Perception of agricultural carbon emissions among agriculture students

Abstract

Effective climate change mitigation in agriculture requires future agricultural professionals to possess a clear and scientifically grounded understanding of carbon emissions arising from farming practices. This study assessed the perception of agricultural carbon emissions among undergraduate students. An ex-post facto research design was employed, and data were collected from 120 final-year B.Sc. (Hons) Agriculture students of Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University (PJTAU), Telangana, India. A pre-tested structured questionnaire was administered through Google Forms, and the data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation analysis. The results indicated that the majority of respondents (75.00%) exhibited a medium level of perception towards carbon emissions associated with agricultural practices, suggesting a moderately adequate and scientifically aligned understanding. Achievement motivation, climate orientation, awareness, and exposure to academic curriculum content showed significant positive relationships with perception levels, highlighting the importance of structured education and learner motivation in shaping climate related understanding. In contrast, mass media exposure exhibited a significant negative association with perception, possibly due to the dissemination of fragmented or inaccurate information. Socio-demographic variables did not show significant relationships with perception. The findings emphasize the critical role of motivational and awareness-based educational interventions in enhancing climate literacy among future agricultural professionals.