Land Holdings Research Articles

University Land Used Potential to Generate Income

Public universities currently struggle with reduced budget allocations from the Federal Government. Therefore, universities need to diversify revenue sources to sustain operational costs. One initiative that could be taken is to effectively manage the university assets, in which land is one of the essential components. If strategically managed and developed, universities typically possess substantial land holdings that could offer significant financial benefits. Therefore, this study aims to provide an overview of the potential utilization of university land to generate revenue. In order to achieve this, twelve universities in Peninsular Malaysia were interviewed on behalf of their respective land management organizations. Interviews were undertaken to explore the university’s current land use practices. Thematic and quasi analysis techniques will be used in this study. As a result, this research discovered several potential university land use to generate income that categorise into residential, commercial, agricultural, and industrial. Leveraging this land’s potential can assist universities in innovating land use for generating income.

Features of the process of allocating land to the Astrakhan Tatars in the Astrakhan province in the first half of the 19th century in the light of the characteristics of their socio-legal status

The publication presents an analysis of the materials of the case "By the Decree of the Governing Senate on the allotment of the lands of the Kundra, Yurt and Emesh Tatars", deposited in the fund no.383 "First Department of the Ministry of State Property" of the Russian State Historical Archive. These materials date back to 1839–1847. The case was initiated in connection with the completion of the process of sedentarization of Astrakhan (Yurt, Emesh and Kundra) Tatars in the first third of the 19th century and the need to endow them with land on the basis of a Senate decree. The sparsely populated Astrakhan province predetermined the highest "proportion" of allotment of land to Astrakhan Tatars – 15 tithes per male. The documents of the case are interesting because they clarify several issues related to the history of the Astrakhan (Yurt) Tatars: the socio-legal status (Russian subjects and state peasants), the attitude to conscription and the amount of taxation, the number of Yurt, Emesh and Kundra Tatars in the 1830s; a clear definition in the source of belonging to the Tatar world. The documents presented in this publication indicate the interest of the Russian authorities in the final consolidation of the socio-legal status of the Tatar population of Astrakhan province as a settled taxable population with a clearly defined set of state duties. The authorities were also interested in finalizing the boundaries of rural settlements and securing land holdings for Yurt-Tatar societies in order to avoid land disputes between different owners.
 For citation: Imasheva M.M. Features of the process of allocating land to the Astrakhan Tatars in the Astrakhan province in the first half of the 19th century in the light of the characteristics of their socio-legal status. From History and Culture of Peoples of the Middle Volga Region. 2023, vol.13, no.4, pp.180–188. https://doi.org/10.22378/2410-0765.2023-13-4.180-188 (In Russian)

Prospects of coconut cultivation in Tamil Nadu – A SWOT Analysis

Coconut is an important horticultural crop of the state of Tamil Nadu spreading across an area of 4.44 lakh hectares. Coconut is a victim of the catastrophes of climate change events like high temperature, excessive or deficit rainfall and increased atmospheric CO2 concentration. Coconut plantations in the state are hit by several pests and diseases, some of which are lethal, fatal and are debilitating in nature. An analysis of Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) for the prospects of coconut cultivation in the state revealed that edaphic and climatic factors, less labour requirement compared to other field crops of the state and access to technologies remain the great strength, while tropical cyclones hitting coastal districts of the state, failure of monsoon, wide fluctuations in copra price, lack of producer-centric market intelligence are the striking weakness for coconut cultivation. Improved varieties and hybrids with desired traits, establishment of processing industries, international cargo terminals to tap export market and crop insurance scheme in the event of climatic aberrations, remain the major opportunities while declining soil fertility, debilitating pests and dreadful diseases and poor scientific management owing to the fragmented land holdings are the major threats of coconut cultivation in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Resisting the Building Project of Whiteness: A Theological Reflection on Land Ownership in the Church of England

Willie James Jennings contends that the goal of whiteness is the creation and preservation of segregated space. For Jennings, whiteness, as well as upholding perceived notions of white normativity, is a way of being in the world, an imagined reality made real by our movement in physical space which destroys the identity-forming connections between communities and land. In this article I bring together Pope Francis’s reflections on the globalised economy in Laudato Si’ with the critiques of James H. Cone and Jennings to demonstrate the horrific harm of whiteness on marginalised people groups and the land itself. To resist the building project of whiteness, therefore, requires attention to our relationship with land. At this point I turn more readily to the land of England, offering the beginnings of a theology of place given the substantial land holdings of the Church of England. I close by asking whether the Church of England can be trusted to use its land to dismantle whiteness given its troubling colonial history in relation to land use.

