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Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat

Assam Agricultural University is the first institution of its kind in the whole of North-Eastern Region of India. The main goal of this institution is to produce globally competitive human resources in farm sectorand to carry out research in both conventional and frontier areas for production optimization as well as to disseminate the generated technologies as public good for benefitting the food growers/produces and traders involved in the sector while emphasizing on sustainability, equity and overall food security at household level. Genesis of AAU - The embryo of the agricultural research in the state of Assam was formed as early as 1897 with the establishment of the Upper Shillong Experimental Farm (now in Meghalaya) just after about a decade of creation of the agricultural department in 1882. However, the seeds of agricultural research in today’s Assam were sown in the dawn of the twentieth century with the establishment of two Rice Experimental Stations, one at Karimganj in Barak valley in 1913 and the other at Titabor in Brahmaputra valley in 1923. Subsequent to these research stations, a number of research stations were established to conduct research on important crops, more specifically, jute, pulses, oilseeds etc. The Assam Agricultural University was established on April 1, 1969 under The Assam Agricultural University Act, 1968’ with the mandate of imparting farm education, conduct research in agriculture and allied sciences and to effectively disseminate technologies so generated. Before establishment of the University, there were altogether 17 research schemes/projects in the state under the Department of Agriculture. By July 1973, all the research projects and 10 experimental farms were transferred by the Government of Assam to the AAU which already inherited the College of Agriculture and its farm at Barbheta, Jorhat and College of Veterinary Sciences at Khanapara, Guwahati. Subsequently, College of Community Science at Jorhat (1969), College of Fisheries at Raha (1988), Biswanath College of Agriculture at Biswanath Chariali (1988) and Lakhimpur College of Veterinary Science at Joyhing, North Lakhimpur (1988) were established. Presently, the University has three more colleges under its jurisdiction, viz., Sarat Chandra Singha College of Agriculture, Chapar, College of Horticulture, Nalbari & College of Sericulture, Titabar. Similarly, few more regional research stations at Shillongani, Diphu, Gossaigaon, Lakhimpur; and commodity research stations at Kahikuchi, Buralikson, Tinsukia, Kharua, Burnihat and Mandira were added to generate location and crop specific agricultural production packages.

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Subject: Extension Education × Author: Sharma, Patrika × End date: 2019 × Start date: 2016 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: Ph.D ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    FACTORS IMPINGING ADOPTION OF INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES BY THE PADDY GROWERS OF UPPER BRAHMAPUTRA VALLEY ZONE OF ASSAM
    (AAU, Jorhat, 2019-07) Sharma, Patrika; Mishra, P.
    Rice forms the staple food crop of India and Assam is one of the ten most rice producing states in the country. One way to achieve more benefits and have low input cost in agriculture finds its way in sustainable agriculture that aims to reduce input costs into crop production. Integrated Pest Management is the approach to achieve sustainable agriculture as it integrates all the crop production practices mainly cultural, mechanical, biological and chemical practices for pest management rather than sole reliance on chemical pesticides. In order to reduce the use of hazardous chemical pesticides and to manage the insect/pest/disease attack as well as to increase the crop productivity, Govt of India, Ministry of agriculture, department of Agriculture and Co-operation launched a scheme Strengthening and Modernization of Pest Management (IPM) approach in India in 1991-92. CIPMC, KVKs, District Agricultural Office from DoA, Assam has conducted enormous programmes on Integrated Pest Management for paddy crop throughout the state. However, dependence on synthetic pesticides has not been eliminated from the farmer’s field. Therefore, this study was conducted in Upper Brahmaputra Valley Zone of Assam with a view to identify the factors impinging adoption of IPM practices by the paddy growers, their knowledge level in IPM practices, extent of adoption of IPM practices, effect of innovation characteristics of IPM in its adoption and to analyze obstacles faced by the paddy growers in adoption of IPM practices. A multi-stage