Utilization Pattern of Paddy Residue Management Techniques (PRMT) by Paddy Farmers in Eluru District, Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

The utilization pattern of PRMT by paddy farmers was studied in Eluru district of Andhra Pradesh, which was purposively selected due to its significant contribution to paddy cultivation and residue generation. The study was conducted from oct 2024 to june 2025 to understand the adoption levels and improve sustainable residue management practices. Three mandals viz. Bhimadolu, Denduluru, and Pedapadu were selected randomly, and a total of 120 farmers were selected using a simple random sampling technique. The results revealed that little more than three-fifths (61.66%) of the paddy farmers had the medium utilization pattern followed by low (20.83%) and high (17.51%) utilization pattern of PRMT. Traditional techniques emerged as the most prominent, secured the highest index score of 73.40 followed by field techniques ranked second with a score of 62.26, whereas recent interventions ranked third with an index score of 56.94 and industrial techniques with a score of 49.65 claimed the fourth position. The study aims to assess the utilization patterns and management strategies of paddy residue adopted by farmers to ensure effective policy formulation, strengthen extension strategies and encourage environmentally sustainable practices that enhance both agricultural productivity and resource conservation. It provides insights on the factors that facilitate and hinder the adoption of PRMT, bridging the gap between environmental sustainability goals and grassroots agriculture practices.