obtained were describe descriptively, while the data on consumer preferences for varieties were analyzed using the Friedman test. The results showed that the development of SSV in Majalengka in 2016-2019 showed a remarkable achievement based on the development of seed production businesses, consumer preferences, seed marketing partnership, and seed distribution parameters. The SSV supported provision of quality seeds of new superior varieties in areas according to consumer preferences. It can support accelerating the adoption of high-yielding varieties of rice.

On-farm rice diversity and farmers’ preferences for varietal attributes in Ayeyarwady Delta, Myanmar

ABSTRACTMyanmar falls within the center of the genetic diversity of many economically important crops, including wild and cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L.). However, the majority of the genetic resources of Myanmar, particularly local varieties, and their distribution remain poorly understood. The present study was conducted to investigate the on-farm varietal diversity and the determinants of farmers’ variety choices in the Ayeyarwady delta in southern Myanmar, specifically for rainfed rice cultivation. Data from 150 randomly selected households, distributed across five townships, were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire. Households were located in three agro-ecological zones based on the predominant water type (fresh, brackish, and saline). The on-farm diversity appeared to be relatively high according to the number of varieties grown by the farmers. In total, 39 varieties were identified within the survey area. Only 34% of the interviewed farmers grew high-yielding varieties (HYVs) at least on a fraction of their land and the likelihood of adoption of HYVs decreased with length of farming experience, education, and soil fertility, but increased with total area sown under rice according to binomial regression model. From a policy perspective for the high adoption of HYVs, the establishment of a product profile for developing new rice varieties should give priority to farmers’ desired attributes and the vital features, such as resistance to environmental stresses or/and preferred qualitative rice properties, rather than solely considering increased yield.

The Green revolution and infant mortality in India

We use a difference in differences approach to show that the adoption of High Yielding Varieties (HYV) reduced infant mortality in India. This holds even comparing children of the same mother. The effects of HVY adoption on mortality are larger for rural children, boys, and low-caste children. While we are not able to explore mechanisms in depth, our evidence points to a limited role played by increased investments in early childhood health or selection into childbearing in response to HYV adoption.

Factors Affecting the Adoption of Hybrid and High-Yielding Rice Varieties in the Philippines

The Philippines has recently been aiming to achieve self-sufficiency in rice. Recent programs and policies have been anchored on the development and adoption of high-yielding rice varieties in order to achieve this goal. Thus, this paper aims to identify the factors that significantly affect the farmers’ adoption of high-yielding varieties such as hybrid and certified inbred rice. Using a multinomial logistic model, these factors were estimated. Results show that the age, input assistance, and collective marketing significantly affect the adoption of certified inbred rice over farmers’ recycled seeds. On the other hand, irrigation, farm size, and trainings significantly affect the adoption of hybrid over farmer’s recycled seeds. In general, there was a low adoption rate of hybrid rice. Key informant interviews revealed that several issues arise in the process of seed growing, production, and marketing. Therefore, to increase the farmers’ incentive to adopt hybrid rice, a hybrid variety that produces superior grain quality and resistance to stresses must be developed and distributed at a reasonable price.

Adoption of High-Yielding Groundnut Varieties: The Sustainability of a Farmer-Led Multiplication-Dissemination Program in Eastern Uganda

This study examines the adoption of high-yielding varieties (HYVs) of groundnut by smallholders in eastern Uganda. The primary focus of this work is the analysis of the sustainability of impacts from a regional farmer-led HYV dissemination and multiplication program. Data collected in 2014 is used to determine the lasting impact of the program conducted a decade prior, from 2001 to 2004. The structure of the data, which includes a treatment and 2-part control group, is critical to the identification of project impacts, measured as groundnut land allocation to groundnut HYVs (%). Fractional regression, propensity score matching and instrumental variable techniques are utilized to address potential bias from model specification, selection, and endogeneity. We find that, on average, participating households allocated 21% more of their land in groundnuts to HYVs relative to controls. Diffusion of program benefits through spillover is revealed by statistically significant differences in mean adoption between neighbor and non-neighbor controls, such that benefits are transferred from participants to their neighbors but not to the non-neighbor control group. We also find that, because of seed saving practices, the average yield for HYVs decreased over time to levels below those obtained from landrace varieties. Thus, the program effectively aided in information dissemination and technology transfer within rural communities. However, additional knowledge transfer is critical to the sustainability of food security outcomes among participant farmers.