Analysis of Review of Literature on Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana

Agriculture, being first order economic activity, is highly susceptible to vagaries of climate. With small land holdings and low coping capacity, vulnerability of Indian farmer is high to deviations in monsoons. This vulnerability level becomes a serious concern during drought years. To provide some relief to farmers, States have evolved a few instruments, such as Input Subsidy, Minimum Support Price (MSP), Crop Insurance etc. Input Subsidy provides minimum support to farmers to continue with farming in subsequent post damage season and thus becomes operational only when there is a significant damage due to drought or excessive rainfall. Present study analyzes literature review on Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. This paper aims to provide a selective literature review of articles published in the last decade on Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. The review also found that this research lacked a theoretical underpinning and that more research studies are needed to empirically validate some of the key variables emerging in this area of research. The study concludes with a literature synthesis and recommendations for future research.

Sustainable Water Management for Small Farmers with Center-Pivot Irrigation: A Hydraulic and Structural Design Perspective

In Pakistan, surface water supply for irrigation is decreasing, while water demand is increasing for agriculture production. Also, due to the fast rate of population growth, land holding capacity is decreasing. So, there is a need to develop appropriate technologies and design approaches for small-scale farmers to improve modern irrigation practices. In this study, a hydraulic and structural layout of CPIS was designed for small-scale farmers with some modifications. The hydraulic parameters and structural design of the CPIS were designed using IrriExpress and SAP2000 software, respectively. An economic analysis of the modified CPIS was carried out. The results revealed that in one complete revolution of the whole system, its span slope varied from 2.98 to 0.1%, and the wheel slope varied from 2.35 to −2.4%. The timing setting was 60% for one revolution, and the irrigation depth was 10 mm. When the time setting was reduced from 100% to 10%, the irrigation hours per cycle and irrigation depth both increased. Variendeel type-II trusses were designed for structural purposes using SAP2000 software. This design led to a 17% reduction in weight by lowering it from 1.916 to 1.5905 tons and a 44% reduction in joint count, decreasing it from 32 to 18. Our economic analysis revealed that the structural part of the system is more expensive than the hydraulic, electric and power parts for small-scale design. So, it was suggested that CPIS is suitable for land holdings from 100 to 250 acres, because when the area increases to more than 250 acres, there is no significant change in the cost. A towable system is more economical for small-scale farmers due to its lower cost per acre. This study will be helpful for the optimization of CPISs to improve water use efficiency and crop yield.

A Study on Consumer Buying Behavior of Vermicompost in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

Understanding the consumer buying behavior of vermicompost in the Lucknow district of Uttar Pradesh is a critical aspect that needs to be understood in order to promote sustainable agriculture. This study aims to analyze the factors that influence the buying behavior of consumers towards vermicompost. The researcher employed a mixed-method approach, including both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. The data was collected from primary as well as secondary sources of data. Secondary data was collected from published literature. In this study, we are going to find out the mindset of the consumer while purchasing vermicompost or bio-fertilizer. Nowadays, vermicompost is becoming increasingly popular because heavy chemical fertilizers are used to grow food grains, vegetables, and pulses, which has led to a lot of health issues in humans, with cancer being one of the major concerns. Apart from health issues, degrading soil health is a major problem faced by Indian farmers, and the only solution they have is vermicompost or bio-fertilizer. The researcher found that out of 100 respondents, only 40% were using vermicompost, while 60% were not using it. It has been noticed that the maximum number of respondents using vermicompost are marginal farmers or the urban population who are interested in kitchen or terrace gardening. The findings reveal that out of 100 respondents, only 40% were currently using vermicompost, indicating a relatively low adoption rate. Among the vermicompost users, 37% belonged to the marginal category of farmers with smaller land holdings. In contrast, the majority of non-users were large-scale farmers, citing higher costs as the primary reason for not adopting vermicompost. The study identifies key factors influencing consumer behavior. Awareness plays a significant role, with 20% of respondents reporting it as a motivation for purchasing or using vermicompost. Other factors include health consciousness (12.5%), involvement in vermicompost production (25%), nature-loving practices (17.5%), and the ease of application (12.5%).
 The researcher concluded the research by recommending appropriate and useful strategies to promote the adoption of vermicompost among consumers in the Lucknow district of Uttar Pradesh

