Identification of agricultural areas wherein ICT is used in Satna District of Madhya Pradesh
Abstract
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has emerged as a powerful tool for transforming agricultural practices, especially in developing regions. The present study was conducted in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh to identify the major agricultural areas where ICT is being utilized by farmers. A total of 320 respondents were selected from four blocks; Majhgawan, Rampur Baghelan, Nagod, and Sohawal—using a combination of purposive and random sampling techniques. Data were collected through personal interviews using a structured schedule and analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. The findings reveal that ICT usage is highest in disease management and water management (90% each), followed by fertilizer management (85%) and agricultural information access (82.5%). Moderate usage was observed in crop variety information (77.5%), tillage (75%), weed management (72.5%), and crop marketing (72.5%). However, relatively low adoption was found in weather information (57.5%), insect management (60%), agricultural advisory services (62.5%), and particularly in agricultural equipment information (35%). The study highlights that ICT plays a significant role in improving farm decision-making, productivity, and market access, although certain areas still require attention for wider adoption.
Full Text
Tables and figures are in the full-text PDF.
Introduction
Three key technologies make Information, Communication and Technology (ICT). They are computer technology, communication technology, & information management technology. The data, knowledge, & information are managed, processed, and transferred using these technologies. Two characteristics of early in agriculture ICTs use can be distinguished.
ICTs use in Communication
Through the straightforward proliferation of early ICTs, telegraphs and telephones were initially extended to farms. They provided useful means by which the far-flung farmers could promptly, if needed, get in touch with one other and the nearest towns. Unpaid the complication of telegraphy and the unreliability of early telephones, the majority of correspondences were still conducted using conventional methods like the postal service. Farmers had to travel to these locations and pay a charge to use the telegraph and telephone equipment that the well-known telecommunications companies placed in clusters throughout rural areas in order to provide telegraph and telephone services. Even though it was inconvenient, instant correspondence could only be provided by this one communication channel (Abdulrahman Saidu, 2017) [2] . With the advancement of technology and its increasing affordability, it eventually became practicable for farm to acquire there have telephones & telegraph machines. Additionally, since the amount of information transferred increased continuously, more conventional forms of communication were gradually replaced by phones and telegraphs. Finally, telephones emerged as the predominant mode of communication, supplanting telegraphs, thereby initiating the era of information & ICTs utilization in the agriculture sector. The Internet and other digital communication tools gained traction more slowly. In spite of the reality that the leading agricultural institutions, including the MOS of Agriculture, were connected to the take a break of every govt., a significant number of tiny farms are still not widely connected & farms as a whole adopted this technique slowly.
ICTs use in Agricultural Data Storage
Long distance communication came into being considerably www.extensionjournal.com earlier than digital data storage. Although the imparting of information was revolutionized by utilize of telephones and telegraphs, old analogue means similar to ballpoint & document were still thought to be sufficient for keeping tabs of information. Farmers just didn't have the time to master the in & out of automation at that point because book keeping had developed into a fine art but as the quantity of informing exploded over time, it became increasingly obvious that apart dated techniques had their limitations. They primary became obvious in centralized organizations like Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare which had to continuously preserve information apart manufacture on an extremely large scale. Digital storage swiftly transitioned as of being a newness to a requirement because of the fragility of paper & the enormous volume of minutes to maintain of Punch Card was a more durable, solid medium than paper, while mainframes developed near the beginning in the 1940s supplied the tremendous processing capacity needed to exploration big documents & countrywide data fast. In any event, storage media were progressively relegated to backup as systems became more trustworthy and capable of holding important data on board. Along with its growth, information flow's supporting technology advanced to its current state. Individual farms were slow to adopt data storage technologies because they had a lot less information to monitor and record. The advent of modern agriculture dramatically increased the difficulty of farming operations and the scope of production, making effective data storage crucial for individual farms.
Use of ICTs in Enhancing Agricultural Production
Numerous issues, such as dry spell, barren soil, pests, pose dangers to farmers, especially small farmers. ICTs may significantly improve this by giving access to current information on quality control laws, early alerting systems, latest varieties, innovative approaches to maximum production, pest and disease control.
Improving Market Access
Delivering current data on market rates for goods inputs & customer behaviors and this can help farmers choose better prospect crops & produce as well as the best time and place to buy & get rid of goods, strengthening their bargaining position and financial status in the process.
Capacity-Building and Empowerment
When negotiate contribution & apart put prices, terrain claims reserve rights, & transportation projects, farmer organizations can use ICTs to develop their be the owner of capacities, better represent their constituents, and strengthen communities. Through the usage of ICTs, country societies are competent to connect by single another, which lessens the communal separation to they would if not experience. In addition, ICTs technology can increase transparency in procedures like approving land titles and passing laws.
Materials and Methods
The study was conducted in satna district of M.P. There are eight blocks in the Satna district and four blocks have been selected for the study: Majhgawan, Rampur Baghelan, Nagod, and Sohawal. The selection of blocks was done purposively because these 4 blocks were nearby the university area. From each block 4 villages were selected by random sampling method. Thus, total 16 villages have been selected from four blocks. Every villages was selected 20 respondent. Thus 320 respondents in total were selected for the research. Respondents are farmers. Data were collected through personal interviews using a structured interview schedule. The collected data were analyzed using suitable statistical tools such as frequency and percentage analysis.
Results and Discussion
References
- Kiamb D. The use of Information Communication and Technology in advancement of African agriculture. African Journal of Agricultural Research. 2018;13(39):2025-2036. doi:10.5897/AJAR2018.13300
- Dhaka BL, Chayal K. Farmers experience with ICTs on transfer of technology in changing Agri-rural environment. Indian Res J Extn Edun. 2010;10(3):114118. doi:10.1.1.616.8500
- Frempong FA, Kwarteng J, Agunga R, Zinnah MM. Challenges of infusing information and communication technologies in Extension for Agricultural and rural development in Ghana. J Extn System. 2006;22:69-82.
- Kumar AKS, Vijayakumar KP. Awareness and use of information and communication technology (ICT) among farmers in Kerala. Library Philosophy and Practice. 2015;2862. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/2862
- Mansure M, Singh YK, Rai DP. To assess role of ICT in adoption level of respondents of Satna district of M.P. International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research. 2024;SP-8(5):403-405.
- Hiremath SU, Balasubramanya. Socio-politico characteristics of television viewing rural women. The Andhra Agricultural Journal. 2010;57(2):189-193. doi:10.5958/aaj.2024.572-16
- Mansure M, Singh YK. Impact Study of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on Adoption of Agricultural Technology in Satna District of M.P. [PhD Thesis]. 2025.
- Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. Agricultural Statistics at a Glance. New Delhi: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare; 2020.
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research. ICT Initiatives in Agricultural Extension in India. New Delhi: ICAR; 2018.
- National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development. Role of ICT in Rural Development and Agriculture. Mumbai: NABARD; 2019.
- Aker JC. Dial "A" for agriculture: A review of information and communication technologies for agricultural extension in developing countries. Agricultural Economics. 2011;42(6):631-647.
How this paper connects to the literature. Drag to explore, click any node to open that paper.