Adoption and advantages of eco-friendly technology application at the Shallot farming system in Indonesia.

This study aimed to evaluate the benefits farmers obtained by adopting eco-friendly technologies on local shallot cultivation in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. The technology applied includes; trap crops, biofertilizers (bokashi and mycorrhiza arbuscular) biopesticides (Beauveria bassiana and Trichoderma sp.) and plastic mulch. Ninety-nine shallot farmers were selected, consisting of 35 farmers who applied the technology (adopters) and 64 farmers who did not (non adopters). Characteristics, rates of adoption, and benefits of both groups of farmers were measured and analyzed. The results showed that the level of technology adopted by the farmers was high and supported by farmer characteristics, particularly their age and education. The application of technology increases the production of shallots and the total profits of farmers by 29.5% and 79.1% respectively. In addition, adopters can reduce the costs of chemical inputs by around 69.5%. Therefore, the technology introduced provides multiple benefits for farmers; economically and environmentally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]