The global COVID-19 pandemic has hit the agriculture sector hard around the world. A study was conducted to assess the impact of the pandemic on cropping patterns, crop management, usage of chemical inputs and their organic alternatives, harvesting, and marketing avenues through a survey approach in the two states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu in India. A total of 250 farmers participated in the study, the data was analyzed by Chi-square test and Kruskal–Wallis test. The assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on some aspects was undertaken by dividing the study period into three phases. Though a smaller number of people were infected with COVID-19 in the initial phase of the pandemic compared to the later phases, farm operations and the procurement of inputs were significantly affected at this phase as there was a sudden disruption in transportation due to COVID-19-induced movement restrictions. During the entire study period, commodities such as rice, bananas, vegetables, coconuts, and flowers suffered maximum crop loss compared to pulses, groundnuts, cotton, and rubber. Among fertilizers, the maximum shortage was observed for chemical fertilizers (46%) and biofertilizers (30%) compared to cow dung (18%) and poultry manure (6%), indicating that farmers tended to use more local materials that could be easily procured and accessed compared to shop-based inputs. A rise in the cost of cultivation, scarcity of farm workforce, and difficulty in hiring farm machinery all have contributed to the loss of profit during the pandemic period. As a response to COVID-19, growers initiated post-harvest processing of commodities, and cropping systems remained the same during the period. The paper also discusses some remedial measures to be adopted by households in the future, to minimize the impacts of such pandemics in the agrarian sector.

Smartphone application usage has increased exponentially over the past decade. The potentiality of smartphone applications as a tool for various decision-making processes is not fully explored, especially in the field of agriculture. This work systematically evaluates smartphone applications developed by research institutes and non-profit organizations and made available to Indian agriculture stakeholders, who have the world’s largest user base. The study analyzed 25 smartphone applications developed for the agriculture and allied sectors available to the Indian farming community. The usability, accessibility, frequency of updates, user ratings, and number of downloads of smartphone applications are systematically evaluated. Furthermore, this article assesses the divergence between existing smartphone applications and the needs of agricultural stakeholders. This research necessitates the importance of systematic evaluation of digital applications available to the end-users and offers guidelines to application developers, researchers, and policymakers on the potential shortcomings of prevailing smartphone applications and warrants features for future smartphone applications.

This study investigates the specific challenges and opportunities faced by organic farmers in Tamil Nadu, focusing on how region-specific practices influence the adoption and success of organic farming. It draws insights from a survey of 300 organic growers across five districts: Coimbatore, Dindigul, Erode, Tirupur, and Villupuram. This study is particularly relevant because there is a lack of comprehensive research on the specific challenges and opportunities faced by organic farmers in Tamil Nadu, with limited data on the long-term impact of government initiatives and region-specific management options, especially for smallholder farmers. Additionally, gaps exist in understanding the economic viability, market demand, and farmer perceptions of organic farming together with challenges like knowledge gaps, pest control, managing risks, and lower initial yields during the transition from conventional farming to organic farming. The research evaluated the factors affecting organic farming, including crop yield, the use of different organic formulations, the role of different information services, opportunities and challenges, and the impact on the perceived effectiveness of various agricultural outcomes. Various statistical analyses were performed, including K-means clustering, Poisson regression, and chi-square test. The results revealed significant variations in the adoption of various organic inputs and regionally practiced organic formulations. Crop residues (82.67%), Jeevamrith (78.33%), Amudhakaraisal (77.00%), and 3G-Extracts (74.00%) have high adoption rates, reflecting their perceived effectiveness and accessibility among farmers. However, the adoption of microbial bio-inputs such as Trichoderma viride (1.00%), Acetobacter spp. (19.00%), Azophos (consortium of phosphorus fixing microbes) (26.33%), and Azospirillum spp. (28.67%) was notably poor despite their known benefits for soil health and crop yield. The chi-square test also highlighted key challenges faced by farmers in adopting organic farming practices. The Poisson regression analysis showed significant positive impacts on crop growth and yield, disease resistance, insect control, overall plant health, and input efficiency due to organic farming. The study’s insights are essential for developing targeted strategies to overcome barriers, supporting the growth and sustainability of organic farming. Addressing these challenges and promoting effective information channels will better equip stakeholders to support organic growers, contributing to more resilient and productive agricultural systems in the region.

International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN:2319-7692(Print), ISSN:2319-7706(Online) is a multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal with reputable academics and experts as members of its Editorial Board. The Current Microbiology aims to publish all the latest and outstanding research articles. Review and letters in all areas of major importance to techniques of microbiology and applied research with publishes high quality of review and research articles on novel aspects of Microbiology including Environmental, Food, Agricultural, Medical, Pharmaceutical, Veterinary, Soil, Water and Biodeterioration.

International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN:2319-7692(Print), ISSN:2319-7706(Online) is a multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal with reputable academics and experts as members of its Editorial Board. The Current Microbiology aims to publish all the latest and outstanding research articles. Review and letters in all areas of major importance to techniques of microbiology and applied research with publishes high quality of review and research articles on novel aspects of Microbiology including Environmental, Food, Agricultural, Medical, Pharmaceutical, Veterinary, Soil, Water and Biodeterioration.