Assessing True Shallot Seed (TSS) performance and farmers’ perceptions of its innovation attributes

Abstract

True Shallot Seed (TSS) cultivation is a new shallot production technique that does not use vegetative tubers as planting material, but rather seeds. This study aimed to examine the field performance of TSS and assess farmers’ perceptions of TSS innovation attributes. On-farm participatory trials involving eight farmers were conducted in Cirebon and Brebes during June-August 2020. Compared to Trisula and Maserati, Sanren’s performance was the best in both the nursery and transplant stages. Maserati showed the second-best performance in seed emergence and yields. Meanwhile, although farmers had rated Trisula high scores for color, pungency, and bulb shape, poorer yields made Trisula the least financially viable of the others. Relative advantage, compatibility, trialability, and observability of TSS are rated positive by farmers. In terms of complexity, most farmers perceive that learning and understanding TSS innovation is quite a challenge for them. Bivariate correlation analysis indicates that the more positive farmer’s perception of relative advantage, compatibility, trialability, and observability of TSS, the more positive their intention to adopt TSS will be. However, complexity has a negative significant correlation with the intention which means that the more complex TSS innovation is perceived by farmers, the weaker their intention to adopt TSS will be.