International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 2, Issue 11, November 2012 1 ISSN 2250-3153

A Study on Efficiency of Water Use for Paddy and Banana and the Relationship between the Characteristics of the Respondents

Darling.B.suji* and J.Vasanthakumar**

* Assistant professor, Dept. of. Agrl. Extension, Annamalai University ** Professor and Head, Dept. of. Agrl. Extension, Annamalai University

Abstract- A Study was conducted in Kanayakumari district to the volume of water used by the crop as evapotranspiration, or find out the efficiency of water use for paddy and banana and the the total amount of water used in the field. relationship between the characteristics of the respondents and the efficiency of water use. The study reveals that 60.67 per cent of the respondents had low water use efficiency and 25.33 per III. EFFICIENCY OF WATER USE FOR PADDY cent of them had medium water use efficiency in paddy. Only The results on distribution of respondents according to their 14.00 per cent of them had high water use efficiency in paddy. efficiency of water use for paddy are given in Table 1. This study also shows that 61.33 per cent of them had low water use efficiency followed by medium water use efficiency (21.33 Table 1: Distribution of respondents according to their per cent) in banana. Only 17.34 per cent had high water use efficiency of water use for paddy efficiency in banana. (n=300)

S.No Category Number of respondents Per cent 1 Low 182 60.67 I. INTRODUCTION 2 Medium 76 25.33 ater and land are the two important assets of any country 3 High 42 14.00 W and proper utilization of them can bring prosperity to Total 300 100.00 living society. Future gain in irrigation depends on increasing water use efficiency, rather than increasing water supply. This It may be observed from the Table 1 that majority of the means using more efficient, low-cost and locally-adapted respondents (60.67 per cent) had low water use efficiency technologies to reduce water loss. Small-scale irrigation can help followed by medium water use efficiency (25.33 per cent). Only farmers to increase yields. The present study was undertaken to 14.00 per cent had high water use efficiency. study the efficiency of water use for paddy and banana and the relationship between the characteristics of the respondents and the efficiency of water use. IV. EFFICIENCY OF WATER USE FOR BANANA

The results on distribution of respondents according to their II. METHODOLOGY efficiency of water use for banana are given in Table 2.

The study was carried out in district. There Table 2 Distribution of respondents according to their are four taluks in viz; Agastheeshwaram, efficiency of water use for Banana , and Villavancode. All the four taluks were (n=300) identified for collection of data. One block from each taluk was S.No Category Number of respondents Per cent selected randomly. From each block, one village was randomly 1 Low 184 61.33 selected. Thus a total of four villages viz; Theroor, Vellamadam, 2 Medium 64 21.33 Arumanai and were selected for data collection. The 3 High 52 17.34 lists of farmers in the selected villages were obtained from Total 300 100.00 Village Extension Workers concerned. A sample of 300 respondents was selected from the four villages by identifying It may be observed from the Table 2 that majority of the equal number of respondents (75) randomly from each of the respondents (61.33 per cent) had low water use efficiency villages. The data were collected from 300 farmers. A well followed by medium water use efficiency (21.33 per cent). Only structured interview schedule was used for the data collection. 17.34 per cent had high water use efficiency. The data were collected from the selected farmers through personal interview method. To assess the efficiency of water use it is the ratio of yield and amount of water used. It may be expressed as the ratio of dry weight of produce i.e., the yield to

