Information source utilization for organic waste management with special reference to digital technologies: A qualitative study on dairy farmers of district Ludhiana, Punjab

Abstract The current study was conducted to analyse the sources of information utilized by dairy farmers of rural Punjab for obtaining information on organic waste management. A total of 80 farmers (40 each, small and large) were selected for the study. Results revealed that small farmers had a low level of information source utilization whereas, large farmers had a medium level of utilization. Pooled data revealed that the utilization of information sources by farmers is of medium level, but ICT utilization was found to be the highest for obtaining information. The Mann-Whitney U value was found to be highly significant (p < 0.01) between groups. Furthermore, education, information source utilization and knowledge level were found to be having a highly significant and positive relationship with ICT usage. As in the present study, ICT utilization among farmers was high, therefore, more ICT tools should be developed for efficient organic waste management, which will not only hasten information dissemination but also strengthen extension delivery in rural areas.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dr. Amandeep Singh works on behavioural aspects of farming community especially livestock farmers. He is post-graduate in Veterinary Extension Education and his research interests include Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and emerging technologies like neural networks for livestock farming, impact assessment, development of tests and scales for understanding behavioural dynamics, organic waste management and livestock economics. The research reported in this paper reflects the behaviour of the dairy farmers regarding utilization of various information sources for effective management of organic waste. Based on the insights obtained from this research, a mobile app named "IVRI-Waste Management Guide" was developed for better understanding of waste management protocols by the farmers which is freely available on Google Play Store. Similarly, more number of ICTs are being developed by the authors to facilitate the flow of scientific information to the farming community.

PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT
The current study was conducted to analyze the sources of information utilized by dairy farmers of rural Punjab, India for obtaining information on organic waste management. The study was conducted on a randomly selected sample of dairy farmers whose results revealed that farmers with small dairy herds had low level of information source utilization whereas the farmers with larger herds has medium level of utilization. Of all the information sources which the farmers were using for obtaining information on organic waste management, digital technologies like mobile phones, mobile apps, social media and other digital applications were increasingly being used by the dairy farmers which shows that digital technologies has the potential to revolutionize the animal agriculture information dissemination system.

Introduction
Information in the modern era is power, and the one having access and utilization potential towards information sources is better than many on the planet. In extension education and extension services, information plays a pivotal role in grading up the knowledge of the subjects, but there are certain queries to be resolved. What if there are no sources of information? What if the subjects are not able to utilize the existing sources of information? What if the present information sources do not make sense to the subjects or develop a certain lag in communication? What if the digital technologies do not diffuse efficiently among the farmers for obtaining information? All these what ifs give rise to exploratory research, and the present research is also of the same types. Present research deals with the information channels and information sources used by the dairy farmers for obtaining information regarding organic waste management.

Livestock farmers and information access
The livestock sector in India is inextricably linked with the rural sustenance and livelihoods along with being a vital part of the Indian economy. In India, the production of animal products is undertaken by masses rather being mass produced by few in the case of developed nations. The reason is being reliance on traditional methods of animal rearing. The lack of information regarding scientific animal production is the major hurdle in improving the productivity of farm animals (Singh, Sidhu et al., 2016). The knowledge and information related to modern agricultural and animal husbandry practices are the basic criteria for increased productivity and development in India as the majority of population is involved in agriculture and allied sectors (Das, 2012). Accessibility of farmers towards information is the least-expensive input to improve the farming sector (Balit et al., 1996). But still somewhere, the access to information is lagging which is also one of the major hurdles in growth of livestock economy. Contrary to vast information sources in the agriculture sector, only 5 percent of the farm households in India have access to information on livestock (National Livestock Policy, 2013). The determinants of access to information are the target group and time (Chauhan & Kansal, 2014). Livestock in India is reared mostly as a secondary occupation, with agriculture being primary, and as such, the farmers cannot clearly demarcate their information needs separately for agriculture and livestock. Here comes the drawback of clearly understanding the target group and also the time factor. Kemp has described information as the fifth need of man after air, water, food and shelter (Singh, Sidhu et al., 2016). In the same context, information becomes an integral part of livestock farming for not only enhancing the motor functions of the body but also having a positive effect on intellectual domain. As far as information on organic waste management (viz. agricultural, household and dairy waste) is concerned, dairy farmers usually obtain information from their friends and family, farm universities, agricultural fairs, line departments of agriculture and animal husbandry and social media (Singh et al., 2021a). All these information sources together make a farmer aware about a practice to manage organic waste in an eco-friendly manner.

