Disconnect between Academic Research and Farmer Needs in Indian Agricultural Systems: A Comparative Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/IJEE.2026.62427Keywords:
Adoption, Extension, Gap, Research, Sensitivity, TechnologyAbstract
The study was conducted in 2024-25 to assess the gap between agricultural research and farmers’ needs and to compare the factors influencing technology adoption in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was adopted, and 384 farmers were selected from Ludhiana and Bathinda in Punjab and Varanasi and Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh using multistage stratified random sampling. Primary data were collected through structured interviews, focus group discussions, and personal interviews and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, chi-square, correlation, and regression analysis. The study found that the farmers in Punjab showed higher awareness of recent agricultural research, greater extension contact, and higher adoption of improved technologies than farmers in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Regression analysis indicated that research awareness, extension contacts, irrigation access, farm size, and education significantly influenced technology adoption, with research awareness showing the strongest effect. The findings indicated that the research–farmer gap was associated with unequal access to knowledge, extension services, infrastructure, and resources. The study highlighted the need for participatory, region-specific, and farmer-centric agricultural research and stronger extension linkages.
Downloads
References
Begho, T., Glenk, K., Anik, A. R., & Eory, V. (2022). A systematic review of factors that influence farmers’ adoption of sustainable crop farming practices: Lessons for sustainable nitrogen management in South Asia. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment, 1, 149–160. https://doi.org/10.1002/sae2.12016
Gireesh, S., Kumbhare, N. V., Nain, M. S., Kumar, P., & Gurung, B. (2019). Yield gap and constraints in production of major pulses in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Indian Journal of Agricultural Research, 53(1), 104–107.
Goodluck, A., Otieno, D. J., & Oluoch-Kosura, W. (2024). Understanding farmers’ perceptions on advisory services in Tanzania: Comparative insights from principal component analysis and Q-methodology. Heliyon, 10(14), e34541. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34541
Kademani, S., Nain, M. S., Singh, R., Dhull, S. K., Parsad, R., Sharma, D. K., & Roy, S. K. (2026). Personal and institutional determinants of an effective entrepreneurial intervention. Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, 28(1), 87–101. https://doi.org/10.48311/jast.2026.16843
Kademani Sujay, B., Nain, M. S., Mishra, J. R., & Singh, R. (2020). Policy and institutional support for agri-entrepreneurship development in India: A review. Journal of Extension Systems, 36(1), 15–22. https://doi.org/10.48165/JES.2020.36104
Karunathilake, E. M. B. M., Le, A. T., Heo, S., Chung, Y. S., & Mansoor, S. (2023). The path to smart farming: Innovations and opportunities in precision agriculture. Agriculture, 13(8), 1593. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13081593
Khan, M., Behrendt, K., Papadas, D., Arnold, L., & Sultana, A. (2025). From inequalities to inclusion: Sustainable development for smallholders. Sustainable Development, 33(S1), 1520–1536. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.70073
Kumar, R., Gohain, N., Verma, D. K., Srivastava, A. K., Yadav, B., Kumar, A., Kumar, A., & Kumar, S. (2026). Economic efficiency and input optimization in dairy enterprises. Asian Journal of Dairy and Food Research, 45(3), 387–395. https://arccjournals.com/journal/asian-journal-of-dairy-and-food-research/DR-2467
Kumar, S., Nain, M. S., Sangeetha, V., & Satyapriya. (2023). Determinants and constraints for adoption of zero budget natural farming (ZBNF) practices in farmer field school. Indian Journal of Extension Education, 59(4), 135–140. https://doi.org/10.48165/IJEE.2023.59427
Lowder, S. K., Bhalla, G., & Davis, B. (2025). Decreasing farm sizes and the viability of smallholder farmers: Implications for resilient and inclusive rural transformation. Global Food Security, 45, 100854. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2025.100854
Mishra, A., Malik, J. S., Chikkalaki, A. S., Niwas, R., & Bhavesh. (2024). A comparative study on knowledge level of climate smart agricultural practices (CSAP) among paddy farmers in eastern Haryana. Indian Journal of Extension Education, 60(3), 77–82. https://doi.org/10.48165/IJEE.2024.60315
Nain, M. S., Singh, R., Vijayraghavan, K., & Vyas, A. K. (2012). Participatory linkage of farmers, technology and agricultural researchers for improved wheat production in national capital region of India. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 7(37), 5198–5207. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJAR12.1538
Pochtrager, S., Bachmann, N., Brunner, M., Tripathi, S., & Jodlbauer, H. (2026). Addressing challenges in agriculture: Exploring smart farming technologies to support future farming practices. Smart Agricultural Technology, 13, 101694. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atech.2025.101694
Rajeev, Jawla, S. K., Singh, J. P., Yadav, B., Kumar, N., & Sahrawat, A. (2025). Innovative feed formulation strategies for optimizing growth and feed efficiency in livestock systems: A review. Indian Journal of Animal Research, 59(Special Issue), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.18805/IJAR.B-5663
Shitaye, Z., Tadesse, B., & Enkuahone, K. (2025). Intensity of agricultural information utilization among small holder farmers in East Gojjam Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Heliyon, 11(4), e42495. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e42495
Singh, A., Maurya, A. S., Yadav, B., & Malik, J. S. (2024). Farmers’ attitude towards organic farming in Uttar Pradesh. Indian Journal of Extension Education, 60(3), 33–36. https://doi.org/10.48165/IJEE.2024.60307
Singh, R., Nain, M. S., Sharma, J. P., Mishra, J. R., & Burman, R. R. (2014). Institutional convergence of synergistic strengths for developing women agripreneurs. Indian Journal of Extension Education, 50(3–4), 1–7.
Srivastava, A. B., Singh, K. K., Kumar, A., Singh, P. K., Yadav, B., Neerugatti, M. P., & Verma, S. K. (2025). Sustainability concern on sugarcane production in India with special reference to Uttar Pradesh, India. Plant Archives, 25(1), 1761–1769. https://doi.org/10.51470/PLANTARCHIVES.2025.v25.no.1.255
Vatta, K. (2014). Pattern of rural livelihoods in Punjab: The role of industrial and urban linkages. In S. Uchikawa (Ed.), Industrial clusters, migrant workers, and labour markets in India. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137408778_4
Vyas, D., Bharti, A. K., Mishra, A., Singh, S., & Singh, S. (2025). Adoption level of farmers towards organic farming practices in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India. Journal of Scientific Research and Reports, 31(5), 416–422. https://doi.org/10.9734/jsrr/2025/v31i53039
Yadav, B., Maurya, A. S., Srivastava, A. K., Bhavesh, & Malik, J. S. (2025). Perceived constraints among dairy farmers in eastern India using logistic regression. Indian Journal of Extension Education, 61(4), 201–207. https://doi.org/10.48165/IJEE.2025.614RN03
Yadav, B., Maurya, A. S., Supriya, Narain, S., & Kumar, A. (2026). Socio economic determinants of agriculture households in Punjab: A principal component analysis. Indian Journal of Extension Education, 62(1), 41–47. https://doi.org/10.48165/IJEE.2026.62107
Files, images, and data analysis are unavailable until usage resets at 3:34 PM. Continue chatting with text only, or upgrade for more access.
Claim offer
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
