Adoption of natural farming practices: Impact assessment of KVK training programmes

Introduction

The environmental consequences of chemical inputintensive agriculture, which gained prominence after India's First Green Revolution, have raised concerns regarding soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution. Over-reliance on synthetic fertilizers and pesticidesproduced largely from non-renewable fossil fuels-has contributed to resource depletion and may impose a significant foreign exchange burden in the future. Natural farming offers a sustainable alternative by integrating traditional agricultural wisdom with ecological principles. It promotes on-farm resource recycling, soil fertility restoration, biodiversity conservation, and reduced dependence on external chemical inputs. Similar in philosophy to organic farming as defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), natural farming prioritizes locally adapted practices, use of bio-inputs such as Jeevamrutha and Beejamrutha, mulching, mixed cropping, and biological pest management, thereby reducing environmental risks and enhancing resilience to climate variability. The Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Kolar, under the University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot, plays a key role in promoting such eco-friendly practices by providing need-based, skill-oriented training to farmers and farm women. These trainings aim to enhance knowledge, improve perceptions, and encourage adoption of sustainable agricultural technologies suited to the Eastern Dry Zone of Karnataka. Evaluating the impact of such training programmes is essential to determine their effectiveness, identify constraints, and improve future interventions. The present study was therefore undertaken in Kolar district with the objectives to: (i) assess changes in farmer perception towards natural farming before and after KVK training, (ii) evaluate the extent of adoption of natural farming practices, and (iii) identify constraints faced in their adoption.

Materials and Methods

The present investigation was undertaken to study the impact of training programmes on the adoption of natural farming practices by farmers trained through Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Kolar, Karnataka. The study was conducted during 2024-25 in the Eastern Dry Zone of Karnataka. A list of trainees was obtained from KVK Kolar who had undergone structured training on various natural farming practices, including preparation and application of Jeevamrutha, Beejamrutha, Ghana Jeevamrutha, mulching, biological pest management, and use of biofertilizers. From the taluks covered by KVK Kolar, the highest number of trained farmers were identified in Bangarpet, Malur, and Kolar taluks. From each taluk, adopted villages with a www.extensionjournal.com significant number of trained farmers were purposively selected. The final study villages included Kurubarahalli (Bangarpet taluk), Nidramangala (Malur taluk), and Chikkapallavi, Huttur, and Chakarasanahalli (Kolar taluk). These villages were part of KVK's adopted cluster and had active demonstration plots for natural farming. A comprehensive list of trained farmers was prepared, and 150 respondents were randomly selected from the adopted villages. Data were collected using a pre-tested structured interview schedule, covering farmer demographics, perception scores on natural farming practices, and constraints faced during adoption. The collected data were analyzed using simple statistical tools such as percentage analysis and correlation coefficients to determine the relationship between farmer characteristics and their perception levels.

Results and Discussion Perception of Natural Farming Practices

The data (Table 1) revealed that in the case of application of farmyard manure (FYM), a majority of the trained farmers (54.67%) had high perception, followed by 39.33% with medium and only 6.00% with low perception. For green manuring, 41.33% of the trained farmers had high perception, 30.67% had medium, and 28.00% had low perception. Regarding vermicomposting, 46.00% of the trained farmers had medium perception, 43.00% had high, and 25.33% had low perception. In the case of Azolla cultivation, 45.33% had medium perception, followed by 28.00% high and 26.67% low. For the use of blue-green algae, the majority (51.33%) had medium perception, 44.00% had high, and 19.33% had low perception. With regard to neem oil application, 52.00% of the farmers had medium perception, followed by 32.00% high and 16.00% low perception. The use of cow urine showed similar trends, with 49.33% medium, 32.00% high, and 18.67% low perception. In the case of biofertilizers such as Azotobacter and PSB, 50.67% had medium perception, 35.00% high, and 14.33% low perception.

Perception Before and After Training

Before participating in the KVK training programme, the majority of respondents (56.00%) were in the low perception category, followed by 39.33% in the medium category and only 4.67% in the high perception category.

After training, 40.67% of respondents shifted to the medium perception category, 28.00% to the high perception category, and only 31.33% remained in the low perception category. This shift indicates that the training significantly improved farmers' understanding and positive attitude towards natural farming practices [8] . These findings are in agreement with the reports of Saxena and Singh (2000) [13] , who observed similar positive changes in farmer perception following targeted training interventions.

Constraints in Adoption of Natural Farming Practices

The major constraints reported by farmers in adopting natural farming practices (

Correlation Between Farmer Attributes and Perception Levels

The correlation analysis (Table 4) showed that education level (r = 0.521), size of landholding (r = 0.314), credit availability (r = 0.298), annual income (r = 0.511), source of agricultural information (r = 0.278), contact with extension personnel (r = 0.412), innovativeness (r = 0.245), and knowledge about natural farming (r = 0.473) had a positive and significant relationship (p < 0.05) with perception levels. Age, caste, family size, and social participation were not significantly correlated. These findings are in line with Badodiya et al. (2009) [3] and Borkar et al. (2000) [6] , who reported that socio-economic and extension contact variables significantly influence the adoption of eco-friendly farming practices.

Conclusion

The study revealed that only 4.67% of respondents had a high perception of natural farming before the KVK training, which increased to 28.00% after the programme. The training had a positive impact in shifting a large proportion of farmers from low to medium and high perception categories. However, difficult preparation methods for natural inputs and the high cost of certain raw materials remain significant barriers. Addressing these constraints through simplified input preparation protocols, assured raw material supply, and financial support mechanisms could enhance the adoption of natural farming in Kolar district.

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