An Analytical Study of the Relationship between Farmer Characteristics and the Use of Indigenous Technical Knowledge in Agriculture

Abstract

Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK) in Agriculture encompasses traditional practices and wisdom passed down from generation to generation, which is essential for sustainable agricultural practices in harmony with native ecosystems and cultural values. Integrating ITK with present-day agricultural practices boosts resilience and facilitates community-led innovation in agriculture. The present study examined the relationship between farmer Characteristics and the use of indigenous technical knowledge in agriculture. A total of 120 respondents were selected through multistage cum random sampling. The collected data were analyzed using the Chi-square test to determine the association between ITK and various selected independent variables. The results showed that the majority (75.00%) of the respondents were aged between 35 to 41 years, with a primary-level education. The majority (64.17%) of the respondents belonged to the Other Backwards Classes (OBC), 54.20 per cent lived in nuclear families, and 49.20 per cent were marginal farmers. Agriculture was identified as the main occupation by 65.80 per cent of the respondents, with a medium level of annual family income between Rs. 70920 to 241296. Additionally, 75 per cent of respondents had medium levels of mass media exposure. The results revealed that Age (0.0497), Sex (0.0326), Occupation (0.0158), and Mass Media Exposure (0.0142) were positively associated at the 0.05 level.