Ramalingam Gangai Selvi

Predictive modelling of soil nutrient dynamics is an essential tool for promoting sustainable agricultural practices and environmentally responsible farming methods. The statistical and machine learning techniques used to forecast the availability and dynamics of soil nutrients are summarised in this review. The core frameworks for measuring spatio-temporal nutritional variability are established by traditional statistical approaches such as time-series models autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA), multivariate techniques (Principal component analysis (PCA) and factor analysis) and geostatistical tools (kriging). By capturing intricate nonlinear interactions within heterogeneous agroecosystems, machine learning techniques like random forest, support vector machines and ensemble approaches (XGBoost, LightGBM and AdaBoost) provide higher prediction accuracy. Forecasting capabilities are further enhanced by hybrid frameworks [Autoregressive integrated moving average with exogenous variables–artificial neural network. (ARIMAX-ANN)] and deep learning architectures (Convolutional neural network (CNN), long short-term memory (LSTM), ANN). With R2 values above 0.93 and notable decreases in prediction errors, ensemble approaches routinely perform better than traditional linear models. Nevertheless, persistent challenges include data quality limitations, spatial sampling constraints, insufficient environmental covariates and reduced model transferability across diverse pedoclimatic regions. Integrating high-resolution soil properties, climatic variables, terrain attributes and spectral information with advanced modelling architectures remains crucial for enhancing predictive reliability, ultimately supporting precision nutrient management, improved fertiliser efficiency and environmentally responsible agricultural systems.

Urban food systems are in the midst of a rapid "dietary shift" where consumers' food habits are changing, with a rise in demand for plant-based and health-functional foods due to a variety of factors, such as changing lifestyles and increased nutritional awareness. Makhana (Euryale ferox Salisb.) is an aquatic plant which has a high nutritive value and is gaining importance in the market. The empirical literature on the factors affecting consumer adoption in urban markets is still very limited. The current research aims to explore the consumer awareness, preference structure, influencing factors and purchase constraints of foxtail nut consumption in the urban market. Descriptive-analytical research design was used and primary data were gathered from 300 urban consumers by using a structured interview schedule. To determine awareness and preference pattern, percentage analysis was employed. The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) performed with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and varimax rotation showed the most important determinants of consumer preference, and the Garrett ranking technique was used to rank the purchase constraints. The results suggest that consumers are very aware, mostly through interpersonal communication and exposure to organised retail outlets. The results of Factor Analysis indicated that fox nut acceptance was multidimensional, where the most significant factors are health and nutritional attributes, followed by availability and accessibility, sensory and product quality, price perception and value for money, packaging and branding and social influence. Although awareness is high and perception is favourable, consumption is still mainly occasional, mainly because of the high prices and limited retail availability. The findings highlight the need for strategic market and policy measures that make prices more accessible and boost distribution systems. These strategies can help make fox nut (makhana) a staple functional food in the urban markets.

Recent evidence on agro-waste management in India is synthesised through a thematic review of 58 peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2025. Using a preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA)-based systematic approach, the study analyses disposal practices, recycling pathways, soil health impacts, technological innovations, socio-economic drivers, environmental implications and governance mechanisms. The synthesis integrates evidence related to residue generation, disposal practices, recycling pathways, environmental impacts and policy interventions across diverse agricultural regions of India. The findings indicate that residue burning continues across many agricultural regions due to operational and institutional constraints. In contrast, recycling approaches including composting, mulching, biochar application and in situ incorporation significantly improve soil organic carbon, nutrient availability and microbial activity. However, adoption remains uneven due to economic, technical and institutional barriers. The study advances a systems-level perspective, highlighting that agro-waste management is shaped by interactions among technology, policy and farmer decision-making. It concludes that enabling governance frameworks, improved service delivery systems, functional machinery networks and viable residue-based value chains are essential for achieving sustainable and scalable agro-waste management in India.

