Farmers’ awareness on bio inputs in coconut cultivation based on education in Thondamuthur block of Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, India

P  Manikandan; S D Sivakumar; C Velavan; S Karthikeyan; G Vanitha

doi:10.14719/pst.6022

Authors

P Manikandan Department of Agricultural and Rural Management, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641 003, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4605-6180
S D Sivakumar Department of Agricultural and Rural Management, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641 003, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8736-9145
C Velavan Department of Agricultural and Rural Management, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641 003, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0623-7116
S Karthikeyan Center for Post Harvest Technology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641 003, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1003-3546
G Vanitha Department of Computer Science, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641 003, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3959-7425

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.6022

Keywords:

bio inputs, farmer awareness, constraints, sustainable agriculture

Abstract

This study investigated farmers’ awareness and use of bio-inputs in coconut farming in Thondamuthur block, Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, India. Given agriculture's significance in India’s economy, bio-inputs are an alternative to chemical fertilizers amidst population increase and climate change. The study evaluates the level of awareness amongst farmers, factors that influence the buying behaviour of bio-inputs like bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides and constraints to their use. Statistical analysis included percentage analysis, Chi-square test and factor analysis on data from 140 respondents. Factors like yield, price, experience, knowledge and government subsidies influenced buying behaviour mainly. The findings revealed that although farmers are aware of bio-inputs, constraints such as availability, poor government support and quality concerns limit their utilization. The paper emphasized that given these constraints, there is a need for more policy support as well as training programs to enhance bio-input utilization in sustainable agriculture in the study area.

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