Beyond economics: a social cost-benefit assessment of happy seeder adoption in the rice-wheat systems of India’s trans-gangetic plain

The escalating issue of crop residue burning in the rice-wheat cropping systems of India’s Trans-Gangetic Plain poses severe environmental, health, and agronomic challenges. This study investigates the economic and social desirability of adopting Happy Seeder (HS) technology as a sustainable mechanization solution, employing a comprehensive primary survey of 400 wheat farmers across Punjab and Haryana. The research was structured around three core objectives: identifying constraints in HS adoption, comparing cost of cultivation between HS adopters and conventional tillage farmers, and conducting a detailed Social Cost and Benefit Analysis (SCBA) — a dimension not comprehensively examined in prior regional studies. Methodologically, the study utilized Garrett’s ranking technique for constraint analysis, standard cost accounting frameworks for comparative cultivation costs, and a scientifically structured SCBA quantifying both direct farm-level benefits and broader social externalities. The findings revealed that while adopters faced constraints such as limited machinery access and technical knowledge gaps, they achieved a 6.8% yield advantage and an 11.7% reduction in operational costs over non-adopters. Critically, the SCBA estimated substantial per hectare benefits from avoided crop burning, fuel savings, improved soil health, and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and respiratory illnesses. A calculated Social Cost Benefit Ratio (SCBR) of 2.10, confirms the strong economic, environmental, and public health rationale for scaling HS adoption. These findings underscore the need for targeted policy support via subsidies, awareness programs, and expansion of Custom Hiring Centres to realize sustainable, low-emission agriculture in the Trans-Gangetic region.