Understanding the relationship and determinants of farmers knowledge on ICT in agriculture

Information Communication Technology (ICT) encompasses a wide range of services and technologies crucial for economic development, particularly in agriculture and rural areas. Mobile phones are widely utilized by farmers for communication and accessing agricultural information, including market prices and advisory services. Despite its benefits, barriers to adoption persist, such as lack of training and infrastructure. Nonetheless, ICT plays a significant role in advancing human civilization, utilizing various technologies like computer programs and communication networks. Against this backdrop, a study was conducted in Karnataka to explore the relationship and determinants of farmers' knowledge on ICT in agriculture. The result revealed that, Educational status, Information seeking behavior, Extension agency contact, Mass media exposure, Innovativeness, Possession of modern electronic gadgets, and Internet usage displayed positive and significant associations with knowledge at a one percent level. R2 value was 0.486 which indicated that 48.60 percent variation in the knowledge was explained by the given fourteen independent variables and remaining 51.40 percent of the variation in dependent variables unexplained.