[{
  "type": "article-journal",
  "title": "FARMER SATISFACTION WITH AUTOMATED MICRO-IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGY IN WESTERN TAMIL NADU, INDIA: A STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELLING APPROACH",
  "author": [
    {
      "family": "V",
      "given": ""
    },
    {
      "family": "C",
      "given": ""
    },
    {
      "family": "M",
      "given": ""
    },
    {
      "family": "V",
      "given": ""
    },
    {
      "family": "M",
      "given": ""
    },
    {
      "family": "G",
      "given": ""
    }
  ],
  "issued": {
    "date-parts": [[2026]]
  },
  "container-title": "Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences",
  "ISSN": "1018-7081",
  "volume": "36",
  "issue": "6",
  "DOI": "https://doi.org/10.36899/JAPS.2026.6.0135",
  "abstract": "<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The success of agricultural innovations largely depends on farmers&rsquo; satisfaction with the technology. Automated micro-irrigation technology has emerged as an important intervention for addressing water scarcity and labour shortages in agriculture. The present study aimed to assess farmers&rsquo; satisfaction with automated micro-irrigation technology and identify the key factors influencing satisfaction and its long-term technology use. A field survey was conducted among 300 adopters of automated micro-irrigation technology using a structured questionnaire. Farmers&rsquo; satisfaction was quantified using the Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI), while the determinants of satisfaction were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The results revealed that the largest proportion (33.67%, n=101) of farmers held more than 10 hectares of farmland. The overall CSI value of 79.81% indicated that farmers were satisfied with the adoption of automated micro-irrigation technology. Among the service-quality dimensions, assurance significantly influenced farmers&rsquo; satisfaction (&beta;= 0.456, p&lt;0.001). Satisfaction further showed a significant positive influence on loyalty towards the technology (&beta;=0.192, p=0.004). Mediation analysis indicated that commitment strongly mediated the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty (&beta;=0.159, p&lt;0.001), while trust acted as a partial mediator (&beta;= - 0.030, p=0.039). The findings emphasize the importance of reliable technical support, responsive service systems and effective grievance-handling mechanisms for enhancing long-term adoption and sustained use of automated micro-irrigation technology.</p>",
  "publisher": "Pakistan Agricultural Scientists Forum",
  "URL": "https://thejaps.org.pk/AbstractView.aspx?mid=2026-JAPS-218"
}]