Sustainability Implications of the Evolution of Rice Farming amid Rural Poverty: The Case of the Chhotanagpur Plateau in Eastern India

This paper analyses longitudinal household surveys from Purulia and Giridih, two adjacent districts on the Chhotanagpur Plateau in Eastern India in 1997 and 2006, to assess the sustainability of the evolving local rice-based agricultural system. Increasing population with little outmigration suggests mounting burden on the already fragile land endowment. The pattern of land sales and purchases suggests land consolidation among fewer farmers is not a concern. Use of high yielding varieties (HYVs) and of chemical inputs increased in both districts. However, rice yields have increased in Purulia but stagnated in Giridih. Socioeconomic progress is more apparent in Purulia in other aspects as well, such as its land reform policy, the Panchayat system and higher rate of HYV adoption. Sustainability of the agricultural system in Purulia may be less than in Giridih due to its pattern of land transactions and the cautious move among farmers toward high-chemical intensity agriculture.

Introduction of the System of Rice Intensification in Kenya: experiences from Mwea Irrigation Scheme

There are various avenues for intensifying agricultural production, the most common being increased use of fertilizers, supplemental irrigation of crops, and adoption of high-yielding varieties. These options are rather widely known to farmers around the world, but they have not been widely adopted by smallholders in sub-Saharan Africa. The low adoption rate is related to complex technical and socio-economic issues, such as poor extension services, lack of capital, failure to mobilize the requisite water, or simply, poverty. The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is in a special category of innovation in that, farmers stand to gain multiple benefits from its use, including the possibility of increasing rice yields substantially, saving water, and getting better grain quality, using differently the assets that they already have. A major impediment for the adoption of SRI in Africa has been lack of knowledge about this intervention, especially for farmers already practicing irrigated agriculture. Farmers generally have good business sense and will adopt technologies or practices once the benefits are proven and the risks are seen as minor. SRI should be attractive for these reasons, but there are various issues to be resolved before large numbers of farmers can adopt the method. This article reports on the steps taken and the technical and socio-economic issues addressed in efforts to introduce SRI and promote it in Kenya, specifically in the Mwea Irrigation Scheme. A diverse set of individuals and institutions in Kenya together embarked on the evaluation and dissemination of SRI methods in this East African country beginning in July 2009. If the new methods can perform in Kenya as in other countries, this will bring much benefit to rice farmers and rice consumers in the region. SRI is coming to Kenya relatively late, as it was the thirty-ninth country from which favorable SRI results have been reported. This means that Kenyans can learn from others’ experience and evaluations, and there is also now more of a supportive institutional framework. The initial results from on-farm SRI trials have been positive, although not conclusive. They have given impetus to Kenyan farmers and institutions to collaborate within a multi-sectoral, multi-level coalition that has provided an informal, multi-faceted platform for the evaluation, adaptation and dissemination of SRI practices. The initiative in Kenya is now gaining more formal status and more resources. This experience is presented to show the kinds of things that have been and can be done to utilize the SRI opportunity for raising land, labor, and water productivity in the rice sector.

Profits, supply and HYV adoption in Bangladesh

The adoption of HYVs (High Yielding Varieties), for increased farm profitability, and the accelerated supply of cereals are important objectives for Bangladesh agriculture. In this paper, we have investigated the manner in which price and non-price factor affect these three criteria, based upon a model of rational variety choice. The model is empirically implemented using translog profit functions and a switching regression framework, and applied to a cross-sectional farm-level dataset of Bangladeshi farms for the 1996 crop year. Results indicate that rice prices, land availability, irrigation, rural infrastructure, labour wages and prices of animal power services are important factors, while fertilizer price plays a marginal role. Given these results, the policy of liberalization of agricultural inputs (particularly fertilizers) and reforms to maintain high rice prices during harvest seasons appear sound since these allow producers to receive rice prices close to world levels without burdening the government with input subsidies. Result also shows that educated Bangladeshi farmers substitute their time inputs away from agriculture, resulting in lower HYV adoption, farm profitability and rice supply.

Challenges to ensuring food security through rice.

