Transforming Apple Farming: A Hybrid Modelling Approach to Understanding High-Density Apple Plantation Adoption in India

Abstract

India and other emerging nations have dedicated significant research and development resources to enhancing agricultural productivity and output. As the global population grows and commodity prices increase, providing fair food access globally requires enhancing food production efficiency. Apples are highly valued agricultural products. Among the most important fruit crops in Jammu and Kashmir, it has the largest growing area, the highest productivity, and the highest domestic consumption. This study seeks to discover to what extent high-density apple plantation is adopted among the apple growers. A hybrid model of PNTC and TAM was adopted. SEM was used for analysis of the collected data. The study establishes that need characteristics and technology characteristics can be considered as important factors for perceived need technology characteristics of farmers adopting HDAP technologies, along with an extended technology acceptance model, all variables except perceived risk influence farmers intention to adopt HDAP technologies in Kashmir. This paper identifies key factors that enable farmers not only to adapt the technology, but also to sustain agriculture. It is also recommended that factors like cost, subsidy, and bank credit can be added as new factors in future works.