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ThesisItem Open Access Managerial efficiency of cassava farmers(Department Of Agricultural Extension, College Of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1991) Asnantharaman, M; KAU; Thyagarajan Nair, GThe study aimed at analyzing the managerial efficiency of cassava farmers. It was conducted in four districts namely, Thiruvananthapuram (low productivity), and Pathanamthitta (high productivity) in Kerala State and Kanyakumari (low productivity) and Selem (high productivity) in Tamil Nadu state. The first three districts were considered as non- industrial district and Selem district was considered as industrial district also. A total of 240 cassava farmers were selected, 60 from each district following stratified random sampling. The managerial efficiency was measured with the help of a scale consisting of 30 items developed for the study. The data on the managerial efficiency of farmers and on the fifteen socio- psychological and situational factors of the farmers were collected using an interview schedule. The components of managerial efficiency identified empirically were ‘planning’, ‘labour management’, ‘information management’, ‘financial management’ ‘production management (variety)’, ‘production management (practices)’ and ‘marketing management’. The managerial efficiency of cassava farmers as the whole was somewhat better as little more than half of the farmers had high managerial efficiency. While the farmers exhibited high efficiency in the managerial components namely, ‘planning’, ‘labour management’, ‘financial management’ and marketing management’, they were not efficient in the components of ‘Information management’, ‘production management (variety)’ and ‘production management (practices)’. The farmers of industrial district were found to have significantly higher efficiency in the overall managerial efficiency as well as in the managerial components viz., ‘planning’, ‘information management’, ‘financial management’, ‘production management (variety)’, and ‘production management (practices)’ when compared to farmers of non- industrial district. The component- wise performance of farmers on the whole was in the order of ‘labour management’, ‘marketing management’, ‘planning’, ‘financial management’, ‘production management (practices)’, ‘information management’, and ‘production management (variety)’. While farmers of industrial district relatively performed well in ‘production management (variety)’, ‘production management (practices)’ and ‘planning’ when compared to other components, non-industrial district farmers performance was good at ‘labour management’, ‘marketing management’ and ‘financial management’. The managerial components namely, ‘planning’, ‘information management’ and ‘financial management’ were found to be relatively more important than other components with regard to their contribution towards the profit from cassava cultivation. The socio-psychological and situational factors namely, closeness with agricultural support system, market perception, achievement motivation, economic motivation, attitude towards scientific management in crop enterprise, knowledge on scientific management in crop enterprise, cultivated holding, cassava area and irrigation potential were found to be significantly contributing to the managerial efficiency. The major managerial constraints faced by the farmers were lack of awareness, knowledge, conviction, timely information and planting materials; limited resources, uncertainty and shortage of labourers.ThesisItem Open Access Adoption of improved agricultural practices by commercial vegetable growers of Ollukkara Block in Trichur District(Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1991) Binoo, P Bonny; KAU; Muraleedhara Prasad, RWith a view to study the existing scenario of commercial vegetable cultivation, the present investigation was undertaken in two selected Panchayats in Ollukkara Block in Thrissur. The study was conducted in relation to knowledge of farmers about improved vegetable cultivation practices, their .training need in commercial cultivation of vegetable ,and extent of adoption of recommended vegetable cultivation practices. The study was conducted on 100 randomly selected vegetable growers. The data were collected using pre-tested and well structured interview schedule. Correlation and step-wiser egression analyses were employed for analysis of data. The study revealed that majority of farmers were medium in their level of knowledge, training need and extent of adoption. Highest training need was perceived in plant protection. Higher adoption was also observed in plant protection measures. The results of step-wise regression analysis indicated information source utilisation as the most important variable explaining maximum variation in the level of knowledge and training need. In the case of adoption of improved practices, irrigation potential was the most decisive variable as revealed by the step wise regression analysis. The results of constraint analysis pointed out high cost of plant protection chemicals as the most felt constraint 'in the commercial cultivation of vegetables. The other important constraints as perceived by the farmers were inadequate market and storage and post harvest facilities.ThesisItem Open Access Feasibility analysis of group approach in the transfer of pepper production technology(Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1991) John, T D; KAU; Muraleedhara Prasad, RA study was undertaken to analyse the utility of group approach in the transfer of pepper production technology in Wayanad and Kozhikode districts of Kerala State by forming three types of groups, namely existing, focused and identified focused groups. Under each of the group type, three different sizes of groups (n1 = between 10 and 14; = between 15 and 19; N3= between 20 and 24) were formed for the study. Individual pepper farmers (n = 50) were also selected to serve as control for the study. The group performance in terms of adoption of recommended pepper cultivation practices was studied in relation to the group processes. The data were collected in two phases, the first phase immediately after the formation of groups and the second phase after one crop season. The study revealed that there was significant difference between the types of groups in the extent of adoption when studied immediately after the formation of groups. However, when studied after one season, no significant difference in adoption was noted between the types of groups. There was no significant difference between the size groups in the extent of adoption studied immediately after the formation of groups and also after one season. There was substantial increase in the group related processes such as social participation, interpersonal liking, interpersonal trust, interpersonal contact, co-operation and farmer to farmer interaction, when measured after the functioning of the group for one season. There was' significant difference between the mean scores on knowledge on pepper cultivation in the case of all the group types when studied immediately after the formation of groups and after one season. Absence of a government agency in organising the farmers and providing .proper guidance was . expressed as the most important constraint of group approach in pepper cultivation followed by lack of knowledge and awareness about group approach in pepper cultivation. Severity of quick wilt disease, very small holding size and absence of beneficial programmes were rated as the other important constraints of group approach in pepper cultivation.ThesisItem Open Access Study on the utilization of the farm magazine rubber and analysis of its message constraints(Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, 1991) Shamitha, Bharathan; KAU; Ranjan, Karippai S
