Abstract
Agriculture supports rural livelihoods and food security in developing regions, while pulse-based farming contributes substantially to household nutrition, income and soil fertility. However, the adoption of improved pulse production practices and effective resource management among smallholder farmers are often shaped by socio-economic and communication-related factors. This study examined the determinants of knowledge, adoption, and resource management behaviour among pulse farmers in Nayagarh district, Odisha. Primary data were collected from 256 pulse farmers selected through proportionate random sampling from eight villages across four blocks. Data were gathered using a structured interview schedule and analysed using Pearson’s correlation, canonical correlation and multiple linear regression. The findings revealed that education, annual family income, savings, cosmopoliteness and sources of information were important factors associated with farmers’ knowledge and adoption behaviour. Adoption was significantly influenced by education, annual family income, savings, housing pattern, landholding, source of income and sources of information. Resource management behaviour was influenced by age, education, housing pattern, social participation and cosmopoliteness. The study concludes that improving pulse-based farming systems requires more than technology dissemination; it demands farmer-oriented training, credible information delivery, financial support and institutional facilitation to strengthen adoption and resource management among smallholder pulse farmers.