Knowledge and Skills of Maize Farmers in Accessing Smartphone-Based Agricultural Information in Selected Districts of Tamil Nadu, India
S. Sownthariya *
Department of Agricultural Extension Education, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram – 695522, Kerala, India.
Ravi Kumar Theodore
Kumaraguru Institute of Agriculture, Sakthinagar – 638315, Erode, Tamil Nadu, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This cross-sectional ex post facto study assessed maize farmers’ knowledge and self-reported operational skills in accessing smartphone-based agricultural information in selected areas of Tamil Nadu, India. Data were collected in June 2023 from 120 maize farmers in Perambalur and Cuddalore districts. The districts, blocks, and villages were purposively selected on the basis of maize-cultivation area, after which 30 farmers per block were selected by simple random sampling from local administrative or extension-office lists. Knowledge was assessed using a 30-item dichotomous index, and skill was assessed using a 30-item three-point index. Frequencies, percentages, and exploratory Pearson correlations were used for analysis.
Overall knowledge was classified as low for 75.00% of respondents, medium for 23.30%, and high for 1.70%. Among the selected items, knowledge was higher for downloading applications through Google Play Store, using Google Pay, and identifying the Uzhavan App than for agriculture-specific marketing, diagnostic, transport, and maize-information services. Overall skill was classified as low for 43.30% of respondents, medium for 27.50%, and high for 29.20%. Skills in basic smartphone functions, including taking photographs or videos and sending or receiving messages, were more common than those involving agricultural marketing platforms, crop-advisory services, and online registration for government schemes.
Educational status, scientific orientation, smartphone-ownership pattern, familiarity with smartphone use, and smartphone-utilisation pattern were positively associated with overall knowledge, whereas age was negatively associated. Overall skill was positively associated with educational status, annual income, exposure to agricultural messages, scientific orientation, smartphone-ownership pattern, smartphone familiarity, smartphone utilisation, and WhatsApp-group membership; age and occupational status were negatively associated. Because these findings are cross-sectional and based on bivariate correlations, they should be interpreted as exploratory associations rather than causal effects. The results support practical, locally adapted digital-literacy initiatives that move beyond smartphone ownership to develop farmers’ capacity to use agriculture-specific digital services.
Keywords: Agricultural information, digital agriculture, digital literacy, maize farmers, mobile applications, smartphone skills