Technology Adoption and Farmers' Rationality for a Sustainable Agriculture in the Rainfed Eastern Plateau of India

摘要

In a widely varied ecological condition with unfavourable topography as well as soil fertility always restrained the farmers from taking the risk of deviation from their age-old farm practices. Such type of situation is found in the plateau region ofIndia where the incidence of poverty is very high and agriculture remains the major source of livelihood. To eradicate poverty of that region by enhancing production, this study tries to explore the ways and means for a sustainable agriculture. This paper is based on a survey in the Usri (river) watershed area of the eastern plateau of India. This study reveals that in an unfavourable socio-economic and agro-climatic condition, the bottom-up approach with low-cost and eco-friendly technologies would bethe only way to achieve an improved and sustainable agriculture.