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V. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROFILE OF THE RESPONDENTS Irrigation intensity showed a positive and highly significant AND EFFICIENCY OF WATER USE relationship with the efficiency of water use for paddy crop. As The zero-order correlation was computed to know the the irrigation intensity increases the efficiency of water use also relationship of the socio-economic and psychological increases because they get water from different sources. characteristics of respondents with their efficiency of water use Innovativeness showed a positive and significant for paddy. The results are given in Table 3. relationship with the efficiency of water use for paddy crop. This shows more the innovativeness more will be the efficiency of Table 3 Zero-order correlation of characteristics of water use. It is obvious that innovativeness could contribute to respondents with their efficiency of water use for paddy the efficiency of water use, for more the innovativeness more the farmers would try to acquire information about the new (n=300) technologies to increase the efficiency of water use. Variable Independent variables Correlation Risk orientation showed a positive and highly significant No coefficient relationship with the efficiency of water use for paddy crop. Risk X Age 0.106* orientation develops the respondent’s ability to face the odds in 1 farming. Thus, increase in risk orientation increases the X Education 0.231** 2 efficiency of water use of respondents. This finding is in line X Occupation 0.046NS 3 with the findings of Saravanan (2005). X Farm size -0.008NS 4 Scientific orientation was found to be significantly X5 Farming experience 0.115* correlated with the efficiency of water use of the respondents. X6 Annual income -0.011NS Respondents with more scientific orientation will definitely X7 Cropping intensity 0.037NS gather information on new technologies and they use the water X8 Irrigation intensity 0.137* efficiently. X9 Productivity 0.042NS The zero-order correlation was computed to know the X10 Source of irrigation -0.004NS relationship of the socio-economic and psychological X11 Method of irrigation 0.056NS characteristics of respondents with their efficiency of water use X12 Social participation -0.062NS for paddy. The results are given in Table 4. X13 Extension agency -0.102NS contact Table 4 Zero-order correlation of characteristics of X14 Innovativeness 0.131* respondents with their efficiency of water use for Banana.

X15 Risk orientation 0.047* (n=300) X16 Scientific orientation 0.045* Variable Independent variables Correlation X17 Economic motivation 0.047NS No coefficient X18 Mass media exposure -0.009NS X1 Age -0.012 ** Significant at 1 per cent X2 Education 0.211** * Significant at 5 per cent X3 Occupation -0.022NS NS Non-significant X4 Farm size -0.018NS

X5 Farming experience -0.228* Out of the eighteen independent variables taken for analysis, X6 Annual income -0.012NS age, education, farming experience, irrigation intensity, X7 Cropping intensity 0.153** innovativeness, risk orientation, and scientific orientation were X8 Irrigation intensity 0.227* found to have positive significant relationship with the efficiency X Productivity 0.001NS of water use. 9 X Source of irrigation 0.019NS Age showed a positive and highly significant relationship 10 X Method of irrigation 0.035NS with the efficiency of water use for paddy crop. As the age 11 X Social participation -0.073NS increases their experience made them efficient to use the 12 available water. This is in line with the findings of Flora (2007). X13 Extension agency 0.233* Educational status was found to have positive and highly contact significant relationship with the efficiency of water use for paddy X14 Innovativeness 0.233* crop. Obviously, educated respondents develop a positive X15 Risk orientation 0.007NS attitude towards efficiency of water use. X16 Scientific orientation 0.116** Farming experience showed a positive and highly X17 Economic motivation -0.013NS significant relationship with the efficiency of water use for paddy X18 Mass media exposure -0.033NS crop. Majority of the respondents were having high to medium ** Significant at 1 per cent level of experience. This might have influenced them to greater * Significant at 5 per cent water use efficiency in paddy farming. As the farming experience NS Non-significant increases their experience made them efficient to use the available water. This is in line with the findings of Vignesh Out of the eighteen independent variables taken for analysis, (2006). education, farming experience, cropping intensity, irrigation