sampling design was followed for selection of 280 respondents from 20 villages. Data were collected administering a structured schedule. Relevant statistical tools viz. frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, C.V., C.D., Karl Pearson product moment co-efficient of correlation, Multiple regression analysis, ANOVA test were used. The study revealed that majority of the respondents aged between 41- 53years (56.43%), studied upto High School (46.07%) and had membership of at least one organization (70.72%). Most of the farmers had family size of 5-7 members (62.50%), agricultural experience between 16-23 years (62.85%), and in between 4-9.6 years involved in pesticide application (60.71%). A majority of the respondents were semi medium land holders (50.71%) having 2 to 4 ha of land, had annual income of Rs. 95,720-2, 03,280 (58.57%) and 60.00 per cent used to spend Rs 100-390 for pesticides in a year. Attitude towards IPM practices was moderate for 49.28percent and majority of the respondents (63.92 %) had moderate level of economic motivation. 57.5 per cent had moderate level of scientific orientation and more than half (55.35%) of the respondents had moderate level of innovativeness. Majority (95.71%) of the respondents utilised information sources like progressive farmers, neighbours/local farmers and sometimes family members mostly, rather than utilising modern sources of information mobile phones and internets (32.5%). 40.00 per cent of the total respondents attend training regularly whereas field visit was attended occasionally by 69.64 per cent 53.57 per cent had never attended group discussion. The study further revealed that overall knowledge level of paddy growers in IPM practices is medium (52.85%) for most of the respondents. They had great extent of knowledge on the practice of ‘Proper summer ploughing, Trimming of bunds and Destruction of crop residues before transplanting of rice to minimize the insect pest & disease intensity’ (100.00%) followed by ‘Use bird perches for predatory birds against insect pests of rice’ (90.00%) whereas, majority of the respondents (76.78%) did not know about ‘spraying of Trichogramma in 6 different times at 10 days interval starting from 30-35 DAT’ followed by ‘application of Trichogramma as a biocontrol agent against rice stem borer and rice leaf folder’ (69.28%). Extent of adoption of IPM practices was medium (69.28%) and cultural practices were mostly adopted where as biological practices were least adopted. The correlation analysis showed that operational land holding (r = 0.1979**), annual income (r = 0.1979**), attitude towards IPM practices (r = 0.1979**), innovativeness (r = 0.4151**), extension participation (r = 0.2159**) and knowledge level (r = 0.8710**) had positive and significant correlation with extent of adoption of IPM practices. Data pertaining to multiple regression analysis between farmer’s characteristics and adoption of IPM practices showed that Operational land holding (b = 0.080*), Attitude towards IPM practices (b = 0.150*), Economic motivation (b = 0.089*), Scientific orientation (b = 0.029*), Innovativeness (b = 0.044**), Information source utilization (b = 0.373**), Extension participation (b = 0.759*) and Knowledge level (b = 1.652E-05**) of the respondents jointly contributes 59 percent towards variation in extent of adoption of IPM practices. The study also reveals that a huge majority (72.14%) of the respondents perceived IPM as a technology to a moderate level. 57.85 per cent considered it as profitable, 48.21 per cent of the respondents found IPM practices as highly compatible to the culture of the community, another highest percentage of respondent (37.85%) mentioned it as complex system, but 27.85 percent of the respondents found it simple. Further the study shows that 38.21 percent of the respondents felt trying IPM in their paddy may involve some risk as results are only sometimes visible in the field. Limited access to biological inputs, like pheromone traps, bio-pesticides, tricho-cards etc was ranked top among the obstacles faced in adoption of IPM practices as reported by 100.00percent of farmers followed by inability to control / restrict pest for a limited area and lack of collective action within farming community (98.92%) and Insufficient training ranks third as reported by 96.42 per cent of the respondents. Strategies such as strengthening Community Based Approach for collective pest control, developing farmers friendly educational method/appropriate extension approaches, Ensuring the availability of Biological control agents and IPM devices by KVKs, District Agriculture Offices and other non govt organization etc. can be taken up to promote IPM among paddy growers in a effective way.