A quantitative framework for assessing farmer attitudes towards drip irrigation in sugarcane in Telangana
Abstract
To develop and validate a standardized attitude scale towards drip irrigation among sugarcane farmers using a classical psychometric approach using Equal Appearing Interval Method (EAI). A 70‑item pool was formed from literature and expert consultations, edited under established criteria, and screened for relevancy by 30 judges. Thirty‑nine items advanced to Thurstone equal‑appearing interval scaling and were judged by 80 responses. Median scale values (S) and interquartile ranges (Q) were computed and items were selected to uniformly cover the latent continuum with minimal ambiguity. Reliability was assessed via split‑half (odd–even) on 20 non‑sample farmers; content validity was ensured by multidisciplinary review. Fourteen statements were retained with S spanning 1.5–6.7 and Q spanning 1.1–3.7; split‑half reliability was r = 0.822 (p < 0.05). Administration of the scale was employed with a five‑point Likert response with polarity‑adjusted scoring (0–56) enabling classification into five ordered attitude levels. The instrument provides statistically defensible measurement for assessment and evaluative use in programs promoting drip irrigation in sugarcane.
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Introduction
.In India, irrigation accounts for a large share of fresh water use and more than 90 per cent of groundwater use (Edwards, 1957) [1] . Food security and a growing population have increased the demand on water resources (Thurstone et al., 1929) [2] . The country has reached a point where the availability of fresh water is stable but the demand for water from diverse economic sectors is rapidly rising. In addition, excessive water consumption damages the environment by causing salinity to rise, deterioration, nutrient pollution and the loss of wetlands and floodplains (Likert, 1932) [3] . Drip irrigation is a precise and efficient method of watering crops that has gained popularity in sugarcane cultivation across Telangana. This system delivers water directly to the root zone of individual plants through a network of tubes, pipes and emitters. Drip irrigation offers several benefits for sugarcane farmers in the region. Various studies reported that by 2025, one-third of the developing countries in the world will face severe water crisis. Present alarming situation demands scientific management of available water. Drip irrigation is a pragmatic advancement in irrigation science. Maharashtra is the leading state where 1.42 lakh ha area is under drip irrigation system followed by Karnataka. However, total drip irrigated area is less than one percent of the total irrigated area in India. There are several factors which have influenced the adoption and maintenance of drip irrigation; among them knowledge on drip irrigation system is very important one. One of the primary reasons is the underlying attitude of farmers towards drip irrigation in sugarcane, which significantly influences their intentions and behaviours. Attitude is a complex psychological construct influenced by individual personality traits, socio-cultural factors, and educational exposure. It cannot be measured by a single. variable but requires a comprehensive assessment through a standardized tool (Ajzen, 1991, Kumar & Bansal, 2021) [4] . Because adoption decisions are shaped by farmer attitudes, a psychometrically sound scale is required to obtain reliable and valid measurements suitable for statistical analysis and policy use Level of attitude was operationally defined in this study as the degree of positive or negative feeling expressed by the sugarcane drip farmers towards drip irrigation system in sugarcane crop. The level of attitude of the sugarcane drip farmers towards various operation practices and maintenance of drip irrigation system was measured with the help of an attitude scale especially constructed for the study. Attitude in the present study as defined by the Likert (1932) [3] is 'the best technique available for investigating the attitude of the individual about some psychological object on the psychological continuum.' Among the techniques available for investigating attitude, the method of equal appearing intervals or the Thurstone scale is used to develop an attitudes scale to measure attitude of sugarcane drip farmers.
Methods
Study design and measurement framework
We implemented a classical test theory (CTT) scale-development design using the Thurstone method of Equal Appearing Interval (EAI) method to locate items on a latent favourableness-unfavourableness continuum. For each statement i, the median scale value S i and dispersion Q i were estimated from cumulative judgement proportions across seven ordered categories.
Item generation and content editing
An initial pool of 70 statements was compiled from research literature and practitioner inputs, then edited for clarity, polarity, and redundancy under standard criteria. Thirty judges conducted relevancy screening on a three-point scale (3 = most relevant, 2 = relevant, 1 = irrelevant). Items exceeding the grand-mean sum were retained (n = 39).
