Digital interventions for climate-resilient crops: evaluating a mobile app’s role in enhancing Lathyrus production knowledge among tribal farmers

Lathyrus species are important for food, fodder, and resilience under adverse climatic conditions. In India, Lathyrus sativus L. suits rice fallows, but scientific practices are poorly adopted by tribal farmers.This study evaluated the effectiveness of a mobile-based digital extension tool, Lathyrus Info , in enhancing farmers’ knowledge of Scientific Lathyrus Production Technologies (SLPTs) in Kasdol block of Baloda Bazar district, Chhattisgarh. The study was conducted on a sample of 100 tribal farmers selected through multi-stage purposive sampling from five village clusters. A pre and post exposure research design was adopted. Farmers’ knowledge levels were assessed before and after exposure to the mobile application using a structured and pre-tested knowledge test. Data were analysed using non-parametric tests, correlation analysis, and binary logistic regression in R to examine knowledge gain and its socio-economic determinants. The findings revealed a significant improvement in knowledge following exposure to the mobile application. The median knowledge score increased from 41.4 in the pre-test to 66.64 in the post-test, with reduced variability among participants. The mean knowledge score increased from 13.77 to 19.22, a 21.80% gain. Education, annual income, media exposure, and user engagement were positively and significantly associated with knowledge gain. Logistic regression analysis confirmed these variables as key predictors, with an area under the curve value of 0.89, indicating excellent model performance. The findings show that the Lathyrus Info mobile application effectively improves tribal farmers’ agricultural knowledge and promotes sustainable pulse cultivation in rice-fallow systems.