Eco-friendly Farming practices for sustainable agricultural development in Cuddalore District
Ragulprasath. P¹, P. Kaviya²* and P. Ramesh³
1,*2,3Department of Agricultural Extension, Annamalai University, Chidambaram - 608 002 (India) 1Mobile: 8668035123, *2Mobile: 8825458065, 3Mobile: 9942115005 *Correspondence author id: Kaviya P (kaviyadeepan66@gmail.com)
ABSTRACT
Eco-friendly farming practices are sustainable, low-cost and environmentally sound methods that support biodiversity and reduce pollution. This study was based on the hypothesis that the knowledge level of paddy farmers significantly influences the adoption of ecofriendly cultivation practices. The research aimed to assess farmers understanding of recommended eco-friendly practices and identify areas with knowledge gaps. Conducted in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, the study involved 120 paddy farmers selected from 12 villages. The findings revealed that nearly half (48.33%) of the respondents had a medium level of knowledge, followed by 35.00% with high and 16.67% with low knowledge levels. A novel insight from the study was that while farmers had good knowledge in areas such as main field preparation (97.49%) and harvesting (96.66%), their awareness was significantly lower in critical areas like eco-friendly pest and disease management (52.26%) and use of bio-fertilizers (57.08%). This uneven knowledge distribution highlights the need for targeted extension interventions. The study offers new perspectives on practice-specific knowledge among paddy farmers and emphasizes strengthening weak areas to ensure holistic adoption of sustainable farming. These insights contribute to improving eco-agricultural strategies for long-term food security and environmental conservation.