FACTORS IMPINGING ADOPTION OF INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES BY THE PADDY GROWERS OF UPPER BRAHMAPUTRA VALLEY ZONE OF ASSAM
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Date
2019-07
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Publisher
AAU, Jorhat
Abstract
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.