www.ijsrp.org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 2, Issue 11, November 2012 3 ISSN 2250-3153 intensity, extension agency contact, innovativeness, and experience scientific orientation were found to have positive significant X6 Annual 0.009 0.001 0.196NS relationship with the efficiency of water use for banana. income Educational status was found to have positive and X7 Cropping 0.039 0.086 1.980* highly significant relationship with the efficiency of water use intensity for banana. Obviously, educated respondents develop a positive X8 Irrigation -0.105 0.035 - attitude towards efficiency of water use. intensity 0.994NS Farming experience showed a positive and highly X9 Productivity 0.057 0.138 2.118* significant relationship with the efficiency of water use for X10 Source of 0.008 0.040 0.202NS banana. As the farming experience increases their experience irrigation made them efficient to use the available water. Cropping intensity showed a positive and highly significant X11 Method of 0.072 0.040 1.825* relationship with the efficiency of water use for banana. As the irrigation cropping intensity increases the efficiency of water use also X12 Social -0.065 0.052 -1.241 increases because more crops use the water efficiently. participation Irrigation intensity showed a positive and highly significant X13 Extension 0.028 0.015 1.828* relationship with the efficiency of water use for banana. As the agency contact irrigation intensity increases the efficiency of water use also X14 Innovativeness 0.114 0.049 2.353** increases because they get water from different sources. X15 Risk 0.032 0.145 2.489** Extension agency contact was found to have positive and orientation highly significant relationship with the efficiency of water use X16 Scientific 0.054 0.378 1.693* for banana. More contact with extension agencies leads to orientation increase in the efficiency of water use. X17 Economic 0.024 0.044 0.538NS Innovativeness showed a positive and significant motivation relationship with the efficiency of water use for banana. This X18 Mass media -0.001 0.015 - shows more the innovativeness more will be the efficiency of exposure 0.058NS water use. It is obvious that innovativeness could contribute to the efficiency of water use, for more the innovativeness more the R2=0.614 F=4.894 farmers would try to acquire information about the new ** Significant at 1 per cent technologies to increase the efficiency of water use. This finding * Significant at 5 per cent is in line with the findings of Vengatachalam (2005). NS Non-significant Scientific orientation was found to be significantly correlated with the efficiency of water use of the respondents. It could be observed from the Table 5 that all the eighteen Respondents with more scientific orientation will definitely variables together explained 0.614 per cent of variation in gather information on new technologies and they use the water efficiency of water use. The ‘F’ value 4.894 was found to be efficiently. This finding is in line with the findings of Flora significant. It could be concluded that a linear functional (2007). relationship between independent variables and dependent variables could be established. Of the eighteen variables taken for analysis, education, VI. REGRESSION OF CHARACTERISTICS OF RESPONDENTS innovativeness, and risk orientation were positively significant at WITH THEIR EFFICIENCY OF WATER USE 0.01 per cent level of probability. Age, cropping intensity, Regression was computed to know the relationship of productivity and method of irrigation, extension agency contact characteristics of the respondents with their efficiency of water and scientific orientation were positively significant at 0.05 per cent level of probability towards efficiency of water use for use. The results are given in Table 5 and 6. paddy.

The analysis revealed that a unit increase in age, education,

cropping intensity, productivity, method of irrigation, extension Table 5 Regression of characteristics of respondents with agency contact, innovativeness, risk orientation and scientific their efficiency of water use for paddy orientation would increase efficiency of water use for paddy by

0.279, 0.020, 0.039,0.057, 0.072, 0.028,0.114,0.032,and 0.054 (n=300) units respectively. Variable Variables Regression Standard ‘t’ Age showed a positive and highly significant relationship No coefficient Error Value with the efficiency of water use for paddy crop. As the age X Age 0.279 0.124 2.254* 1 increases their experience made them efficient to use the X2 Education 0.020 0.289 2.690** available water. This is in line with the findings of Flora (2007). X3 Occupation 0.062 0.067 0.923NS Educational status was found to have positive and highly X4 Farm size -0.026 0.137 - significant relationship with the efficiency of water use for 0.191NS paddy. Obviously, educated respondents develop knowledge X5 Farming 0.023 0.014 1.615NS towards efficiency of water use.

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Cropping intensity showed a positive and highly significant Innovativeness showed a positive and significant relationship with the efficiency of water use for paddy. As the relationship with the efficiency of water use for paddy. This cropping intensity increases the efficiency of water use also shows more the innovativeness more will be the efficiency of increases because more crops use the water efficiently. water use. It is obvious that innovativeness could contribute to Productivity showed a positive and highly significant the efficiency of water use, for more the innovativeness more the relationship with the efficiency of water use for paddy. As the farmers would try to acquire information about the new productivity increases the efficiency of water use also increases technologies to increase the efficiency of water use. because the water use efficiency is expressed by the ratio of yield Risk orientation showed a positive and highly significant and water used. This finding is in line with the findings of Flora relationship with the efficiency of water use for paddy. Risk (2007). orientation develops the respondent’s ability to face the odds in Method of irrigation showed a positive and highly farming. Thus, increase in risk orientation increases the significant relationship with the efficiency of water use for efficiency of water use of respondents. This finding is in line paddy. Controlled irrigation increases the efficiency of water use, with the findings of Vengatachalam (2005). because the wastage of water is very less. This finding is in line Scientific orientation was found to be significantly with the findings of Vignesh (2006). correlated with the efficiency of water use of the respondents. Extension agency contact was found to have positive and Respondents with more scientific orientation will definitely highly significant relationship with the efficiency of water use gather information on new technologies and they use the water for paddy. More contact with extension agencies leads to efficiently. This finding is in line with the findings of Flora increase in the efficiency of water use. (2007).

