Question

Which one of the following is a preventive innovation?

• A. Line sowing
• B. Fertiliser
• C. Seed drill
• D. Seed treatment

Hint:

Preventive innovations act like insurance. You adopt them now (e.g., vaccination, crop insurance, or seed treatment) to avoid a potential loss or negative event in the future.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
In the diffusion of innovations, a preventive innovation is an idea or practice that an individual adopts to lower the probability of an unwanted future event.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Let us analyze the nature of the listed agricultural innovations:
- Line sowing (A): A cultivation practice that ensures optimal plant spacing and simplifies intercultural operations to improve yield. This is an incremental practice rather than a preventive one.
- Fertiliser (B): An input applied to supply essential nutrients to crops and increase productivity. This is a production-enhancing innovation.
- Seed drill (C): An agricultural implement used to sow seeds at a uniform depth and rate, improving labor efficiency.
- Seed treatment (D): The application of chemical, biological, or physical agents to seeds prior to sowing. This practice protects the seeds and emerging seedlings from seed-borne or soil-borne pathogens and pests. The farmer invests in seed treatment to prevent potential crop diseases or pest attacks in the future.
Because the primary goal of seed treatment is to reduce the risk of a future crop failure, it is classified as a preventive innovation.
Preventive innovations generally have a slower rate of adoption because their benefits are delayed and less visible to the user.

Step 4: Final Answer:
The preventive innovation among the choices is Seed treatment, corresponding to option (D).