Availability of information sources
Extension services in India are carried by both governmental and non-governmental organizations, both of which provide information to farmers on various aspects of production and marketing. Extension organizations publish literature for farmers in local languages, conduct trainings and demonstrations, organize livestock health camps and farm tours, etc. for providing latest information regarding husbandry practices (Chander & Rathod, 2013). But putting limits to this domain in India, out of 143,863 positions in the Department of Agriculture, only 91,288 positions are filled which leads to service delivery of only 6.8 percent (Thakur & Chander, 2018). This deficit gives rise to the other domain for information access to farmers, i.e. mass media, which has a huge audience base with a very low cost of contact per person (Singh, Sidhu et al., 2016). Mass media encompasses radio, television, magazines, newspapers and so forth. As the time is progressing, farmers are heading towards digital information sources and these sources have revolutionized the farming sector. Conjointly termed as Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), these digital technologies have rendered information sharing easy and timely in every user's hand. ICTs are reviving agricultural extension and advisory services around the world (World Bank, 2016). These digital technology-based applications vary from web portals, telecentres, mobile telephony and hybrid projects (ICTs with traditional extension elements; Shanthinichandra, 2013). These applications can help in sharing information in the form of multimedia like pictures, videos, audios, weblinks and infographics which is more understandable for the farmers (Jackson et al., 2009). Under the umbrella term of ICTs, social media is another domain which has made information sharing very easy. This domain has been aptly called one of the most participative extension tools of recent times. Facebook, Whatsapp, WeChat, QQ, Tumblr, Twitter, Pinterest, Blogs, YouTube, Instagram, Wikis, Facebook messenger, Snapchat, etc. are the few social media tools to name for. Among these tools, Facebook, WhatsApp and YouTube can be considered as three most popular social media tools in Indian context (Thakur & Chander, 2018). Mobile apps have also been instrumental in providing needbased information on waste management and other aspects of livestock farming (Singh et al., 2021a;Sood et al., 2021). Singh et al. (2021a) reportedly developed a mobile app named "IVRI-Waste Management Guide App" which provides information on all the aspects of organic waste management. There are so many channels by which information can be accessed by the farmers, but still digital illiteracy hampers the use of digital technologies which is a major concern (A. Singh, 2019). Steinke et al. (2020) have stated that outreach of digital technologies can further be enhanced by creating them on the basis of user-centric and problem-oriented approaches in the agriculture sector. Utilization of digital technologies can lead to sustainable management of waste along with better farm economics and enhanced profitability (Singh et al., 2021b. There are evidences which state that farmers are largely using social media and ICT applications for management of organic waste nowadays (Singh et al., 2021a).
Time and again participatory and group-based methods of information dissemination have also elicited their potential. After training and visit system, farmer field schools (FFS) have provided an important platform for transfer of specialist knowledge, promoting skills and empowering farmers around the globe (Bajwa et al., 2010). As per Waddington et al. (2014), at least 10 million farmers in 90 countries have attended such schools. In India, there are many farmer field schools which are working for knowledge co-creation in the agriculture sector. These farmer field schools interact with farmers, document indigenous knowledge and disseminate information (Saini & Bhawan, 2008). These farmer field schools can also provide be vital platform for group-based information generation and knowledge sharing.
In addition to above, the agriculture and veterinary universities in India play an important role in information dissemination. For example, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary & Animal Sciences University (GADVASU), Ludhiana, disseminates livestock-based information through its Regional

Information source utilization
Information source utilization refers to the degree of utilization of sources from where a farmer can derive information about management of resources in a sustainable manner and enhance his knowledge and understanding. It encompasses mass media sources (radio, television, newspaper and magazines), digital technologies or ICTs (SMS, phone calls, mobile apps, websites and information systems), personal localite sources (relatives, neighbors, friends and progressive farmers) and personal cosmopolite channels (veterinary hospital, agriculture/veterinary university, co-operatives and Non-Governmental Organizations). The present study was designed and conducted to ascertain the utilization of information sources available to dairy farmers of Ludhiana, Punjab, for management of organic waste arising from agriculture, household and dairy activities.

