Tobit analysis of farmer to farmer diffusion of improved pulse seeds in Bundelkhand region of India

The study was conducted during 2010-13 among randomly sampled 124 pulse farmers from Jalaun district of Bundelkhand region of India with the aim to analyze the effectiveness of farmer to farmer networks in dissemination of improved pulse seeds and to ascertain the attributes of farmers that determined for wider seed dissemination by them through informal networks. The selected lead farmers were provided seeds of improved pulse varieties and extent of dissemination of the introduced seeds was studied. Finding revealed that from 2038 kg of quality seeds that was provided to 124 key farmers, about 7486 kg of produce spread as seeds among 331 farmers that covered 300.9 acres of area through farmer to farmer networks. Thus farmer to farmer networks were found to cause 3.7, 4.4 and 2.7 times enhancement in quantity of seed diffused, the area covered under the introduced varieties and farmers reached. Variables like extent of information utilization, land under crop, perception towards improved pulse varieties, attitude towards improved technologies and yield advantage positively and significantly (P<0.01) influenced farmers' decision; whereas operational land holding size and income from the crop were found to negatively and significantly influenced farmers' decision on extent of seed diffusion.