KNOWLEDGE AND ADOPTION OF COCONUT PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY BY THE COCONUT GROWERS IN THIRUVANANTHAPURAM DISTRICT.
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Date
2019-08-01
Authors
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Publisher
Dr. Punjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola, Maharashtra.
Abstract
Coconut is called commonly as Kalpavriksha is grown in more than 93 countries of the world including Indonesia, Philippines, and India as the major producing countries of the world. Coconut is a traditional plantation crop as well as homestead crop and can be cultivated both as a major crop and as a minor crop and it assumes the status of a high value commercial crop. The coconut palms are grown in most of the zones, except sub tropic and temperate regions, which includes 19 states and 3 union territories in the country.
The present study on Knowledge and adoption of coconut production technology by the coconut growers in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala state with a sample size of 120 farmers selected from 12 different villages of six talukas. Data were collected on personal, socio-economic, communication and psychological characteristics of respondent coconut growers and knowledge and adoption of coconut production technology by the coconut growers with the help of pre structured and pretested interview schedule.
The result showed that, majority of respondents belonged to old age (76.67%), educated up to collegiate level (21.67%), small family size (71.67%), medium experience in coconut cultivation (70%), possessed marginal land holding (50.83%), medium size of area under coconut cultivation (90.83%), high annual income (76.67%), medium social participation (70%), medium extension contact (75.83%), medium mass media exposure (65%) and medium risk orientation (71.67%).
Vast majority of the selected respondents for the respective study had knowledge about the recommended practices such as for selecting a good quality planting materials and mother palms (98.33%), proper management of the nursery (80%), planting seedlings in the main field (98.33%), important pest attacking coconut palm (92.5%) and important disease attacking coconut palm (93.33%). In overall, 55.83 per cent of coconut growers had medium level of knowledge about coconut production technology.
Majority (66.67%) of the respondents have full adoption on the selection of the type of planting material required, for proper management of the nursery 40.83 per cent of the coconut growers have no adoption, for planting seedlings in the main field 74.17 per cent of the respondents had full adoption. The adoption of control measures for pest and diseases may vary from one pest and disease to another. In overall, most (60.83%) of coconut growers had medium level of adoption of coconut production technology.
In relational analysis, the selected variables like age, experience in coconut cultivation, land holding, social participation, extension contact and mass media were positively significant with the knowledge, whereas, education was negatively significant and family size, area under coconut cultivation, annual income and risk orientation were non-significant with the knowledge about coconut production technology. Whereas experience in coconut cultivation, social participation and extension contact were positively significant with the adoption, whereas, land holding, area under coconut cultivation and annual income were negatively correlated and age, education, family size, mass media exposure and risk orientation were non-significant relation with the adoption of coconut production technology.
In case of constraint almost all of the respondents (90%) faced the vigorous pest and disease attack on coconut, high labour cost (45%), non-availability of labours (40.83), drastic decline in production loss (32.50%), lack of getting subsidies for coconut trees (24.17%), facing the arrest of water scarcity during summer periods (23.33%), low profit and lack of IT accessibility (16.66%), lack of awareness about improved technology (14.17%), lack of timely credit availability (8.33%), non-availability of needed fertilizers and other inputs (6.67%), the trees become resistant to the chemicals used against pest and diseases (5%) and the losses occurred during flood (3.33).
Description
Coconut is a versatile crop, which yields innumerable products right from the root to the tip of the palm. India is the third largest coconut producer in the world. Coconut is a traditional plantation crop of India and assumes the status of a high value commercial crop. In India, most of the acreage under coconut palm (90%) lies in the four southern states i.e., Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Keywords
Social Sciences, Agricultural Extension.
Citation
AAYSHA, KAMAR. (2019). Knowledge and adoption of coconut production technology by the coconut growers in Thiruvananthapuram district. Department Of Agriculture Extension Education, NagpurDr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola. M. Sc. 2019. Print. xvii, 112p. (unpublished).