About the study area
The Indian state of Punjab is blessed with quality livestock and hardworking dairy farmers. According to 19 th Livestock Census, the bovine population in Punjab is 7.6 million consisting of 2.06 million exotic/cross-bred cattle, 0.36 million indigenous cattle and 5.16 million buffaloes. The bovine density in Punjab is 150 animals per square kilometer (sq.km) which is second highest in India after Haryana (178/sq.km), but the number of exotic and crossbred cattles in Punjab is 2.2 times more than Haryana. According to G. Kaur et al. (2014), exotic/cross-bred cow produces 11.6 kg dung, indigenous cow produces 11.6 kg dung and buffalo produces 12.2 kg dung on wet weight basis. Therefore, the estimated dung production in Punjab is 91.11 million kilograms per day. According to N. Singh Sidhu et al. (2016), most of the dairy farmers in rural set-ups were associated with making conventional manure from this waste. In Punjab, 98 percent of agricultural land is cropped with a cropping intensity of 190 percent which is much higher than the national average of 141 percent. Sarma (2018) stated that highest volumes of crop residues (20 MT) were burned in Punjab followed by Haryana (10MT) in the country. According to the NDDB Report (Dairying in Punjab, 2014), it is estimated that the total surplus of about 4.87 lakh tonnes of dry matter, 3.66 lakh tonnes of crude protein and 25.12 lakh tonnes of total digestive nutrients is present in the Ludhiana district. The average annual income in Punjab is INR142,958 (USD 1964.02) which is one the highest in India (National Dairy Development Board, 2014). According to Punjab Pollution Control Board (2014), the total solid waste generated in Ludhiana only in 2012-14 was 391,389 MT, thus accounting for 300 grams per person per day. Ludhiana has seen a rapid urbanization due to the increase in per capita income. According to Sivakumar and Sugirtharan (2010), the increase in monthly income leads to an increase in generation of food, paper, plastic and glass waste in a household. Thus, keeping in mind huge trends in waste production, it becomes mandatory to understand and analyse the presence of information sources for management of such waste. Moreover, it is essential to understand how the farmers obtain information and manage the waste produced at their homes and farms.

Research Methodology
The sample of the study was dairy farmers of the Ludhiana District of Punjab, India. Dairy farmers were categorized into two groups, i.e. small dairy farmers and large dairy farmers having a herd size of 5 to 25 animals and more than 25 animals, respectively. The basis of this categorization is the earlier studies which reported an average herd size of 9.4 among small dairy farmers (Kashish et al., 2016;Singh et al., 2021b), and the average number of bovine animals per 1000 households was 1646(19thLivestock Census, 2014 in Punjab. This infers that a herd size of about 10 animals may be considered as small. However, to arrive at a comparatively larger figure, this was multiplied by 2.5 to categorize the herd as of large farmers. A total of 80 respondents, 40 from each group of dairy farmers, were selected for the study. Multistage random sampling was performed for selecting the dairy farmers. The state of Punjab and district Ludhiana were purposively selected based on their organic waste production attributes. District Ludhiana is composed of 13 blocks, out of which two blocks, i.e. Ludhiana-I and Sidhwan Bet, were randomly selected for the study. From each selected block, randomly four villages were selected. Villages, namely, Daad, Lalton, Akalgarh and Dhandra, were selected from Ludhiana-I, and Baniawal, Gorsian, Hambran and Walipur were selected from the Sidhwan Bet block. Furthermore, from each village, 10 dairy farmers were selected, thus making a sample size of 80. Data were collected through a pre-tested structured interview schedule during the year 2018-19. The interview schedule was developed as per the methodology provided by Kerlinger (1973). The extent of utility of information sources was rated in three point continuum (often = 2, occasionally = 1 and never = 0), and Total Rank Order Score (TROS) was calculated by summing up the total score. Information source utilization by the respondents was categorized into low, medium and high based on the obtained scores. For each subcategory of information source utilization like mass media exposure, ICT utilization, personal localite sources and personal cosmopolite channels, the mean rank score (MRS) was calculated by dividing the total obtained score by the number of respondents. Furthermore, category-wise information source utilization among the farmers was calculated using the Mean Score (MS) and Mean Percent Score (MPS). MS was calculated by dividing the total obtained score by the maximum obtainable score for each category of farmers, and the formula is presented by the following equation: MPS was calculated by dividing the MS with the total mean score of the category and multiplying by 100 (equation 2),

Mean Score
Mean Score of the Category X100. equation 2 Ranking of various categories of information sources was done based on MPS. For interpretation of data, analysis such as percentage, mean score, standard error, correlation, regression and Mann-Whitney U Test was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).

