International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development

author(s)
S Vivek and Binoo P Bonny

abstract
The rice cultivation practices of the Kole wetland in Kerala have become well-known, boasting a history that spans three centuries. However, there has been a significant decrease in the cultivation area and overall yield in Kerala. The challenges confronting innovations in rice production in the Kole wetland system have not been thoroughly examined using suitable methodologies. Consequently, this research employed Henry Garrett's ranking technique to assess and prioritize the constraints influencing the innovations of rice farmers in the Kole wetland system. The data were collected from 150 farmers chosen at random. The results revealed that rice farmers encounter challenges related to accessing and utilizing inputs and technology, adopting marketing innovations, and facing economic, environmental, and institutional constraints. Erratic rainfall (74.07%), delay in procurement (72.03%), unavailability of labour (70.23%), research and extension don’t know the real production problems farmers face (70.10%), and high cost of inputs (68.87%) were the major constraints noted in average values. The research suggests that utilizing the Henry Garrett technique for ranking constraints is more effective compared to relying on simple frequencies.