Socioeconomic Drivers of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Western Ethiopia

A variety of socioeconomic and environmental drivers have contributed to changes in LULC around the world in recent years. This study examines the socioeconomic drivers that accelerated LULC in western Ethiopia. The data were generated from terrestrial satellite images primary and secondary sources. Primary data sources include household surveys, field observations, group discussions, interviews, key informants, and interpreting remote sensing data. Secondary data were reviewed mainly from relevant literature both published and unpublished materials. Landsat images were classified using the supervised classification technique and maximum likelihood classifier using arc GIS 10.3 to create LULC maps of the study area. Accuracy score and kappa coefficient were used to confirm the accuracy of the classified LULC, and agricultural land, settlement, bare land, forest land, and water body were the main LULC classes in the district. Forest cover in three decades (1990–2020) in the study area decreased from 12.1% in 1990 to 2.6% in 2020. The data were also analyzed using a descriptive model, Pearson correlation, and binary logistic regression. The independent variables (age and gender) show a Pearson’s positive correlation with the drivers of LULC dynamics; that is, as these independent variables increase, the drivers of LULC dynamics also increase, whereas educational status and land holding size show a negative correlation. This shows that the drivers of the anthropogenic forces of LULC dynamics decreased as the number of educated populations and the size of land holdings increased, and vice versa. Then, the binary logistic regression model examined the relationship between the dependent and the major socioeconomic (independent) variables. Logistic regression was performed to determine how independent variables and the drivers of LULC (natural forces or anthropogenic forces) change and the model was statistically significant (x2 = 23.971, df = 5, P < 0.001). The model explained 13.9% (Nagelkerke R2) of the variance in the drivers of LULC dynamics and correctly classified 66.1% of the cases. The study found that age, gender, and educational status largely determine the drivers of LULC dynamics and have the greatest chance of determining the anthropogenic forces. Therefore, relevant stakeholders should take integrated measures to reduce the drivers of LULC dynamics through landscape restoration.

Impact of Training on Modern Machineries and Improved Agricultural Technologies towards Cognitive Assessment of Farmers

In the era of fast changing technology, training has become an integrated part of investment for accelerating transfer of technology to people of all walks of life. The well-established network of organizations spread over the length and breadth of the country. The budget spent on training has tremendously increased over the past few years. with this background the study under taken at Trichy district, Tamil Nadu state of a country India by employing purposive sampling procedure. Agricultural Engineering College & Research Institute, Kumulur is one of the constituent colleges of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University located in Trichy. It is a pioneer institute in Tamil Nadu doing research on Agricultural Engineering technologies and Machinery. It is being chosen by the Tamil Nadu Govt. for state level capacity development trainings of farmers under the Agricultural Technology Management Agency and Agrl. Engineering Department (AED). Using simple random sampling procedure 10 farmers (trainees) were selected from 18 Districts of Tamil Nadu who were visited the institution during the study period. (180 sample size). The major objectives, as study of socioeconomic profile and knowledge assessment during pre and post training on Farm Machineries, Bio-energy, Agricultural Processing, Soil and Water Conservation, Drip irrigation and improved Agricultural sciences. Among 180 respondents, Majority of them were old age group (38.89 %) studied primary education (30.00 %) equally spread in marginal and small land holdings (around 75 %), possessed high level of farming experience (38.89 %) had medium level of extension agency contact (47.78 %), possessed medium level of Information seeking behaviour (53.89 %) with a medium level of Innovativeness (42.78 %). Knowledge test was assessed prior to training, among 180 respondents, Majority of farmers belonged to the medium level of knowledge category on all six categories and the after training knowledge test showed that the respondents belonged to low level were distributed in medium to high level of knowledge category and the medium level was elevated to high level category. The alternate hypothesis (H1)was proved through ‘ t’ test that there was a significant difference prevailed in the knowledge level of the respondents acquired through the trainings conducted on the recently developed Agrl. Technologies and modern machineries.