Results and discussion
Information source utilization indicates the use of different information sources by the respondents and their frequency of use for obtaining waste management information by them. The information sources have been categorized into mass media exposure, ICT utilization, personal localite sources and personal cosmopolite channels.

Frequency of usage
It indicates the frequency of usage of different sources of information by the respondents.

Utilization of mass media sources
A majority of farmers (56.25%) were often using television for obtaining information regarding management of organic waste with a Total Rank Ordered Score (TROS) of 125 followed by kisan mela (farmers' fair) with TROS 123 (Table 1). Therefore, TV and kisan mela were the most used mass media sources by the respondents in the study area. There were certain local TV channels along with Doordarshan Jalandhar (DD Jalandhar) which aired programmes based on waste management. The respondents also watched DD Kisan for obtaining information on waste management practices. Furthermore, four kisan melas were being organized, two each by Punjab Agricultural University and Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, for the farmers in which a majority of farmers often took part to learn more about waste management. Regarding other mass media sources, radio (TROS 55) and films (TROS 52) were found to be mostly utilized for obtaining information on waste management.

Utilization of digital technologies or ICTs
The distribution pattern of respondents according to the ICT utilization is given in (Table 2). A majority of farmers (67.5%) were using phone call often with TROS 132 for obtaining information related to waste management. The phones had become a primary tool of communication by the    farmers, and farmers were utilizing it to the full potential. Social media like WhatsApp and YouTube have revolutionized the information sharing, and a majority of farmers (57.5%) in the study area were found to be often using the same with TROS 102. It was followed by mobile apps, with 37.5 percent farmers using it often and TROS 80. Mobile apps are being used less as compared to phone calls as all the respondents were not having smart phones, and even if they were having, the internal storage of the phone was low which could not support so many apps. Web portals were often used by 41.3 percent respondents with TROS 77, and only 1.25 percent farmers were using SMS often with TROS 34. Therefore, phone call and social media were the most used ICTs, and mobile apps, web-portals and SMS were the least used. Dairy farmers obtained information on organic waste management using phone calls from agriculture officers, veterinary officers, scientists positioned at farm science centres and universities, progressive farmers and friends.

Utilization of personal localite sources
It is evident that progressive farmers and relatives were often used by 1.3 percent of respondents followed by 37.5 percent and 35 percent using them occasionally with TROS 32 and 30, respectively (Table 3). There were many progressive farmers in the study area who were consulted by the respondents for obtaining information on many aspects of farming including waste management. Friends were being used occasionally by 33.75 percent of the respondents with TROS 27 followed by neighbours with TROS 14.

Utilization of personal cosmopolite channels
Among personal cosmopolite channels, veterinary dispensary or hospital was often used by a majority of respondents (75%) with TROS 140 (Table 4). The state of Punjab has 12,278 inhabited villages and a total of 1485 veterinary dispensaries and 1367 veterinary hospitals forming one of the biggest chains of veterinary infrastructure in India (Department of Animal Husbandry, Punjab, 2016). The farmers were having good linkages with the veterinary dispensaries and hospitals as they call up veterinarians for treating their animals and also seek information from them regarding organic waste management. Paravets were also often used by a majority of farmers (63.8%) with TROS 130 followed by SAU/SVU, i.e. Punjab Agricultural University and Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana with TROS 102, Co-operatives (TROS 89), private companies (TROS 75), Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK or Farm Science Centres) (TROS 41) and input dealers (TROS 32). There were numerous private companies related to livestock health, and productions like Neospark, Godrej, Nestle, Cargill, Virbac, Intas, Hester, etc. are active in Ludhiana. Furthermore, Verka milk co-operative is the largest dairy co-operative working in the state of Punjab. All these organizations have their representatives working in Ludhiana which are also used by farmers for obtaining information on waste management.

