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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. 3 (2026)

Scale development and validation: Towards a reliable and valid measure of motivation to cultivate marigold

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.13225
Submitted
16 December 2025
Published
23-06-2026 — Updated on 12-08-2026
Versions

Abstract

Floriculture has become one of the fastest-growing agricultural sectors, contributing significantly to income diversification, employment generation and export potential. Among floricultural crops, marigold (Tagetes spp.) holds prime importance in India due to its cultural, economic and industrial applications. Despite its wide cultivation, limited empirical work has explored the motivational factors influencing farmers’ participation, especially in the Jammu region. This study aimed to develop and standardise a reliable and valid scale to measure motivation for marigold cultivation among farmers in Jammu. Scale construction followed a two-stage process: development and validation. Initially, 46 items were generated through literature review and expert consultation, later refined to 40 items. Using Lawshe’s method, content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI) were calculated, with 22 items meeting the CVR threshold (≥ 0.49). The overall scale-level content validity index (S-CVI) value of 0.89 confirmed strong content validity, while Kappa values (0.80–1.00) indicated excellent inter-rater agreement. The scale was administered to 40 marigold farmers, yielding a Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.89, demonstrating high internal consistency reliability. The developed tool provides a robust framework for assessing farmer motivation and can guide policymakers and extension professionals in promoting sustainable marigold entrepreneurship in the Jammu region and beyond.

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