Judgement, scaling, and estimation of S and Q
The 39 statements were arranged on a seven-category equal-appearing interval scale and administered to 80 usable responses from judges. For each statement, S and Q were computed via Thurstone-Chave formulae using cumulative proportions (cp) across categories. Items were ordered by S to ensure coverage of the continuum; among near-duplicates in S, the item with smaller Q (greater inter-judge agreement) was preferred.
Computation of scale values and Q values
The scale values and Q values were computed for the 39 statements by applying the formula as suggested by Thurstone et al. (1929) [2] which is as follows. When there is a good agreement among the subjects in judging the degree of favorableness of a statement, Q value will be small. A large Q value indicates disagreement among the judges as to the degree of attribute possessed by a statement and it is, therefore, taken as an indication that there is some ambiguity in the statement. Thurston and Chave (1929) [2] regard large Q values primarily as an indication that a statement is ambiguous. It also may be due to the fact that the statement is interpreted in more than one way by the subjects. The scale and Q values for all the 39 statements were calculated by following the above procedure.
Final item selection
Fourteen statements satisfied spacing and low-ambiguity criteria and formed the final scale. Scale values (S) ranged 1.5-6.7 and Q ranged 1.1-3.7, indicating broad coverage with acceptable dispersion.
Reliability assessment
Internal consistency was examined using split-half (odd-even) reliability on 20 farmers from a non-sample area. Product-moment correlation yielded r = 0.822 (p < 0.05), evidencing satisfactory reliability for group comparisons.
Validity considerations
Content validity was supported through expert review spanning agronomy, agricultural extension, precision farming, and micro-irrigation. Discriminating differences in S across the retained items provided further evidence of construct representation along the latent continuum.
Administration, scoring, and cut points
Respondents rate each statement on a five-point Likert scale (strongly agree → strongly disagree). Positive statements are scored 4-0 and negative statements 0-4. Total scores range 0-56. Using exclusive class-intervals, attitude levels are defined as 10-18 most unfavourable, 18-26 unfavourable, 26-34 moderately favourable, 34-42 high favourable, and 42-50 highly favourable.
Results
The final 14-item instrument comprises both favourable and unfavourable indicators.
Discussion
The observed reliability (r = 0.822) supports the internal consistency of the 14-item instrument. Retained items capture efficiency-oriented beliefs (e.g., water-use efficiency, time saving) and perceived constraints (e.g., durability, rodent damage, after-sales support). From a measurement perspective, the spacing of S across 1.5-6.7 with moderate Q suggests reasonable discriminability across the latent continuum.
Limitations and future work
The study reports split-half reliability; additional reliability indices (e.g., Cronbach's α, McDonald's ω) and dimensionality analysis (e.g., exploratory/confirmatory factor analysis) were not conducted and are recommended in future work. Convergent and criterion validity evidence (e.g., association with adoption behaviour) would further strengthen inferential use of the scores.
Conclusions
Using Thurston Equal Appearing Interval (EAI) within a CTT framework developed and validated a concise 14-item scale to quantify farmer attitudes towards drip irrigation in sugarcane. The instrument exhibits satisfactory reliability and content validity and yields interpretable score categories for evaluative and programmatic applications.
References
- Edwards AL. Techniques of Attitude Scale Construction. Bombay: Vakils, Feffer and Simons Pvt. Ltd.; 1957.
- Thurstone LL, Chave EJ. The Measurement of Attitude. University of Chicago Press; 1929.
- Likert R. A Technique for the Measurement of Attitudes. Archives of Psychology. 1932;140:1-55.
- Ajzen I. The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 1991;50(2):179-211.
- How to cite this article: Swetha M. A quantitative framework for assessing farmer attitudes towards drip irrigation in sugarcane in Telangana. International Journal of Research in Agronomy. 2026;SP-9(9):510-515. doi: https://www.doi.org/10.33545/26180 60X.2026.v9.i9Sf.6679
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