Level of information source utilization
Results revealed that among all the information sources, ICTs were having maximum utilization with MRS 5.31 and MS 1.063 followed by mass media sources having MRS 6.41 and MS 0.802, personal cosmopolite channels MRS 7.61 and MS 0.755, and least used were personal localite sources with MRS 1.28 and MS 0.517.
As provided in Table 5, the study depicts that a majority (46.3%) of respondents had medium mass media usage followed by low (43.8%). Only 10 percent respondents had high mass media usage. A majority (60%) of small farmers had low mass media usage followed by medium (37.5%) and high (2.5%), whereas a majority (55%) of large farmers had medium mass media usage followed by low (27.5%) and high (17.5%).  A majority (47.5%) of respondents have high ICT utilization followed by low (36.25%) and high (16.25%). In the case of small farmers, a majority (45%) of respondents had high ICT utilization followed by low (45.5%), whereas in the case of large farmers, a majority (50%) of respondents had high ICT utilization followed by low (30%) utilization.
A majority of respondents (91.3%) were having low, followed by 8.8 percent with medium usage of personal localite sources. Both in the case of small and large farmers, a majority (95% and 87.5%, respectively) of respondents were having a low level of personal localite source usage.
A majority of respondents (77.5%) were found to have medium, followed by 16.3 percent with low usage of personal cosmopolite sources. Both in the case of small and large farmers, a majority (65% and 90% respectively) of respondents were found to have a medium level of personal cosmopolite source usage.
Results revealed that a majority (58.8%) of respondents showed medium information source utilization followed by low (40 %) and only 1.3 percent respondents have high information source utilization. In the case of small farmers, a majority (52.5%) of respondents showed low information source utilization followed by medium (47.5%), and in the case of large farmers, a majority (70%) of respondents showed medium information source utilization followed by low (27.5%). The Mann-Whitney U test was highly significant for information source utilization, revealing that large farmers had significantly higher information source utilization as compared to small farmers. These findings are provided in Figure 1 and Figure 2.
The findings of the study are in line with J. Singh (2015), wherein it was reported that mass media exposure of a majority (61.6%) of dairy farmers of Jammu was medium. Similar results were reported by Sachan et al. (2018) in their research on dairy farmers of Uttar Pradesh and Joshi et al. (2019) while working on dairy farmers of Uttarakhand. As far as ICT utilization is concerned, the results are in partial concurrence with Meena (2012) who reported that the ICT utilization of farmers is medium, whereas the results are in agreement with those reported by Kailash et al. (2017) in which the ICT utilization of farmers regarding crop production technologies was found to be high. In the present study, the ICT utilization is high because of reduction in the cost of smart phones and improved internet connectivity. Farmers were found to be using various forms of social media along with phone calls for obtaining information regarding waste management in the study area. As far as personal localite source usage is concerned, the results are in concurrence with those of Roy et al. (2015), wherein a majority of farmers (97.22%) were having a low level of usage. Furthermore, the results are in partial concurrences with Sachan et al. (2018) in which a majority of farmers (52.00%) were having medium usage followed by low usage (32.00%). The results regarding personal cosmopolite channels are in agreement with those reported by Roy et al. (2015) and Sachan et al. (2018), wherein a majority of respondents (58.9%, 47% respectively) were having a medium level of personal cosmopolite channel usage. As far as the net information source utilization is concerned, the results are partially in line with Joshi et al. (2019) in which they reported the information utilization of dairy farmers for low to medium. whereas in the present study, it was medium to low.
Results revealed that among all the information sources, ICTs were having maximum utilization with MRS 5.31 and MS 1.063 followed by mass media sources having MRS 6.41 and MS 0.802, personal cosmopolite channels MRS 7.61 and MS 0.755, and least used were personal localite sources with MRS 1.28 and MS 0.517. Table 5, the study depicts that a majority (46.3%) of respondents had medium mass media usage followed by low (43.8%). Only 10 percent respondents had high mass media usage. A majority (60%) of small farmers had low mass media usage followed by medium (37.5%) and high (2.5%), whereas a majority (55%) of large farmers had medium mass media usage followed by low (27.5%) and high (17.5%).

