Evaluating the effects of crijaf sona microbial retting technology on the technical, economic, and environmental sustainability of jute production in West Bengal

The present research evaluates the economic, technical and environmental impacts of CRIJAF SONA microbial retting formulation on the cultivation of jute in West Bengal (Nadia District). CRIJAF SONA is an ICAR-CRIJAF-developed talc-based microbial consortium, which is a group of Bacillus strains, selective degraders of pectic components, and preserving cellulose, that accelerates retting. It was observed that a comparative survey on retting of Jute was carried out on 88 Jute farmers; 44 who employed CRIJAF SONA and 44 who applied traditional procedures. The ANOVA and estimation of effect sizes were used to analyse data on retting duration, fibre yield, quality and profitability. The findings indicated that the CRIJAF SONA decreased the retting period by half from 18 to 14 days, increased the fibre yield by almost 30 per cent and the quality of fibres, resulting in a 35-40 per cent higher price in the market. As a result, the gross income improved by approximately 77, which is equivalent to 80-90 thousand more per acre. Highly significant and practically meaningful differences between adopters and non-adopters with statistical significance (p < 0.001, Cohen's d to 10.0) were statistically proven. A farmer perception study revealed that it was very much satisfied and easy to use, and the Technology Effectiveness Index is 85.41, which shows that it can be adopted at a large level. The results indicate that CRIJAF SONA is not only a retting aid but a transformational technological intervention capable of boosting productivity, profitability, and environmental performance in the jute industry, helping to develop the rural area in eastern India into a climate-resilient and environment-friendly zone.