Table 6 Regression of characteristics of respondents with their efficiency of water use for Banana

(n=300) Variable No Variables Regressioncoeffic Standard Error ‘t’ Value ient X1 Age 0.164 0.267 2.148* X2 Education 0.049 0.062 2.616** X3 Occupation -0.122 0.144 -0.810NS X4 Farm size 0.193 0.295 0.851NS X5 Farming experience -0.023 0.031 -0.657NS X6 Annual income 0.001 0.002 0.601NS X7 Cropping intensity 0.109 0.087 2.262* X8 Irrigation intensity 0.037 0.076 0.591NS X9 Productivity 0.049 0.110 0.494NS X10 Source of irrigation 0.006 0.086 0.524NS X11 Method of irrigation 0.077 0.089 0.073NS X12 Social participation 0.001 0.113 0.899NS X13 Extension agency contact 0.031 0.033 0.001NS X14 Innovativeness 0.183 0.105 1.961* X15 Risk orientation 0.212 0.142 1.752* X16 Scientific orientation 0.337 0.167 1.490NS X17 Economic motivation 0.131 0.095 2.015NS X18 Mass media exposure 0.025 0.033 1.377NS R2=0.512 F=5.162 **Significant at 1 per cent * Significant at 5 per cent NS Non-significant cropping intensity, innovativeness and risk orientation were It could be observed from the Table 6 that all the eighteen positively significant at0.05 per cent level of probability. variables together explained 0.512 per cent of variation in Of the eighteen variables taken for analysis, age, education, efficiency of water use. The ‘F’ value 5.162 was found to be cropping intensity, innovativeness and risk orientation would significant. It could be concluded that a linear functional increase efficiency of water use for banana by 0.164, 0.049, relationship between independent variables and dependent 0.109, 0.183 and 0.212 units respectively. variables could be established. Age showed a positive and highly significant relationship Of the eighteen variables taken for analysis, education was with the efficiency of water use for banana. As the age increases positively significant at 0.01 per cent level of probability. Age, their experience made them efficient to use the available water.

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Educational status was found to have positive and highly conduct farmers field school to create awareness and motivate significant relationship with the efficiency of water use for the farmers to adopt the irrigation management technologies to banana. Obviously, educated respondents develop a positive increase the efficiency of water use. attitude towards efficiency of water use. Cropping intensity showed a positive and highly significant relationship with the efficiency of water use for banana. As the REFERENCES cropping intensity increases the efficiency of water use also [1] Flora, L.V. 2007. Sustainable water management through drip irrigation in increases because more crops use the water efficiently. Madurai District-an explorative study, Unpublished M.Sc.(Ag.) Thesis, Innovativeness showed a positive and significant relationship TNAU, Madurai. with the efficiency of water use for banana. This shows more the [2] Saravanan, R. 2005. Role of farm women in water management innovativeness more will be the efficiency of water use. It is technologies, Unpublished M.Sc.(Ag.) Thesis, TNAU, Coimbatore. [3] Vengatachalam, G. 2005. Extension strategies to popularize water obvious that innovativeness could contribute to the efficiency of management practices in delta areas. Unpublished M.Sc.(Ag.) Thesis, water use, for more the innovativeness more the farmers would TNAU, Coimbatore. try to acquire information about the new technologies to increase [4] Vignesh, N. 2006. A comparative study on participation of people in the efficiency of water use. watershed development programmes, Unpublished M.Sc.(Ag.) Thesis, Risk orientation showed a positive and highly significant TNAU, Coimbatore. relationship with the efficiency of water use for banana. Risk orientation develops the respondent’s ability to face the odds in farming. Thus, increase in risk orientation increases the AUTHORS efficiency of water use of respondents. This finding is in line First Author – Darling.B.suji, Assistant professor, Dept. of. with the findings of Vengatachalam (2005). Agrl. Extension, Annamalai University Second Author – J.Vasanthakumar, Professor and Head, Dept.of. Agrl. Extension, Annamalai University VII. CONCLUSION This study clearly shows that majority of the farmers possess low water use efficiency. Hence, it is suggested to

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