As provided in
A majority (47.5%) of respondents have high ICT utilization followed by low (36.25%) and high (16.25%). In the case of small farmers, a majority (45%) of respondents had high ICT utilization followed by low (45.5%), whereas in the case of large farmers, a majority (50%) of respondents had high ICT utilization followed by low (30%) utilization.
A majority of respondents (91.3%) were having low, followed by 8.8 percent with medium usage of personal localite sources. Both in the case of small and large farmers, a majority (95% and 87.5%, respectively) of respondents were having a low level of personal localite source usage.
A majority of respondents (77.5%) were found to have medium, followed by 16.3 percent with low usage of personal cosmopolite sources. Both in the case of small and large farmers, a majority (65% and 90% respectively) of respondents were found to have a medium level of personal cosmopolite source usage.
Results revealed that a majority (58.8%) of respondents showed medium information source utilization followed by low (40 %) and only 1.3 percent respondents have high information source utilization. In the case of small farmers, a majority (52.5%) of respondents showed low information source utilization followed by medium (47.5%), and in the case of large farmers, a majority (70%) of respondents showed medium information source utilization followed by low (27.5%). The Mann-Whitney U test was highly significant for information source utilization, revealing that large farmers had significantly higher information source utilization as compared to small farmers. These findings are provided in Figure 1 and Figure 2.
The findings of the study are in line with J. Singh (2015), wherein it was reported that mass media exposure of a majority (61.6%) of dairy farmers of Jammu was medium. Similar results were reported by Sachan et al. (2018) in their research on dairy farmers of Uttar Pradesh and Joshi et al. (2019) while working on dairy farmers of Uttarakhand. As far as ICT utilization is concerned, the results are in partial concurrence with Meena (2012) who reported that the ICT utilization of farmers is medium, whereas the results are in agreement with those reported by Kailash et al. (2017) in which the ICT utilization of farmers regarding crop production technologies was found to be high. In the present study, the ICT utilization is high because of reduction in the cost of smart phones and improved internet connectivity. Farmers were found to be using various forms of social media along with phone calls for obtaining information regarding waste management in the study area. As far as personal localite source usage is concerned, the results are in concurrence with those of Roy et al. (2015), wherein a majority of farmers (97.22%) were having a low level of usage. Furthermore, the results are in partial concurrences with Sachan et al. (2018) in which a majority of farmers (52.00%) were having medium usage followed by low usage (32.00%). The results regarding personal cosmopolite channels are in agreement with those reported by Roy et al. (2015) and Sachan et al. (2018), wherein a majority of respondents (58.9%, 47% respectively) were having a medium level of personal cosmopolite channel usage. As far as the net information source utilization is concerned, the results are partially in line with Joshi et al. (2019) in which they reported the information utilization of dairy farmers for low to medium. whereas in the present study, it was medium to low.
Results revealed that among all the information sources, ICTs were having maximum utilization with MRS 5.31 and MS 1.063 followed by mass media sources having MRS 6.41 and MS 0.802, personal cosmopolite channels MRS 7.61 and MS 0.755, and least used were personal localite sources with MRS 1.28 and MS 0.517. Table 5, the study depicts that a majority (46.3%) of respondents had medium mass media usage followed by low (43.8%). Only 10 percent respondents had high mass media usage. A majority (60%) of small farmers had low mass media usage followed by medium (37.5%) and high (2.5%), whereas a majority (55%) of large farmers had medium mass media usage followed by low (27.5%) and high (17.5%).

