Ranking Of Inorganic And Organic Fertilizer Using Multi Criteria Decision Making: TOPSIS Approach

Abstract

The study utilizes the ‘Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution’ (TOPSIS), a well-established Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methodology, to systematically evaluate and rank the suitability of organic and inorganic fertilizers for agricultural use in Sangamner Tehsil, District Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra, India. The evaluation framework incorporates six critical criteria: availability of the fertilizer, cost-effectiveness, crop yield potential, and its impacts on human health, soil quality, and the broader environment. By applying the TOPSIS technique, which identifies the best option based on its proximity to an ideal solution, the analysis revealed that organic fertilizers achieved a higher relative closeness score of 0.674088, indicating a preferable overall performance. This decision-support approach equips farmers with a rational, data-driven tool to guide fertilizer selection, thereby minimizing dependence on potentially biased information from commercial vendors or local agents. Moreover, the findings underscore the potential of the TOPSIS model in promoting more sustainable, health-conscious, and environmentally responsible farming decisions. By incorporating both qualitative and quantitative factors into the evaluation process, this study contributes to the broader discourse on sustainable agriculture and offers a replicable model for other regions facing similar challenges.