Understanding the adoption behaviour of climate-smart agriculture practices among farmers in Saran, Bihar
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Keywords:
Climate change agriculture, Adoption level, Principal component analysis, Kruskal-Wallis H test, BiharAbstract
Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) represents a transformational approach that integrates agricultural productivity, climate change adaptation, and mitigation objectives. The study was conducted in Saran district of Bihar during 2025–26 to assess the adoption behaviour of CSA practices and to identify the socio-economic and psychological factors influencing such adoption. A multi-stage random sampling technique was employed to select 160 respondents from 16 villages across four blocks. Data were collected through a pre-tested structured interview schedule and analysed using Pearson's correlation coefficient, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and the Kruskal-Wallis H test. Results revealed that pest risk and advisory management recorded the highest adoption index (51.09), while sustainability, income, and environmental practices were least adopted (40.54). Annual income (r = 0.537), knowledge (r = 0.425), and mass media exposure (r = 0.287) emerged as the most significant correlates of adoption. PCA yielded seven meaningful components explaining 66.84% of the total variance. Family type was the only categorical variable significantly associated with adoption behaviour (H = 4.24, p < 0.05). The study underscores the pivotal role of knowledge enhancement, income support, and media-based communication in promoting CSA adoption among smallholder farmers in Bihar.
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