: Effectiveness Of Information And Communication Technology In Hill Agriculture: A Case Study

For all round development of agriculture, the communication process deserves its significant role as in case of social, economic, religious, political and educational development. Farming is an ancient occupation. If the farming may be recognized only as a factory of producing the food grains there is no difference between the ancient time and modern time farming. According to the economics, for other productions there are needed factors as land, labour, money and management which are still in the present and were in the past also. Now, what is the modern farming? The modern farming is that in which the person adopts the latest new methods of farming based on science for the agricultural production. Thus for the modern agriculture there is need of one more factor and this factor is the latest knowledge. Thus, in the modern agriculture for the agricultural production along with the four factors one more factor of the latest knowledge (fifth) has been added. The question arises from where this new knowledge may be achieved? The first need is that to create the new knowledge and the second need is to send this latest knowledge to the farmers. More than three-fourths of total population of Uttarakhand depends on agriculture for their livelihood. The economy is predominantly dependent on mountain agriculture, however, the land holdings are small and fragmented, and irrigation facilities limited. Soil and water conservation is another issue for inclusive development. As a result, the majority of the rural population in the hills either survives on subsistence agriculture or migrates to other parts of the country for employment. The state faces the challenge of promoting livelihoods to retain people through local employment and income generation and to enhance their quality of life. The success of agricultural development programmes in developing countries largely depends on the nature and extent of use of communication media in mobilization of people for development. The planners in developing countries realize that the development of agriculture could be hastened with the effective use of communication media. A wide variety of communication technologies are available for diffusion of innovations / information to Indian farmers. For effective communication / information the basic ingredients are purpose of communication, information / innovations to be communicated, methods to be employed, end users and response or reaction of the users. ICTs are emerging as a powerful tool for gender empowerment in a developing country like India. The new tools and techniques are evolving and the implications are clearly visible in a global scale but the level of dissemination of ICT in hills is very low. No doubt, communication media created a greater awareness among farmers thus contributing a lot to our “food self-sufficiency status” of nowadays. In the present investigation the status and usage of communication media by hill farmers and the kind of communication media to enhance their agricultural knowledge were incorporated. Communication media methods in agricultural information dissemination generally, are useful in reaching a wide listeners at a very fast rate. To a large extent, communication media serve as a authentic instrument for information dissemination in agriculture.

Effect of Sowing Methods and Nitrogen Levels on Growth, Yield and Economics of Oats (Avena sativa L.) under Mid-Hills of Himachal Pradesh, India

In Himachal Pradesh, farmers typically possess small land holdings where machinery isn't practical for various sowing techniques, limiting them to broadcasting. Regarding nitrogen, it facilitates more vegetative growth by enhancing the photosynthetic rate. The higher the nitrogen content, the greater the vegetative growth potential. Therefore, present investigation titled “Effect of Sowing Methods and Nitrogen Levels on Growth, Yield and Economics of Oats (Avena sativa L.) under Mid-hills of Himachal Pradesh, India” was conducted during rabi season of 2022-23 at Chamelti Agriculture Farm, MS Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, Solan, Himachal Pradesh. The field experiment was laid out in Split Plot Design comprising twelve treatments with three replications. The experiment consists of three sowing methods in main plot i.e., (S1) Broadcasting, (S2) Line sowing and (S3) Crisscross and four levels of nitrogen N0 (0 kg ha-1), N1 (75 kg ha-1), N2 (100 kg ha-1) and N3 (125 kg ha-1) as sub plot. OL 12 variety of oats was used for sowing. Sowing methods and nitrogen levels were done as per treatment. Other crop management practices were followed as per the recommendation of the area. Results indicated that among the sowing methods, (S3) crisscross, recorded significantly higher growth and yield, over line sowing and broadcasting which was on par with (S2) line sowing over the rest of the treatments except for grain, straw and biological yield. In case of nitrogen levels, (N3) application of 125 kg N ha-1 recorded significantly higher growth and yield of oats, over rest of the nitrogen levels and was on par with 100 kg N ha-1. Economically, (S3) crisscross sowing with application of (N3) 125 kg N ha-1 resulted in higher gross returns, net returns and B: C ratio under Mid Hills of Himachal Pradesh.

