Archives of Current Research International

Matrix ranking, a participatory rural appraisal (PRA) tool, was employed to systematically evaluate farmers’ preferences for different crop varieties based on multiple agronomic and economic criteria. The study focused on major crops including rice, maize, cotton, groundnut, and redgram, with the objective of identifying farmer-preferred varieties and the underlying selection parameters such as yield potential, crop duration, pest and disease resistance, and market value. The results indicated clear varietal preferences across crops. In rice, ‘RNR-15048 (Telangana Sona)’ emerged as the most preferred variety, primarily due to its superior grain quality, higher market demand, and acceptable yield performance. In cotton, the variety ‘Jadoo’ was ranked highest by farmers owing to its better yield stability and tolerance to biotic stresses. For maize, ‘Dekalb-9141’ was the most favored hybrid, attributed to its high productivity and adaptability. In redgram, ‘PRG-176’ was preferred due to its improved resistance to pests and consistent yield. Similarly, in groundnut, ‘K-6’ was widely preferred for its shorter duration, higher yield potential, and better market price. Overall, the matrix ranking approach effectively captured farmers’ experiential knowledge and decision-making criteria, highlighting that varietal preference is strongly influenced by a combination of productivity, resilience to pests and diseases, crop duration, and economic returns. These findings underscore the importance of integrating farmer-centric evaluation methods in varietal selection and dissemination strategies to enhance adoption and agricultural sustainability.