Abstract Rice is the major staple food of the world's population. In 2003, more than 3 billion people depended on rice for food energy and protein. Global rice production has more than doubled since 1965. The production increase was largely the result of rising yields and of the expansion in rice-harvested area. From 1965 to 2005, the world's average rice yield increased by 97%, while the global rice area harvested increased by 23%. Global paddy production reached about 618 million tonnes in 2005, a level sufficient to meet total rice needs and permit a reconstitution of world rice reserves for the first time after five years of draw-downs. The world population is still growing steadily and the world's rice demand is projected to increase by 25% to 771 million tonnes of milled rice in 2030. The development and adoption of high-yielding varieties and hybrid rice varieties were key instruments behind the substantial yield increase witnessed in the last 40 years in all regions, except in sub-Saharan Africa, where yields have remained more or less unchanged. The development of irrigation and the intensive application of agro-chemical inputs, especially chemical fertilizers, were other major factors contributing to the rapid yield increase of the last 40 years. However, the rate of increases in productivity has steadily declined since 1990, while agricultural water resources have been diminishing in Asia, North Africa and Europe. Results of the pilot tests since 2000 have demonstrated the potential contribution of integrated crop management systems for rice production (Rice-ICM systems) for ensuring food security in the medium term. Yield increases of up to 4 tonnes/ha were obtained from existing varieties with the adoption of Rice-ICM systems in Asia and South America. Also, experience drawn from the limited area planted to hybrid rice outside China and from the newly developed NERICA (New Rice for Africa) rice for sub-Saharan Africa shows the potential benefits that the dissemination of these rice varieties might bring in enhancing food security in the medium term. In the longer term, the development and transfer of Rice-ICM systems that not only increase yield but also increase the utilization efficiency of applied purchased inputs will be essential for ensuring food security and environment sustainability. It is expected that the mapping of the rice genome in 2002 will lead to a successful development of new generations of rice varieties that will further contribute to raising the productivity of rice production systems in the longer term.

The impact of floods on the adoption rate of high‐yielding rice varieties in Bangladesh

AbstractThis paper analyses econometrically the impact of floods on the rate of adoption of high‐yielding varieties (HYVs) of rice in Bangladesh. It uses a small model combining a modified logistic adoption function with a model of the process generating expectations errors by the farmers which encompasses most other expectation hypotheses. Using pooled cross‐section and time‐series data at the district level, the econometric results show a significant negative impact of expected flood damage on the HYV adoption rate of ‘aman’ rice. Moreover, it is shown that the adoption of HYV ‘boro’ rice is governed by essentially the same equation.

The impact of floods on the adoption rate of high-yielding rice varieties in Bangladesh

Abstract This paper analyses econometrically the impact of floods on the rate of adoption of high-yielding varieties (HYVs) of rice in Bangladesh. It uses a small model combining a modified logistic adoption function with a model of the process generating expectations errors by the farmers which encompasses most other expectation hypotheses. Using pooled cross-section and time-series data at the district level, the econometric results show a significant negative impact of expected flood damage on the HYV adoption rate of ‘aman’ rice. Moreover, it is shown that the adoption of HYV ‘boro’ rice is governed by essentially the same equation.

Energy scenario of Indian agriculture and its future requirements

Adoption of high-yielding varieties, expansion of irrigation facilities, mechanization, and fertilizer-diesel-electricity combination have pushed the demand for commercial energy to a new height. The energy requirements for crop production for the year 1986–1987 were estimated and the area under different crops was projected for the year 2000–2001. The total energy needs in 1986–1987 were estimated at 1.24 EJ (1 EJ = 10 18 J) and will be 1.41 EJ in 2000–2001, resulting in an increase of 14% over the energy needs for the year 1986–1987. For irrigated crops, the main source of energy was fertilizers followed by electricity and diesel. However, for rainfed crops, the maximum energy was consumed in the form of seeds. In physical terms for the year 1986–1987, there was a need of 7810 million units of electricity (1 unit = 1 kWh), 2014 million litres of diesel, 6.41 million tons of the nitrogenous fertilizers and 0.096 million tons of pesticide chemicals (active ingredients). There would be an increase in the requirement of seeds for paddy, wheat, groundnut, sugarcane, potatoes, and castor, whereas the requirement of seeds for maize, gram and sorghum will decrease with respect to their needs for the year 1986–1987.

