Association of the Independent Variables with Knowledge and Adoption Level of Farmers about Paddy Straw Management Techniques in Haryana

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) serves as the primary staple food for over half of the world's population and is believed to be the first cultivated crop globally. In Asia, 90-95 per cent of the world's total rice production occurs. Burning crop residues not only results in economic loss but also causes environmental pollution, poses hazards to human health, produces greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, and leads to the loss of plant nutrients such as N, P, K, and S. Agricultural byproducts, such as crop residues, can be repurposed for a multitude of applications, such as bioenergy, biofuel, briquetting, pelleting, composting, and various industrial uses. In order to maintain sustainable soil health over extended periods of time, it is recommended that a significant proportion of crop residues be conserved either by leaving them on the soil surface or by integrating them into the soil. Therefore, proficient residue management is a critical component of the practise of conservation agriculture. Personality traits are known to influence farmers' knowledge levels; thus, this study examined the relationship between selected independent variables and farmers' knowledge and adoption levels concerning paddy straw management techniques in Haryana. The results showed that among the 11 selected independent variables, education, socio-economic status, mass media exposure, and extension contact were positively and significantly correlated with farmers' knowledge and adoption levels at a 0.01 level of probability. In contrast, landholding, farm implements, and irrigation facilities were positively but non-significantly correlated with farmers' knowledge and adoption levels concerning paddy straw management techniques. Regression analysis revealed that the selected independent variables collectively accounted for 67.33 per cent and 56.89 per cent of the variation in farmers' knowledge and adoption levels, respectively.