Drivers for adoption of climate smart agriculture technologies in Karnataka: An economic analysis

Abstract

The study conducted in Southern Karnataka State focused on assessing the factors responsible for the adoption of climate-smart agriculture technologies among farmers in Chikkaballapur and Tumakuru districts. The research employed a systematic multistage purposive and snowball sampling technique to select 180 farmers, including adopters and non-adopters of climate smart agriculture technologies. The objective of the study is to identify the factors influencing the adoption of climate smart agriculture technologies. Data was collected through personal interviews, and analytical tools such as the Probit Model and output-elasticities were utilized to analyze the factors influencing adoption. Results revealed significant positive relationships between adoption of technologies and variables such as education (0.33), contact with extension agents (1.55), membership in organizations (3.39), access to weather information (2.90), participation in training (2.96), and farm income (3.13). These findings underscore the importance of institutional support, knowledge dissemination, and economic factors in driving adoption decisions. Overall, the study emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to promote sustainable agricultural practices in the region. This study suggests that the agricultural policy makers and implementers of climate smart technologies should recognize the complementarity among smart practices in order to intensify their adoption among farmers and disseminate technologies in other parts of the country thus, coping with the adverse effects of climate change.