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The necessity of water scarcity, increased demands for irrigation energy and increased production costs make it important to have strategies which improve the efficiency of water and energy use, as well as to increase farm profitability. In this study, the impact of micro-irrigation adoption on resource-use and economy was evaluated in the smallholder crop field of two districts of south Odisha, India—Gajapati and Rayagada and Koraput districts. The survey was conducted by multistages stratified sampling approach on 300 farmers including 150 farmers who adopted micro-irrigation and 150 conventional-irrigation farmers. The descriptive statistics, mean comparison test, and χ² analysis were used to evaluate the socio-economic and institutional characteristics, irrigation and input application, crop productivity, and production costs and returns. Propensity score matching (PSM) was then used to address the observable selection bias and to estimate the average treatment effect on the treated (ATT). The micro-irrigation farmers consumed 37.4% less irrigation water, 42.2% less irrigation labour and 33.7% less energy as compared to the conventional-irrigation farmers and produced 22.1% more marketable yield. The physical water productivity rose with 3.86 kg m–3. The novelty of micro-irrigation was that the net return was 72,220 ha–¹ more than conventional irrigation. The benefit–cost ratio was also improved from 1.92 to 2.38 and the economic water productivity was improved from ` 29.01 to ` 68.30 m–³. Following matching, the adoption of irrigation was correlated with 34.8% less use of irrigation water, 18.4% more yield, 39.5% more net return and 114.0% more economic water productivity. The results show that the use of micro-irrigation can enhance the physical resource efficiency and economic performance in smallholder production systems. Improved extension, access to institutional credit and specific investments, together with good water governance, can help to support irrigation transitions in southern Odisha that are economically viable and resource efficient.

This study empirically investigates the socio-economic, digital, and perceptual factors governing agro-advisory uptake among paddy (Oryza sativa) cultivators. Using a multi-stage sampling strategy, primary data were collected through face-to-face personal interviews from 120 active paddy farmers (N = 120). The study used Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression to analyze the determinants of advisory utilization intensity. Descriptive findings show that while 73.3% (n = 88) of respondents acknowledged a perceived need for agro-advisories, 55.0% (n = 66) exhibited low practice utilization, highlighting a pronounced “know-do gap”. Econometric estimations (R2 = 0.584, p < 0.001) revealed that internet access (β = 3.942, p < 0.001) was the strongest positive driver of advisory utilization. Perceived need (β = 2.415, p < 0.001), formal education level (β = 0.481, p = 0.012), and net annual household income (β = 0.000012, p = 0.008) also significantly enhanced utilization scores. Conversely, age showed a statistically significant negative association (β = -0.043, p = 0.028), indicating lower advisory uptake among older farming cohorts. Gender and family size did not directly influence utilization intensity. Overall, the results demonstrate that information access alone is insufficient for practice change unless supported by digital infrastructure and financial capability. To prevent digital exclusion, extension policy must move toward hybrid (“phygital”) extension frameworks that integrate digital/SMS communication with field-level extension support, alongside aligning advisories with input credit programs.

Maize fodder plays a vital role in sustaining livestock productivity, particularly in regions facing chronic fodder deficits such as India. The present study evaluates the economic viability, marketing dynamics, and resource use efficiency of maize fodder cultivation across three agro-climatic zones — temperate, intermediate, and sub-tropical — of the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir. The study was conducted during the agricultural year 2024–25 using a multistage random sampling technique, covering 120 farmers, and primary data were collected through structured surveys and analysed using cost–benefit analysis, marketing efficiency measures, and the Cobb–Douglas production function. The findings revealed that maize fodder cultivation is economically viable across all zones, with cost–benefit ratios ranging from 1:2.39 in the intermediate zone to 1:3.09 in the sub-tropical zone, indicating higher profitability in the latter owing to lower cultivation costs and higher yields. The marketing analysis identified two channels, of which the direct channel (Producer → Consumer) was more efficient, being characterised by lower marketing costs, reduced price spread, and a higher producer’s share in the consumer’s rupee. Resource use efficiency analysis showed that seed was consistently under-utilised across all three zones, while farmyard manure (FYM), irrigation, and plant protection were over-utilised; fertilizer and labour were under-utilised in the temperate and intermediate zones but over-utilised in specific contexts of the sub-tropical zone. All three zones exhibited decreasing returns to scale (Σβi < 1). The study highlights the need to reallocate inputs — increasing use of the under-utilised inputs and rationalising the over-utilised ones — while promoting direct marketing channels to enhance farmers’ income. However, the findings are limited to selected districts of the Jammu region and are based on cross-sectional data for a single agricultural year, which may restrict their generalisability.