AN ANALYSIS OF KNOWLEDGE AND ADOPTION OF ECO-FRIENDLY PRACTICES IN TURMERIC CULTIVATION IN ERODE DISTRICT OF TAMIL NADU
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Date
2022-12-22
Authors
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Publisher
Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Guntur
Abstract
Despite having tremendous growth in agricultural production and achieving
food security, still Indian farmers suffer from ever-increasing input cost. Soaring
environmental problems, eco-system instability and lack of self-sustainability of
farmers force us to search for other methods of farming. One of such natural,
recyclable and sustainable approaches of farming is Eco-friendly farming. It is
effective and cost-efficient way to achieve sustainable development in the
agriculture sector. As per the importance of certain crop produce in medicinal and
culinary fields, there is a need for production of turmeric in eco-friendly methods
to keep the chemical residues at its minimum.
Hence, the present research was framed to analyze the level of knowledge
and extent of adoption of turmeric growers on eco-friendly practices in turmeric
cultivation with the specific objectives of studying the profile of turmeric growers,
their level of knowledge, extent of adoption, relationship between profile
characteristics and level of knowledge and extent of adoption, constraints and
eliciting suggestions to overcome them in adopting the eco-friendly practices.
Ex post facto research design was followed in the present investigation.
Tamil Nadu state was selected purposively for the study as the researcher hails
from the same state. Based on the highest area and production under turmeric
cultivation in this state, Erode district was selected purposively for the study. From
this district, two blocks namely Kodumudi and Modakurichi were selected
purposively based on the highest area and production under turmeric cultivation.
Four villages from each of the two blocks were selected by using simple random
sampling method thus making a total of eight villages. From each of the selected
villages, 15 turmeric growers having not less than 5 years of experience in turmeric
cultivation were selected by following simple random sampling procedure, making
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a total of 120 turmeric growers for the study. Fifteen independent variables that
were relevant for the study and two dependent variables namely level of
knowledge and extent of adoption were identified for the investigation.
With a help of a well-structured and pre-tested interview schedule
developed for the study, detailed data were collected from the respondents during
the months of February 2021 to March 2021. Using suitable statistical tools, the
collected data were analyzed in order to categorize the respondents under the
selected independent variables and also to identify their relationship with the
dependent variables. The findings were meaningfully interpreted and relevant
conclusions were drawn.
The results with regard to the profile of the turmeric growers indicated that
majority of the turmeric growers were middle aged with middle school level of
education, small and marginal farmers with medium farming experience, training
undergone, social participation, extension contact, innovativeness, mass media
exposure, risk orientation, economic motivation, market orientation, scientific
orientation, achievement motivation and market intelligence.
Majority of the turmeric growers had medium to high level of knowledge
and medium to high extent of adoption regarding eco-friendly practices in turmeric
cultivation.
In case of relationship between independent variables and level of
knowledge on eco-friendly practices in turmeric cultivation, variables such as
education, training undergone, innovativeness, mass media exposure, risk
orientation, economic motivation, market orientation and market intelligence had
positive and significant relationship with level of knowledge of turmeric growers
at 1 per cent level of significance. Social participation and scientific orientation
had positive and significant relationship with level of knowledge at 5 per cent
level. Age had negative and significant relation with level of knowledge at 5 per
cent level. Farm size, farming experience, extension contact and achievement
motivation had no association with the level of knowledge of turmeric growers.
In case of relationship between independent variables and extent of
adoption of eco-friendly practices in turmeric cultivation, variables such as
education, farm size, training undergone, social participation, extension contact,
mass media exposure, risk orientation and economic motivation had positive and
significant relationship with extent of adoption of turmeric growers at 1 per cent
level of significance. Market orientation and market intelligence had positive and
significant relationship with extent of adoption at 5 per cent level. Age, scientific
orientation, innovativeness, farming experience and achievement motivation had
no association with the extent of adoption of turmeric growers.
Regression analysis revealed that the fifteen selected independent variables
put together explained 62.5 per cent variation in the level of knowledge of the
turmeric growers on eco-friendly practices in turmeric cultivation. Among them
training undergone, mass media exposure and risk orientation were found
positively significant which was evident from their significant ‘t’ values.
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Regarding extent of adoption of turmeric growers, the fifteen selected
independent variables put together explained 77.1 per cent variation in the extent
of adoption of the turmeric growers on eco-friendly practices in turmeric
cultivation. Among them mass media exposure and risk orientation were found
positively significant which was evident from their significant ‘t’ values.
The major constraints that were encountered by the turmeric growers in
adopting eco-friendly practices were labour scarcity, poor quality of inputs and
non-availability of inputs under the category of physical constraints, lack of
knowledge about eco-friendly practices, lack of skill about eco-friendly practices
and inability to attend training programs under personal, lack of price policy for
eco-friendly agricultural produce, high cost of labour and high cost of inputs under
socio-economic, high risk involved, reduction of rhizome yield and lack of
technical guidance under technical, attack of insect pests and diseases and their
management, high weed intensity and pollution of irrigation canal water under
environmental, lack of success stories of adoption of eco-friendly practices, lack
of demonstrated impacts on eco-friendly practices, lack of awareness of agroenvironmental
problems, lack of motivation from officials under extension
constraints.
Provision of minimum support price for turmeric produce, frequent visits
by extension agent and proper extension support, availability of local technical
guidance, organizing more training programmes on eco-friendly practices,
provision of machinery for turmeric harvesting to reduce labour costs,
establishment of processing and value addition units, provision for utilizing
MNREGA labourers for farm works, providing quality inputs at subsidized costs,
construction of warehouses for storage of the produce, measures to reduce the
pollution of irrigation canal water, provision of insurance for crop loss,
establishment of soil-testing facilities at block level and organizing field
demonstrations on eco-friendly practices were the major suggestions given by
turmeric growers to overcome the above constraints.
Description
AN ANALYSIS OF KNOWLEDGE AND
ADOPTION OF ECO-FRIENDLY PRACTICES
IN TURMERIC CULTIVATION IN ERODE
DISTRICT OF TAMIL NADU