Agriculture in al-Yamāma during the Abbasid Period*

Abstract Agriculture is a sine qua non for human societies as it provides the food that people need to live. This article will examine the state of agriculture in the region of al-Yamāma in central Arabia during the Abbasid period. It begins with a consideration of the factors affecting agriculture, including some that are uniquely important in the central Arabian context. Attention then turns to a discussion of land holdings and land grants, methods of irrigation, the different types of agriculture, and the crops cultivated. Dates are seen to be the most important agricultural commodity, followed closely by grains. Much less information is available regarding fruits and vegetables. The article relies solely on primary Arabic sources.

Individual and Group Characteristics of Self-help Group Members in Uttarakhand, India


 Self-Help groups have a key role in empowering their members and have emerged as a potential tool for agricultural extension; however, they also face a few constraints. To understand the intervention point for strengthening SHGs by exploring its various dimensions and overcoming the constraints faced by them, the present study focused on a) the individual profile characteristics of SHGs’ members and b) the group characteristics of SHGs’ members. It was inferred from the study that the majority of the members belonged to the middle age group (27 to 44 years), were married females, belonged to nuclear families, had a medium annual income comprised of marginal land holdings, were engaged in agriculture with other subsidiary occupations, and had a medium duration (between 3 to 5 years) of membership in SHGs. Awareness and Readiness to use Android phones have also increased amongst SHGs, i.e., the majority of the members perceived medium-level ease of use of Android phones, i.e., neither too easy nor too difficult to use. The majority of the respondents had education up to intermediate level. Most of the respondents had a medium level of achievement motivation, and they occasionally sought information from ‘friends and relatives’, ‘neighbors,’ and ‘progressive farmers’. Among personal cosmopolite sources, block development officers, scientists from agricultural universities, agriculture officers from banks, and DDM, NABARD was the preferred source. Radio, Kisan Call Center, and the Internet were occasionally preferred for agricultural information. The majority of the respondents belonged to the medium category in terms of task function and maintenance function. They had a favorable attitude towards collectivization and group decision-making. These research findings on self-help group members must be taken into account by the researchers, extensionists, trainers, and policymakers for the formulation, designing and successful implementation of trainings, development programmes and interventions for strengthening the group dynamics.

Understanding factors intercepting response of rice farmers to climate change in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

<p>Understanding factors intercepting the response of rice farmers to climate change in Ebonyi State, Nigeria, was investigated. A total of 70 rice farmers were sampled using a multi-stage sampling technique and administered a questionnaire. Primary data was collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, frequency, percentage, chart) and an ordinary least squares multiple regression model. Results show that the rice farmers cultivated on small land holdings, were relatively educated, sourced their land via inheritance, and had 16 years of farming experience. Results reveal that 72% of the rice farmers are highly aware of climate change, while 17% and 11% are relatively aware and not aware, respectively. Temperatures, rainfall, and the number of rainy days have positive effects on rice production, while sunshine hours and relative humidity have negative effects on rice production. Age, gender, education, farm size, extension contacts, and participation in workshops were significant variables influencing rice production in the state. Capital, crude implements, pests and diseases, poor soil, lack of incentives, and cultivation systems were the non-climatic factors that influenced rice cultivation in the state. Farmers were recommended to embrace climate-smart cropping systems and seek early climate change information to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on rice cultivation.</p>

ASSESSING THE COST STRUCTURE, INCOME, AND EFFICIENCY OF RED CHILI FARMING IN KAYU ARO DISTRICT, KERINCI REGENCY, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR RURAL GOVERNMENT POLICIES

