Determinants of adoption of climate-resilient technologies among small and marginal farmers

Climate resilience is the ability of farmers to withstand the adverse effects of climate change and continue crop production. Technologies were introduced for increased and sustainable crop production among farmers. The adoption of such technologies aiming to enhance climate resilience is affected by various factors. The present study aims to examine the relationship between the socioeconomic profile of small and marginal farmers and their adoption of climate-resilient technologies, with a particular focus on those engaged in soybean or soybean-based cropping systems in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra State of India. Two districts, namely Parbhani and Hingoli, were randomly selected from the region based on their vulnerability to climate change. The study used Pearson’s correlation coefficient to analyse the relationship between the socioeconomic variables and the level of adoption. The results showed that education, landholding size, annual income, social participation, extension contact, economic motivation, and risk orientation had a positive and highly significant influence on adoption. Mass media exposure and innovativeness showed a positive and significant relationship with adoption. On the other hand, age and farming experience exhibited a negative but non-significant relationship with the adoption of climate-resilient technologies. Variables such as source of irrigation, occupation, source of information, and institutional support were found to have positive but non-significant relationships. These results suggest that enhancing education, economic capacity, social and extension networks, and innovativeness can play a critical role in promoting the adoption of climate-resilient technologies among farmers.