Reasons why farmers adopt farm practices more quickly at one time than another relate to the situation in which they find themselves when alternative course of action becomes known.
The nature of the practice The speed with which adoption will take place is partly dependent on the nature of practice itself.
Farm income Generally speaking, the more complex a practice and the more change it requires in the existing operations, the more slowly it will be adopted.
The following classification of practices in terms of their complexity roughly represents the decreasing order of speed with which acceptance may be expected to occur.
A simple change A change in materials and equipment only, without a change in techniques or operations (e.g. new variety of seed)
Improved practice Change in existing operation with or without a change in materials or equipment (e.g., change in rotation of crops)
Innovation Change involving new techniques or operations (e.g., contour cropping)
Change in total enterprise e.g., from crop to livestock farming
Cost Less costly inputs seem to be adopted more rapidly than those, which are more expensive.
Net returns Those practices which yield the greatest marginal returns per rupee invested, and in the shortest time seem to be adopted most readily.
Compatibility Compatibility is the degree to which an innovation is consistent with existing values and past experiences of the adopters. An idea that is not compatible with the cultural norms of a social system will not be adopted so rapidly as an idea that is compatible e.g., the lack of compatibility of beef production with cultural values in India.
Divisibility (Trialability) Divisibility is the degree to which an innovation may be tried on a limited basis. New ideas that can be tried on a small scale or on the installment plan will generally be adopted more rapidly than innovations that are divisible, e.g. new seeds or fertilizers can be tried on a small scale, but new machines cannot be tried so.
Communicability (Observability) Communicability is the degree to which the results of an innovation may be diffused to others. The results of some practices are easily observed (e.g., application of nitrogenous fertilizer to plants), while the results of some innovations are not easily observed (e.g., pre-treatment of seeds, or soil conservation measures).
Farm income High farm income nearly always is associated with high adoption level.
Size of farm Size of farm is nearly always positively related to the adoption of new farm Practices.
Tenure status Adoption scores are usually higher for owner cultivators than for tenant cultivators.
Sources of Farm information used
The number of sources used or the number of contacts with information sources is positively related to adoption rates.
A high positive correlation is particularly evident with the use of such sources as Government agencies
High dependence on relatives and friends as sources of information is usually negatively associated with the adoption of new farm practice.
Level of living Since successful farm practice adoption is instrument in providing the means for supporting a higher level of living, a positive correlation between the two would be expected and is generally found.
Participants