This research aims to describe a general overview of red chili farming in Kayu Aro Sub-district and Kerinci Regency generally, analyze the cost structure and income and the feasibility of red chili farming, and to analysis implementation to rural goverment. This research was conducted in Kayu Aro Sub-district, specifically in Batang Sangir and Sungai Tanduk villages. The number sampled in this study was 54 farmers. Both primary and secondary data were utilized. The data analysis methods used were descriptive analysis and quantitative analysis. The research shows that red chili farming in the research area is a traditional practice that has been passed down through generations and remains deeply rooted in the culture. Consequently, all basic farming activities are based on traditional experiences. The first step in red chili farming is seed preparation, where farmers use local seeds known as LOKER (Local Kerinci), obtained from previous harvests, eliminating the need to purchase seeds. Generally, red chili farmers in the research location have small land holdings where they own on average 0.18 hectares. The red chili farming maintenance activities include transplanting, staking, weeding, fertilization, as well as pest and disease control. The cost structure consists of fixed costs amounting to IDR 1,413,000/MT/year and variable costs amounting to IDR 27,985,000/MT/year. The income obtained from red chili farming is IDR 18,963,400/farmer/MT. The R/C ratio for red chili farming is 1.70, indicating that the farming activity in the research area is profitable and viable to pursue.

Design and Implementation of Internet of Things (IoT) Platform Targeted for Smallholder Farmers: From Nepal Perspective

Nepal, a lower-middle-income country in South Asia, predominantly features smallholder farming communities operating on modest land holdings. These smallholders often adhere to traditional farming methods, relying on familial labor, which has become increasingly inefficient in contemporary agricultural landscapes. To enhance their productivity and efficiency, smallholder farmers require affordable and accessible Internet of Things (IoT)-based systems. However, the prevailing IoT solutions in the market primarily cater to large-scale commercial enterprises, rendering them unsuitable for the specific needs and constraints faced by smallholder farmers. In response to this gap, we have introduced a cost-effective, customizable, scalable, and dependable IoT platform tailored expressly for smallholder farmers. This platform empowers them to visualize, monitor, and control real-time data pertaining to their crops, livestock, and other agricultural assets. To ascertain the efficacy and suitability of our proposed platform, we conducted a comparative analysis with existing counterparts such as Blynk IoT and ThingSpeak IoT, evaluating their respective features and application services against standard requirements. Additionally, we subjected our platform to rigorous server load testing, assessing crucial performance parameters including throughput, response time, user capacity, and data sampling rates. Over an observation period spanning an average of 339 days, our platform successfully processed and stored a substantial volume of data, encompassing 817,633 sensor messages, averaging 2412 messages per day, with a cumulative storage size of 14,238.28 KB. Extrapolating from these results, it is noteworthy that an A0 instance with 20 GB of cloud space can adequately accommodate 200 users at a rate of 100 MB per user, which is adequate for the smallholder needs. Furthermore, the purposed platform was deployed inside a polyhouse to perform off-season grafting of citrus plants. The achieved success rate of 84% closely approached the success rate of 90–95% observed during on-season grafting. These empirical findings, coupled with the extensive data gathered during our research, underscore the reliability and performance of our proposed IoT platform for smallholder farmers.

Resource-use management of castor (Ricinus communis L.) growers in Andhra Pradesh

A study was conducted to assess the resource-use management (RUM) behaviour of castor growers in Mahabubnagar district of Andhra Pradesh with 120 randomly selected castor growers through a pre-standardized scale. It was found that the respondents with large size of land holdings had medium to high level of RUM behaviour, while respondents with small and medium size of land holdings had low to medium level. Overall, there was low to medium level of RUM behaviour as exhibited by the castor growers. The respondents had low to medium level of management towards land, cropping system, seed, soil-moisture and nutrients, while medium to high level of management towards weeds, pests, diseases and irrigation. Seed, soil-moisture and nutrient were the primary indicators contributed towards both productivity and profitability of castor cultivation. Strategies for efficient management of these indicators are to be popularized through need-based extension efforts to improve the productivity and profitability of castor under rainfed conditions of Andhra Pradesh.

Factors affecting the use of improved chickpea seed among smallholder farmers in <em>Gondar Zuria Woreda</em>, Ethiopia

