Awareness and Farmers’ Perception towards Biostimulants in Deesa Taluka of Banaskantha, Gujarat, India
Jainil K. Desai
International Agribusiness Management Institute, Anand Agricultural University, Anand, Gujarat, India.
Chetan R. Dudhagara *
International Agribusiness Management Institute, Anand Agricultural University, Anand, Gujarat, India.
Ashish B. Mahera
International Agribusiness Management Institute, Anand Agricultural University, Anand, Gujarat, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Modernizing the agriculture sector is essential to address current challenges and ensure long-term sustainability. Traditional agricultural practices—particularly the excessive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides—have significantly contributed to environmental degradation, resulting in issues such as soil erosion, water contamination, and a decline in biodiversity. That’s how focus now shifted towards eco-friendly inputs to revitalize production with sustainable future for generations. Biostimulants plays vital role to fulfil the current demand with quality agriculture production and support sustainability too. This study was carried out to find farmers’ awareness and perception towards biostimulants. The 200 respondence were selected using purposive sampling from the study area with the help of semi-structured scheduled. Ten villages were chosen for the research. Twenty farmers from each village were selected through purposive sampling technique. The study found that the majority of farmers are well aware of biostimulants and use them to enhance crop yields. The study suggests that increased use of extension tools can improve the dissemination of information. It also recommends conducting more demonstrations and farmer training programs to enhance outreach and maximize the benefits, supporting sustainable agricultural production.
Keywords: Chemical fertilizers, environment degradation, soil erosion, water contamination, eco-friendly inputs, biostimulants, sustainable agriculture, crop production