ABSTRACT
This study examines how agricultural advisory access affects technology adoption, crop yield, and input-use behaviour in Bihar. The study is situated within microeconomics, whereMfarm households are treated as decision-making units operating under information constraints, risk, liquidity limitations, and imperfect input markets. Bihar provides a useful case because agriculture remains central to rural livelihoods, yet farm productivity is shaped by fragmented holdings, monsoon dependence, uneven irrigation, high input sensitivity, and
limited access to timely technical advice. The study uses a secondary-data framework combining evidence from NSS Situation Assessment Survey, Agricultural Statistics at a Glance, Bihar crop statistics, ATMA and KVK-related extension literature, and state agricultural road-map material. A district-crop analytical panel is constructed for major crops, namely rice, wheat, maize, and pulses, with advisory access measured through exposure to
public extension, KVK/ATMA training, input-dealer advice, digital advisory, and farmergroup participation. The empirical results indicate that advisory access is positively associated with yield and more efficient input use. Farmers with regular advisory exposure show higher adoption of improved seed, better fertiliser balance, greater use of soil testing, and more timely pest-management decisions. The yield effect is strongest for maize and
wheat, moderate for rice, and weaker for pulses where market and irrigation constraints remain binding. The study argues that extension should not be seen only as information delivery; it is a microeconomic instrument that reduces uncertainty, improves input allocation, and raises the marginal productivity of farm expenditure.

Keywords: Agricultural extension, technology adoption, Bihar, advisory access, yield, input use, microeconomics, KVK, ATMA, farm households.