MSc

The present study entitled, 'Innovations in e-Agricultural Extension
Technology (e-AET): Diffusion and adoption of information kiosks and mobile
SMS among farmers of Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala' was carried out to
analyse the utility of the information support provided to ~arrners through the Information
Kiosks and Mobile initiatives in Kerala with forty user farmers for Information Kiosk
and sixty user farmers for Mobile SMS from Thiruvananthapuram district.
The findings demonstrate that majority of the farmers in both the categories
fell under middle age group and had favourable attitude towards these initiatives.
Farmers utilizing Information Kiosk became aware through contact of Information
Kiosk installed at Krishi Bhavan, markets, had more high school education and
disseminated information through communication with fellow farmers. Farmers
utilizing Mobile SMS became aware through extension personnel, had more
collegiate education and disseminated information through Mobile/Telephone.
Medium level of exposure to Information and Communication Technology (ICT),
effectiveness, information needs, perception and utility of messages was observed
for the information support given through both Information Kiosk and Mobile SMS.
Most of the fanners utilized the Information Kiosk messages for 4-5 times and
Mobile SMS only once. The major constraint in accessing Information Kiosk is lack
of awareness and contents related problems is a major constraint for accessing Mobile
SMS.
Utility of the messages of Information Kiosk is significantly positively
con-elated with education, frequency of use of messages, awareness source,
information needs, attitude of the farmers, effectiveness. Perception towards
Information Kiosk is positively con-elated significantly with information
dissemination ways, awareness source and effectiveness. Utility of messages
mobile is significantly positively con-elated with exposure to ICT, information
dissemination ways, frequency of use of messages, information needs, advantages
and effectiveness. Perception towards mobile SMS is significantly positively

correlated with exposure to ICT, awareness source, information dissemination
ways, effectiveness and negatively correlated with constraints.
Providing adequate infrastructure, content improvement promotion of public
private partnership, network development among agricultural institutions periodical
monitoring and evaluation, conducting training programmes, developing
favourable attitude and orientation of human resources towards ICT extension is
the strategy to be followed to scale up the uses ofthese initiatives. Hence the study
undoubtedly exhibited that quick dissemination of information from agricultural
research system through lnfonnation Kiosks and Mobile SMS can be done and they
constitute one of the critical inputs in technology transfer in present agricultural
scenano.