The Green Revolution in India: A Case Study of Technological Change

The Green Revolution in India: A Case Study of Technological Change GOVINDAN PARAYIL The term “Green Revolution” is generally taken to mean the in­ crease in cereal productivity experienced in some Third World coun­ tries as a result of the change in agricultural technology during the 1960s and 1970s.1 In this article, my objective is to reconstruct the history of the Green Revolution in India, highlighting the processes of technology transfer and diffusion of knowledge and the institution­ alization of a successful agricultural research system. It is an instance of a relatively successful technology transfer, notwithstanding some latent problems associated with it. Generally, the Green Revolution involved the use of seeds of high-yielding varieties (HYVs), primarily of wheat and rice, and the adoption of a package of improved agri­ cultural practices involving fertilizers, pesticides, controlled water, credits, mechanical threshers, pumps, and so forth. These changes were instituted in place of the “traditional” agricultural practice in­ volving the use of seeds whose genetic makeup goes back thousands of years. “Traditional” technologies also include wooden plows, wa­ terwheels, and bullock carts, with the energy required for all agricul­ tural activities provided by animals and humans. Finally, traditional agriculture is largely dependent on the vagaries of monsoon rains. Subsistence farming is often characterized by an exclusion effect, which is a tendency on the part of peasant farmers to resist change. This tendency to maintain status quo prompted the government to Dr. Parayil teaches history of technology and science, technology, and society courses at Illinois Institute of Technology. He received his doctorate in science and technology studies from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He thanksJoseph Pitt, Dana Dalrymple, and Henry Bauer for helpful comments and criticisms of earlier drafts of the article. 'The term was first suggested by William Gaud in a speech entitled “The Green Revolution: Accomplishments and Apprehensions,” given at a meeting of the Society for International Development in 1968. See D. G. Dalrymple, “The Adoption of High-yielding Varieties in Developing Countries,” Agricultural History 53 (1979): 70426 . Also see V. W. Ruttan and H. P. Binswanger, “Induced Innovation and the Green Revolution,” in Induced Innovation: Technology, Institutions and Development, ed. V. W. Ruttan and H. P. Binswanger (Baltimore, 1978), p. 359.© 1992 by the Society for the History of Technology. All rights reserved. 0040- 165X/92/3304-0003$01.00 737 738 Govindan Parayil formulate and implement a new agricultural policy to break out ofthe stasis in agricultural productivity that culminated in a near-famine situation in the 1960s. As there was no more land to be brought under the plow, increasing the productivity of the land using modern tech­ nology became the most viable means of providing food for the near one-fourth ofthe world’s population dependent on only one-sixteenth of its land area. The Green Revolution, which has made India selfsufficient in food grains even though it has spread only to a quarter of its arable land, may be characterized as the new technological par­ adigm that replaced the old one characterized by subsistence farming. In areas where the Green Revolution was successful (such as in Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, and parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala), the increased productivity of the land came with lasting and irreversible changes. Before the Green Revolution, almost all cultivators were peasants who mainly produced for subsistence. Markets were rudimentary or nonexistent. Peasants obtained what they could not produce but needed for subsistence from other peasants by exchanging grains and whatever other commodities they produced. Agricultural laborers and other rural skilled laborers like carpenters and blacksmiths were mostly paid in grain or other agricultural produce. Their technology was preindustrial, with en­ ergy supplied mainly by humans and animals. In areas where it took root, the Green Revolution replaced one way of life with another within a short span of two decades. The peasant cultivators became farmers for whom agriculture was a calling beyond subsistence. They sold most of their produce in the markets. Agricul­ tural laborers and other skilled workers whose help was needed in maintaining agricultural machinery were paid in cash. Along with an increase in agricultural productivity came a higher demand for farm labor, and...

Patterns and Determinants of Adoption of High Yielding Varieties: Farm-level Evidence from Bangladesh

Observations u5mg Bangladeshi survey data tend to support Ahmed's (1981) and Asaduzuman's (1979) hypothesis postulating an inverse relationship between farm size and intensity of adoption but not Jones' (1984) U-shaped relationship. However, since farm size alone is an inadequate predictor of HYV adoption, bivariate and multivariate technique including discriminant analysis are used to identify influences on HYV adoption of such variables as subsistence pressure, tenancy, labour scarcity, education, availability of irrigation. Irrigation emerges as the key determinant of HYV adoption.

Landholding, Agricultural Modernization, and Income Concentration: A Mexican Example

In a recent article analyzing consequences of agricultural change in the Indian Punjab, Nicholson argues that, although income inequality is increasing, the increase is due neither to changing agricultural technology nor to bias in the cooperative credit institutions.1 He proposes instead that the use of high-yielding varieties (HYVs) of wheat has slowed down a tendency to increased land concentration brought on by population increase and that the adoption of HYVs is not significantly affected by farm size but, rather, by access to secure irrigation. It is possible to clarify several aspects of the Nicholson model, as well as to question other aspects, using data from three states in Mexico during a period when similar changes in agricultural technology were occurring. As with wheat in the Punjab, the adoption of hybrid corn in Mexico is uncorrelated with farm size; in addition, rates of mechanization and fertilizer use are not found to be affected by farm size. However, patterns of farm income concentration are found to be affected in several ways by the adoption of certain modern technologies in settings of landholding inequality. Furthermore, the impacts of rural credit institutions in Mexico are quite different from the Punjabi case.