Maize Composites Enhance Economic Returns from Dry Land Farming: Evidences from Uplands of Kashmir Valley

M.H. Wani, S.H. Baba, P. Ramasundaram, Shoaib Yousuf and Shahid Yousuf

Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics, 2013, vol. 68, issue 3, 15

Abstract: The present study is conducted in dry uplands of Kashmir region to assess the potential of three location-specific maize composites, C6, KG1 and C8 respectively in the Central, South and North regions of Kashmir valley for enhancing the economic returns and sustenance of livelihood of rural masses under the dry land conditions. The study forms part of NAIP project, “Visioning Policy Analysis and Gender (VPAGe)” undertaken at SKUAST-K, Shalimar during 2009-11 and is based on the cross sectional survey data collected from 240 farm households cultivating maize under dry land conditions in the upper belts of Kashmir valley. The adoption of dry land maize composites and its determinants were examined by employing regression function. Economic surplus model and economic feasibility tests were employed to assess the economic gains from research and extension investment involved in the development of maize composites under the study. The bi-variate Probit model was fitted to identify the factors responsible for probability of adoption of maize composites. The study revealed significant yield gains of 32.20, 27.10 and 27.80 q/ha respectively in C6, KG1 and C8 maize composites which increased the marketable surplus significantly. The labour productivity was the highest in C6 followed by C8 and KG1. The net change in partial budget to the tune ` 20,916 per hectare indicated capability of commercial orientation of maize composites and also high B-C ratio of maize composites held the view that maize seed technology could prove a boon for sustenance of farm families of dry lands maize growers in Kashmir valley. The Probit model estimates revealed that the average size of land fragments, educational level, experience of maize growing and yield risk in local varieties were positively significant, while negative significance of average size of land holding suggested that non-fragmentation could help in the adoption of composite maize seed technology. The study concludes that cultivation of maize composites has the potential to secure and sustain livelihood of stake holders under dry land conditions.

Keywords: Land Economics/Use; Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:inijae:206339

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.206339

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