Millet-based farming systems are central to food and livelihood security in semi-arid regions facing increasing climate variability. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) has gained prominence as a strategic approach to enhance productivity, strengthen adaptive capacity and improve environmental sustainability in these systems. This review synthesises evidence from 80 peer-reviewed studies (2015–25), including 58 works cited directly to support key findings. A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines, supported by bibliometric and thematic analyses. The findings show that CSA interventions particularly soil-water conservation, nutrient management, improved varieties and crop diversification consistently enhance yield stability, water-use efficiency and drought resilience. Integrated CSA approaches demonstrate more robust and consistent outcomes than single interventions. Nonetheless, mitigation effects remain insufficiently quantified across the literature. Adoption of CSA practices is shaped by access to inputs, extension services, market linkages and institutional support, which continue to constrain large-scale implementation. The results indicate that while agronomic technologies are effective, their broader impact is limited by systemic barriers related to institutions and value chains. The study underscores the need for integrated strategies that combine technological, institutional and market interventions to improve the sustainability and scalability of millet-based CSA systems. Overall, this review provides a comprehensive synthesis of existing evidence and identifies key research and policy priorities for advancing climate-resilient millet agriculture.

Background: Agricultural advisory services have evolved into pluralistic, multi-actor systems in which farmers behaviourally evaluate advice from formal and informal sources based on relevance, trust, and contextual fit, shaping the acceptance of agricultural recommendations. Aims: This study examined how farmers’ evaluation of advisory services influences the acceptance of agricultural recommendations within a pluralistic extension system. Study Design: The study employed an ex-post facto research design. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu, India, between January and March 2026. Methodology: Primary data were collected from 120 farmers selected through snowball sampling across pluralistic advisory environments. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Friedman test, Chi-square analysis, Spearman rank correlation, multiple regression analysis, and Garrett ranking technique. Results: The findings revealed that informal advisory actors, particularly input dealers and progressive farmers, were accessed more frequently than formal advisory sources. About 71.7% of farmers reported high acceptance of recommendations from informal advisory actors, while only 33.3% reported high acceptance of formal advisory recommendations. Chi-square analysis indicated a significant association between perceived advisory quality and acceptance of informal recommendations (χ² = 14.378, P= .001). Spearman correlation analysis showed that relevance had the strongest positive association with informal acceptance behaviour (r = .498, P < .01), while regression analysis identified relevance as the most significant predictor of acceptance (β = .433, P= .043). Trusted source emerged as the most important reason influencing acceptance decisions. Conclusion: The findings indicate that advisory effectiveness within pluralistic systems is shaped not only by technical quality of recommendations but also by contextual relevance, trust, and relational dynamics embedded within advisory networks. Strengthening farmer-centred and context-responsive advisory approaches and improving collaboration between formal and informal advisory actors may enhance advisory effectiveness within similar pluralistic extension contexts.

Climate change poses a profound threat to global agriculture, with far-reaching implications for food security, rural livelihoods and sustainable development. Agriculture remains highly vulnerable to climate-induced stresses such as droughts, heat waves, erratic and intense rainfall, storms, floods and the resurgence of pest and disease outbreaks. These climatic disruptions directly influence crop physiology, soil health, water availability and overall productivity. Projections indicate a substantial rise in temperature and greater variability in rainfall patterns in the coming decades, increasing the frequency and severity of climate extremes. As a result, yields of major staple crops may decline by up to 30 %, primarily due to reduced plant productivity, shortened growing periods and crop failures in climate-sensitive regions. In response to these escalating challenges, the promotion and integration of climate-smart and resilient agricultural practices have become essential to sustaining production systems. Approaches such as climate-smart agriculture (CSA), improved water and soil management, stress-tolerant crop varieties, diversified farming systems and innovative adaptation technologies play a crucial role in enhancing resilience. Strengthening institutional support, extension services and farmer capacities is equally vital for effective adaptation. This scoping review systematically synthesises current evidence on the impacts of climate change on agriculture and identifies a wide range of adaptation and resilience strategies implemented across different agro-ecological contexts. The review also highlights key gaps in existing knowledge and suggests future directions for research and policy to bolster climate-resilient agricultural systems and ensure long-term food security.

Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is increasingly recognized as a vital approach for enhancing the sustainability, productivity and resilience of farming systems under changing climatic conditions. CSA encompasses a wide range of climate-smart agricultural technologies such as use of precise farming tools water-saving irrigation methods, cultivation of drought-tolerant crop varieties, integrated nutrient management, conservation tillage, agroforestry practices and renewable energy-based farm operations. These technologies are specifically designed to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change while ensuring improved resource efficiency and long-term food security. This study investigates the attitudes of farmers toward CSA technologies in Tamil Nadu, a region where agricultural livelihoods are highly vulnerable to erratic rainfall patterns, prolonged droughts and rising temperatures. The research was carried out in five purposively selected districts representing diverse agro-climatic zones and technology adoption environments. A structured attitude scale comprising 32 statements related to the perceived benefits, applicability, risks and constraints of CSA technologies was developed and validated using Edward’s criteria. The final scale was administered to a sample of 300 farmers using a five-point Likert format. The results revealed that 28 % of respondents expressed a highly favourable attitude toward CSA Technologies, 57 % respondents showed a favourable attitude and 14 % showed an unfavourable attitude. The favourable responses of the majority of farmers for CSA Technologies demonstrated its role in enhancing crop productivity, improving soil health, increasing water-use efficiency, reducing input costs in the long term and minimizing vulnerability to climate-induced risks. Conversely, unfavourable attitudes were largely influenced by challenges such as high initial investment requirements, technical complexity, inadequate access to credit, limited availability of technologies and insufficient institutional support. These findings underline the critical importance of strengthening awareness programs, providing need-based farmer training, developing cost-effective CSA Technologies packages and improving extension services for effective dissemination of climate-resilient technologies. Understanding farmer’s attitudes toward CSA technologies is essential for formulating targeted outreach strategies, policy interventions and capacity-building initiatives aimed at scaling up the adoption of climate-smart agricultural technologies in Tamil Nadu.

Open and distance learning (ODL) in India has emerged as a crucial mode of education, with 45.73 lakh enrolments in 2021-22 across various courses. In agriculture, ODL plays a vital role in promoting skill development and entrepreneurship. This study evaluates the impact of the diploma in agri inputs (DAI) program, offered by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), on 350 learners who have successfully established agri-input businesses. An ex-post-facto research design was adopted, with respondents selected from seven ODL study centres using the simple random sampling method. Primary data were collected using a well-prepared questionnaire. The study assesses both social and economic impacts. Socially, DAI-trained dealers reported significant improvements in leadership (94.57 %), strategic planning (81.71 %), product expertise (80.57 %), convincing ability (80.28 %), empathy (78.85 %), follow-up and supervision (78.29 %), financial management (78.00 %), accountancy (77.43 %), human resource management (74.57 %), technical communication (73.43 %), vendor relations (71.14 %), advisory skills (70.29 %), risk management (69.14 %) and supply chain management (62.57 %). Economically, they experienced increased income (94.57 %), expanded market linkages (86.00 %), money savings (82.29 %), improved financial stability (81.43 %), achieved economic independence (78.00 %), asset creation (77.71 %), purchased farm implements (77.43 %), improved livelihood security (76.86 %), invested in inventory (76.29 %) and enhanced access to credit (76.00 %). The findings underscore the DAI program's effectiveness in enhancing business acumen and socio-economic stability among agri-input dealers. Strengthening and expanding such initiatives can further empower entrepreneurs, improve agricultural extension services and contribute to rural economic development. Despite the growing importance of ODL in agriculture, limited studies have evaluated its direct socio-economic impact on agri-input dealers, highlighting a critical research gap that this study addresses.

Coconut-based Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) have emerged as vital platforms for promoting youth entrepreneurship in India’s agricultural sector. Given the crop’s economic significance and value chain potential, particularly in Tamil Nadu, this study examines the entrepreneurial behaviour of rural youth engaged in coconut-focused FPOs. An Entrepreneurial Behaviour Index (EBI) was developed, comprising ten dimensions: innovativeness, achievement motivation, decision-making ability, risk-taking, leadership, market perception, entrepreneurial orientation, information-seeking behaviour, knowledgeability and feedback usage. Each dimension was represented by statements rated on a five-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree). Content validity was ensured through expert judgment and items with a relevancy weightage ≥ 0.75 were retained. Weighted scores were normalised and aggregated to derive the overall EBI. The study surveyed 200 rural youth affiliated with coconut FPOs across Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode and Dindigul districts using a structured questionnaire. Reliability testing with Cronbach’s alpha yielded coefficients above 0.70, confirming internal consistency, while construct validity was established through expert review and theoretical alignment. Findings revealed that 62 % of respondents exhibited medium levels of entrepreneurial behaviour, 27 % high and 11 % low. Stronger competencies were observed in feedback usage, achievement motivation and decision-making, while innovativeness and risk-taking showed scope for improvement. This study differs from earlier work by focusing on coconut-based FPOs, an underexplored crop-specific context and by adopting a youth-centric lens. Moreover, it introduces a validated EBI offering a rigorous tool to assess entrepreneurial competencies in rural agripreneurship.