Purpose: The use of improved seeds is one of the most important factors among the others to increase the production and productivity of crops. However, the use of improved chickpea seeds by smallholder farmers remains low. These resulted in lower productivity of chickpea by smallholder farmers. The factors contributing to the low rate of use of improved chickpea seed in the study area are to be analyzed. Research Method: To achieve the objective of the study, a multi-stage sampling technique was employed. The sample size was determined using the Yamane formula, and 140 sampled households were randomly selected. A proportionate sample of the population was used to determine the size of sample from each kebele . These data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a binary logistic regression model. Findings: The results revealed that 55.71% of respondents are users of improved chickpea seeds. The logistic regression result shows that the use of improved chickpea seed by smallholder farmers is determined by the availability and price of improved seeds, size of land holdings, participation in a field visit, frequency of extension service, proximity to the market, and attractiveness of the market price. The marginal effect result indicates that a unit change in access to improved seeds, participation in a field visit, land size, and seed cost increases the probability of using improved chickpea seed by 40.76%, 11.86%, 11.26%, and 4.27% respectively, among others. Research Limitations: The study was conducted in one geographical area using cross-sectional data. This finding does not show the trends of adoption in the study area or its implications in different parts of the region. Originality/Value: The findings of the study are novel and relatively new to the given geographical area. This study reported specific and new findings on factors that affect the use of improved chickpea seeds in the study area. The findings are important as a source of information for decision-makers, development practitioners, and researchers.

Effects of gibberellic acid, kinetin and indole butyric acid mixture on sorghum salinity tolerance and grain yield in saline-alkali coastal zone.

The development and utilization of coastal saline-alkali lands hold significant importance in mitigating the shortage of cultivated land resources in China, enhancing the agro-ecological environment in coastal saline and alkaline areas, and ensuring national food security. We set up both pot and field trials (randomized block design) at Xinxiang experimental station of Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (ICS-CAAS) and Dongying Yellow River Delta Modern Agricultural Research Base in Shandong Province in 2021 and 2022, respectively. The experimental materials, Jiliang 1 and Jiliang 2, underwent seed dressing with GKI composites at concentrations of 2.5 and 5 mL·kg-1. These composites, which contained the main components of gibberellin, kinetin, and indole butyric acid, were denoted as GKI2.5 and GKI5.0, respectively. The control plots (CK) received water seed dressing. The aim was to assess the regulatory effects of GKI on salt tolerance and grain sorghum yield. Compared to CK, the GKI2.5 and GKI5.0 seed dressing treatments significantly enhanced the growth and development of the two grain sorghum varieties, increased antioxidant enzyme activity and soluble protein content of sorghum leaves, while reducing leaf malondialdehyde content. Moreover, the GKI treatments increased leaf net photosynthetic rate. Under field conditions, yields of Jiliang 1 and Jiliang 2 were enhanced by an average of 17.1% and 19.1%, respectively. In conclusion, GKI seed dressing treatment effectively promoted the growth and development of sorghum under salt stress. It enhanced the antioxidant and osmoregulatory capacities of leaves, reduced the level of membrane lipid peroxidation, and improved net photosynthetic rate of leaves, which together improved the salt tolerance and sorghum yield.

Constraints Faced by the Groundnut Growers in Adoption of Cluster Frontline Demonstration of Villupuram District

India is one of the largest producers of oilseeds in the world and occupies an important position in the Indian agricultural economy. The productivity of groundnut farming is currently declining due to pest and disease attacks, use of old and traditional low-yielding varieties. To tackle the issues demonstrations on cluster mode are essential. Cluster Frontline Demonstration (CFLD) is conducted by Subject Matter Specialists (SMSs) and scientists in a systemic manner on selected farmers field to spread the new variety and groundnut production technologies. The ICAR- KVK, Tindivanam had organized CFLDs on groundnut crop in two villages viz., Nolambur and Kilmavilangai. Therefore, the study aimed to know the profile characteristics of CFLD beneficiary farmers and to encounter the major constraints faced by groundnut growers. To get an adequate sample size, 60 CFLD beneficiaries were selected randomly for the present study. The data were collected by using a pre-tested interview schedule. Garrett’s ranking technique and percentage analysis were used to analyze the data for meaning interpretation. The majority of beneficiaries belonged to middle age category (61.66%), majority of male beneficiaries (80.00%), educated upto middle school (40.00%), land holdings of 1 to 2 ha (68.33%) as small land, 20- 30 years of farming experience in oilseeds (80.00%), participated in one training (66.67%), medium level of extension agency contact (66.67%) and mass media exposure (56.67%), 55 per cent of farmers were adopted new practices after the successful adoption of other members. The major constraints include poor labour availability, poor transport facilities, lack of proper marketing channels and lack of technical knowledge. Hence, CFLD showed that medium to high level profile characteristics and improved adoption of new technologies.