Crop management and socio-economic determinants of soybean yield variability in Central India: a regression tree approach

Abstract

Crop management, socio-economic, environmental and soil quality factors play a pivotal role in enhancing crop productivity. Variation in crop productivity among farmers under real farm situations was observed. Therefore, the premise ofthis study is to investigate the relative importance ofthese factors in determining soybean yield variability across farms in the villages of Madhya Pradesh state in Central India. Data were collected using the personal interview of 376 randomly selected farmers, conducted in eight villages of four districts. Crop input application and management practices followed and yield data are presented as mean data and correlations, and individual farmer's information is represented by regression tree (RT) analysis to unravel the associations between crop management, socio-economic and soil variability and soybean yield, and the technical efficiency (TE) measure. Soybean yield realized by sample farmers varied widely from 5 to 28 q/ha. RT analysis showed that yield variability across farmers was affected by multiple and interacting production and socio-economic constraints such as extension contact and source of information, use of plant nutrients and soil amendments, seed rate and treatment, plant density, pests and diseasemanagement,land topographyand soil fertility, labour and capital management. Technical efficiencyanalysis suggested that optimal use of farm inputs and the elimination of socio-economic and structural constraints can improve efficiencyin soybean production. In conclusion, the analysis results suggested that the farmyield variability can be reduced by adjusting crop management practices of low yielding farms through integrated and targeted extension approaches.