Socio-economic and technological impact of climate resilient technologies on farm women

The study assessed the perception of climate change and evaluated the adoption of climate-resilient technologies by farm women in Keonjhar district of Odisha, India. The performance of climate-resilient crop varieties and technologies were assessed across different topographies (lowland, midland and uplands) in three blocks of Keonjhar district, a region characterized by rainfed agroecosystems and vulnerability to climatic variability viz. cyclones, droughts, and soil degradation. Data on social impact was collected from 300 farm women across 20 villages using structured interview schedule and yield data was collected from experimental fields of 50 farm women in 20 villages. The study identified key barriers in adopting climate-resilient practices, such as a lack of knowledge, unavailability of equipment, and the cumbersome procedures for accessing crop insurance. Adaptation to climate change was facilitated by different crop varieties and technologies. High-performing varieties, such as Field pea (IPFD-12) of field pea and DMRH 1301 of maize, showed significant yield increases (28-30% increase over check), indicating their potential for enhancing agricultural productivity under changing climatic conditions. Overall, the study underscores the importance of large-scale promotion of climate-resilient technologies and crop varieties to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on agriculture.