As provided in
A majority (47.5%) of respondents have high ICT utilization followed by low (36.25%) and high (16.25%). In the case of small farmers, a majority (45%) of respondents had high ICT utilization followed by low (45.5%), whereas in the case of large farmers, a majority (50%) of respondents had high ICT utilization followed by low (30%) utilization.
A majority of respondents (91.3%) were having low, followed by 8.8 percent with medium usage of personal localite sources. Both in the case of small and large farmers, a majority (95% and 87.5%, respectively) of respondents were having a low level of personal localite source usage.
A majority of respondents (77.5%) were found to have medium, followed by 16.3 percent with low usage of personal cosmopolite sources. Both in the case of small and large farmers, a majority (65% and 90% respectively) of respondents were found to have a medium level of personal cosmopolite source usage.
Results revealed that a majority (58.8%) of respondents showed medium information source utilization followed by low (40 %) and only 1.3 percent respondents have high information source utilization. In the case of small farmers, a majority (52.5%) of respondents showed low information source utilization followed by medium (47.5%), and in the case of large farmers, a majority (70%) of respondents showed medium information source utilization followed by low (27.5%). The Mann-Whitney U test was highly significant for information source utilization, revealing that large farmers had significantly higher information source utilization as compared to small farmers. These findings are provided in Figure 1 and Figure 2.
The findings of the study are in line with J. Singh (2015), wherein it was reported that mass media exposure of a majority (61.6%) of dairy farmers of Jammu was medium. Similar results were reported by Sachan et al. (2018) in their research on dairy farmers of Uttar Pradesh and Joshi et al. (2019) while working on dairy farmers of Uttarakhand. As far as ICT utilization is concerned, the results are in partial concurrence with Meena (2012) who reported that the ICT utilization of farmers is medium, whereas the results are in agreement with those reported by Kailash et al. (2017) in which the ICT utilization of farmers regarding crop production technologies was found to be high. In the present study, the ICT utilization is high because of reduction in the cost of smart phones and improved internet connectivity. Farmers were found to be using various forms of social media along with phone calls for obtaining information regarding waste management in the study area. As far as personal localite source usage is concerned, the results are in concurrence with those of Roy et al. (2015), wherein a majority of farmers (97.22%) were having a low level of usage. Furthermore, the results are in partial concurrences with Sachan et al. (2018) in which a majority of farmers (52.00%) were having medium usage followed by low usage (32.00%). The results regarding personal cosmopolite channels are in agreement with those reported by Roy et al. (2015) and Sachan et al. (2018), wherein a majority of respondents (58.9%, 47% respectively) were having a medium level of personal cosmopolite channel usage. As far as the net information source utilization is concerned, the results are partially in line with Joshi et al. (2019) in which they reported the information utilization of dairy farmers for low to medium. whereas in the present study, it was medium to low.
Results revealed that among all the information sources, ICTs were having maximum utilization with MRS 5.31 and MS 1.063 followed by mass media sources having MRS 6.41 and MS 0.802, personal cosmopolite channels MRS 7.61 and MS 0.755, and least used were personal localite sources with MRS 1.28 and MS 0.517. Table 5, the study depicts that a majority (46.3%) of respondents had medium mass media usage followed by low (43.8%). Only 10 percent respondents had high mass media usage. A majority (60%) of small farmers had low mass media usage followed by medium (37.5%) and high (2.5%), whereas a majority (55%) of large farmers had medium mass media usage followed by low (27.5%) and high (17.5%).

As provided in
A majority (47.5%) of respondents have high ICT utilization followed by low (36.25%) and high (16.25%). In the case of small farmers, a majority (45%) of respondents had high ICT utilization followed by low (45.5%), whereas in the case of large farmers, a majority (50%) of respondents had high ICT utilization followed by low (30%) utilization.
A majority of respondents (91.3%) were having low, followed by 8.8 percent with medium usage of personal localite sources. Both in the case of small and large farmers, a majority (95% and 87.5%, respectively) of respondents were having a low level of personal localite source usage.
A majority of respondents (77.5%) were found to have medium, followed by 16.3 percent with low usage of personal cosmopolite sources. Both in the case of small and large farmers, a majority (65% and 90% respectively) of respondents were found to have a medium level of personal cosmopolite source usage.
Results revealed that a majority (58.8%) of respondents showed medium information source utilization followed by low (40 %) and only 1.3 percent respondents have high information source utilization. In the case of small farmers, a majority (52.5%) of respondents showed low information source utilization followed by medium (47.5%), and in the case of large farmers, a majority (70%) of respondents showed medium information source utilization followed by low (27.5%). The Mann-Whitney U test was highly significant for information source utilization, revealing that large farmers had significantly higher information source utilization as compared to small farmers. These findings are provided in Figure 1 and Figure 2.
The findings of the study are in line with J. Singh (2015), wherein it was reported that mass media exposure of a majority (61.6%) of dairy farmers of Jammu was medium. Similar results were reported by Sachan et al. (2018) in their research on dairy farmers of Uttar Pradesh and Joshi et al. (2019) while working on dairy farmers of Uttarakhand. As far as ICT utilization is concerned, the results are in partial concurrence with Meena (2012) who reported that the ICT utilization of farmers is medium, whereas the results are in agreement with those reported by Kailash et al. (2017) in which the ICT utilization of farmers regarding crop production technologies was found to be high. In the present study, the ICT utilization is high because of reduction in the cost of smart phones and improved internet connectivity. Farmers were found to be using various forms of social media along with phone calls for obtaining information regarding waste management in the study area. As far as personal localite source usage is concerned, the results are in concurrence with those of Roy et al. (2015), wherein a majority of farmers (97.22%) were having a low level of usage. Furthermore, the results are in partial concurrences with Sachan et al. (2018) in which a majority of farmers (52.00%) were having medium usage followed by low usage (32.00%). The results regarding personal cosmopolite channels are in agreement with those reported by Roy et al. (2015) and Sachan et al. (2018), wherein a majority of respondents (58.9%, 47% respectively) were having a medium level of personal cosmopolite channel usage. As far as the net information source utilization is concerned, the results are partially in line with Joshi et al. (2019) in which they reported the information utilization of dairy farmers for low to medium. whereas in the present study, it was medium to low.

