As the agricultural scenario is changing very fast, the priority areas of research, extension and farmers systems are sought desirable modifications. Besides, the socio-economic, psychological, communication and innovation decision related behaviour of subjects under investigation, several other researchable areas are fast coming up. There is no doubt that scientific way of farming and adoption of viable techniques will enable the farmers to match the pace with changing agricultural scenario. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) has potential to assure food security to increasing population in harsh climate unlike fine cereals like, rice and wheat especially in semi-arid regions. Interventions of feasible technologies for making it more remunerative in competition with commercial and vegetable crops, is a time demand Roling (1988). Several promising technologies have been developed and demonstrated to the farmers’ fields by the sister organizations since last three-four decades to meet the diverse needs of the farmers. Several efforts have been made by the extension personnel to transfer the technology to the farmers in order to achieve an increase in production and productivity. Despite these concerted efforts, a large number of recommended technologies do not accepted by the farmers at desired level due to several reasons Chapke et al. (2013). They are either being adopted in truncated manner or not at all (Drost et al. 1996). In India, agro-technologies including sorghum production generated so far have been readily accepted by the resource-rich farmers but in the resource-poor areas like, dryland and rainfed agriculture encompassing millions of small and marginal farmers are away from accessibility of technological development (Das 1996). Therefore, in order to make them ease to get the benefits of improved farm technologies, it is essential to assess the technology from the point of view of appropriateness and overall feasibility (Watson et al. 2005). Generally, for any technology to be appropriate it needs to be simple, convincing, need-based, location specific, socially and economically acceptable and environment friendly leading to sustainability. Appropriateness of a technology is a prerequisite for its transfer and adoption Verma (2007)). Hence, an attempt has been made to analyse some recommended sorghum production technologies with respect to their overall feasibility and appropriateness as perceived by the personnel of the research and extension systems.
Methodology
Sampling plan
The major sorghum growing states namely, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Gujrat in India were selected for the study. Responses were taken from 50 randomly selected personnel members of the sorghum research system including Directorate of Sorghum Research (DSR) and All India Coordinated Sorghum Improvement Projects (AICSIPs), and 30 personnel members of the extension system following the questionnaire survey method.
Documentation of recommended sorghum production technologies
The glossary of recommended sorghum production technologies was prepared after the documentation on the basis of published reports and related literatures of the different organizations working on sorghum in major sorghum growing states of India.
Feasibility and appropriateness of technologies as perceived by the personnel of the research and extension system
The perception of research personnel with respect to the feasibility of documented recommended sorghum production technologies was assessed with the help of a feasibility questionnaire developed for the study. Responses were taken from 50 research personnel regarding their perception with respect to the feasibility of recommended sorghum production technologies. Responses were taken on a feasibility continuum ranging from 5.0 (highly feasible) to 1.0 (not feasible). Explanation for the non-feasibility/lower feasibility of technologies as perceived by the experts was also recorded. Feasibility refers to the suitability of a technology to be adopted in the farmers’ situation optioned as highly feasible by the research personnel, were further assessed with respect to their feasibility and appropriateness as perceived by the extension personnel. Feasibility was assessed on the above-mentioned feasibility continuum. Unlike research personnel, extension personnel, being grass root level workers, are supposed to be more familiar with the farming system as they maintain close contact with the farmers. Therefore, besides feasibility of technologies they were asked to perceive the appropriateness as well. Appropriateness of technology was assessed with respect to nine indicators selected on the basis of a review of literature and on already laid down criteria of attributes of innovation. The indicators of appropriateness were simplicity-complexity, relative advantage, observability, cost, profitability, physical compatibility, cultural compatibility, need and production sustainability. Responses were recorded for each selected recommended technology with respect to each of the indicators on a continuum ranging from 1 to 5, that is unfavourable (poor/low) to favourable (best/high). Indicators of appropriateness have been operationalised as follows. A total of 21 sorghum production technologies were selected on the basis of published documents of different organisations working on sorghum research in the country. The feasibility of all these technologies as perceived by different personnel of the research system was assessed. Primarily, the weighted mean score and standard deviation were derived for each technology on the basis of responses of all 50 personnel members of the research system. It was thought to be a crude method as the weighted mean scores might have been affected due to feared or biased responses of a few of the personnel. Therefore, further statistical analyses were carried out to check such biases and elimination of such personnel. For this, a correlation analysis was done and a correlation matrix was formed, on the basis of which the degree of agreement with respect to the responses of each of all the research personnel with others was found highly significant at a five per cent level of significance. Frequency of agreement of each personnel members with others and standard deviation were derived. Finally, it was found that no research personnel having negative correlation with the others and had significant disagreement with others as well. Thus, all the personnel of the research system were considered for the analysis and on the basis of their responses, mean feasibility score and standard deviation for each technology was worked out.
Attributes of innovation
Simplicity-complexity
The simplicity dimension of the technologies is referred as the degree to which a technology is easy to understand, operate and use, whereas, complexity refers to the degree to which a technology is difficult to use and understand.
Relative advantage
The degree to which the technology is perceived as better than the idea it supersedes.
Observability
The degree to which the result of adoption of a technology is visible. The visible impact of a technology facilitates its diffusion.
Cost of the technology
It refers to the investments involved in its purchase plus the recurring cash expenses on it and cash expenses on other associated activities necessary for putting the practice into operation.
Profitability
Profitability of each technology is reffere monetary and physical returns obtained by adopting the technology as compared to that one it substitutes.
Physical compatibility
Is the degree to which a technology (s) is in conformity with the existing situation of the farming community. In other words, physical compatibility refers to how well a practice fits into the working conditions of farmers.
Cultural compatibility
Is the degree to which a technology is consistent with the existing beliefs, values, attitudes, living patterns, habits, cultural norms and past experiences of the farmers. For the purpose of this study, it refers to what extent a technology is compatible with the existing norms, values, and beliefs, past experiences of the respondents.
Need of the technology
Need of the technology is referred to as the farmers’ perception of the requirements as well as cruciality of the technology in their setting.
Production sustainability
Refers to the successful management of resources that maintain the quality of environment without any deterioration of the farmer’s production system.