Category-wise information source utilization
ICT utilization among the respondents was maximum (rank I) with a mean score (MS) of 1.063 and a mean percent score (MPS) of 34.08 followed by mass media exposure (rank II, MS 0.802 and MPS 25.71) as depicted in Table 6. Personal cosmopolite channels were ranked III with MS 0.755 and MPS 24.20 followed by personal localite sources with rank IV, MS 0.517 and MPS 16.57. The table depicts that mean scores for ICT utilization, mass media exposure, personal cosmopolite channels and personal localite sources were 0.498, 0.339, 0.196 and 0.125, respectively, for small farmers and for large farmers, and the mean scores of the same variables were 0.565, 0.463, 0.559 and 0.392, respectively. The results of the study are in agreement with those reported by Meena (2012), wherein ICTs were used at a wider level for obtaining information. Furthermore, the results are in partial concurrence with Sachan et al. (2018) wherein the majority of respondents were found to be using mass media followed by personal localite and personal cosmopolite sources. N. Singh Sidhu et al. (2016) reported that the dairy farmers of Punjab have keen interest in visiting the kisan melas and livestock shows and ICTs had been showing increasing usage trends among them which is in line with the findings of the current study. The utilization of ICT in the study is found to be higher because of the enhanced internet connectivity, cheaper smart phones, more awareness about social media and good social status (Singh et al., 2021a).

Relational analysis between ICT usage and other variables
It is evident from Table 7 that with the increase in age, experience in dairy farming and social participation, the ICT utilization among dairy farming is decreasing as these variables are negatively correlated with ICT utilization with correlation coefficients of −0.624, −0.684 and −0.012, respectively. Regression estimates of education, information source utilization and knowledge level were found to have a highly significant effect on ICT utilization. figure 3 presents the relationship of ICT usage with organic waste utilization, and it is evident from the figure that increased usage of ICT leads to increased utilization of organic waste. The results of the study are in partial concurrence with the results reported by Senthilkumar et al. (2013) for utilization of Village Information Centres, a type of ICT in Tamil Nadu. In the study, land holding and the knowledge level of the farmers were significantly associated with the ICT usage. Regarding relational analysis of information source utilization and waste production with various socioeconomic parameters, Singh et al. (2020) have reported that efficient utilization of information sources leads to better management of organic waste. A similar study reported that with the increase in education, the level of knowledge increases which ultimately leads to better waste management. However, waste generation increases with income and sustainable utilization decreases. figure 1

Conclusion
The results revealed that most of the farmers have medium to low levels of information source utilization for organic waste management which can be a major determinant for environmental friendly disposal of organic waste. The menace of crop residue burning has surged over the years and methods of disposal of household and dairy waste are also questionable which may be attributed to the low level of information source utilization among the dairy farmers of the region. Although the point of contact for access to information on organic waste management by dairy farmers was majorly veterinary dispensary/hospital, paravets, social media, kisan mela, etc., there is imminent need for creating multifarious information channels utilizing the potential of digital technologies or ICTs as the farmers were found to be having keen interest in obtaining information through digital means. Furthermore, to supplement the digital media, a mechanism should be established for taking farmers to field visits, demonstrations, training courses, seminars and workshops, exhibitions, etc. and developing for them educational bulletins, films, television and radio programs for enhancing communication linkages for better management of organic waste. All these efforts should be directed towards sustainable management of organic waste which will be profitable not only for the dairy farmers but also for the environment.