KNOWLEDGE OF Bt. COTTON GROWERS ABOUT DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF Bt. COTTON
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Date
2005-10
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JAU, JUNAGADH
Abstract
Bt.(Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton is the most extensively studied cotton variety today. Rigorous scientific studies have been conducted in India and abroard. The use of Bt. to control insect pest is not new, but now Bt. is that a modified version of the bacterial organs has been incorporated into the plant’s own Deoxyribo Nucleic Acid, so that the plants cellular machinery produces the delta endotoxin as part of the plant normal development.
Cotton is one of the important cash crops of India. India grows Bt. cotton for the first time in 2002. Mahyco Monsanto is pioneer in seed industry producing Bt. cotton. Gujarat is one of the main cotton producing state in which Amreli district has comparatively larger area under Bt. cotton.
Bt. cotton is newly introduced cotton variety today. It is therefore, worthwhile to measure the farmers knowledge about distinctive features of Bt. Cotton. Keeping these points in view the present study entitled “Knowledge of Bt. cotton growers about distinctive features of Bt. cotton” was undertaken with the objectives given hereafter.
(1) To study selected personal, socio-economic, psychological and communication characteristics of the Bt. cotton growers.
(2) To know the Bt. cotton growers knowledge about distinctive features of Bt. cotton.
(3) To know the relationship between some selected characteristics of Bt. cotton growers and their knowledge about distinctive feature of Bt. cotton.
(4) To identify the constraints faced by Bt. cotton growers.
(5) To seek suggestions from the Bt. cotton growers to overcome the constraints.
The study was conducted in Amreli district of Gujarat state. Out of 11 talukas, 3 talukas of Amreli district were purposively selected, 2 Bt. cotton growing villages were randomly selected from each selected talukas and 25 Bt. cotton growers were selected randomly making a total sample of 150 respondents. Their responses were collected through structured questionnaire by personal contact. The knowledge level about distinctive features of Bt. cotton was measured through a teacher made test. To analyze the data statistical tools like mean, percentage, standard deviation, and coefficient of correlation were used.
MAJOR FINDING
1. Majority of the Bt. cotton growers (65.34 %) belonged to middle age group.
2. In education level of 42.00 % of the respondents had primary education, 30.67 % had secondary education, 14.67 % had the higher secondary education, 8.66 % illiterate and 4.00 % had college level education.
3. Majority (66.66%) of the respondent had medium social participation, while 24% had low social participation and 9.34% had high social participation.
4. Majority of the Bt. cotton growers (61.33%) had large size of land holding above 4.00 hectare ,while 25.34% had medium land holding.
5. Majority of the Bt. cotton growers (81.34%) had medium irrigation potentiality.
6. A great majority of the Bt. cotton growers (92.00 %) had medium level of economic motivation.
7. A great majority of the Bt. cotton growers (91.33%) had medium credit orientation.
8. Majority of the Bt. cotton growers (65.33%) had medium market orientation.
9. Majority of the Bt. cotton growers (72.00 %) had medium cropping intensity.
10. Majority of the Bt. cotton growers (73.33%) had medium Bt. cotton production, while 58.00 % non-Bt. cotton growers had medium non-Bt. cotton production.
11. Majority of the Bt. cotton growers (68.66%) had medium level of scientific orientation.
12. A great majority of the Bt. cotton growers (84.66%) had medium innovativeness.
13. A majority of the Bt. cotton growers (69.33%) had medium risk orientation.
14. A majority of the Bt. cotton growers (76.66%) had medium overall modernity.
15. A great majority of the Bt. cotton growers (86.00 %) had medium mass media exposure.
16. A great majority of the Bt. cotton growers (84.00 %) had medium level of extension participation.
17. Majority of the Bt. cotton growers (81.33%) had medium level of knowledge about distinctive features of Bt. cotton.
18. Selected characteristics like education, social participation, size of holding, irrigation potentiality, cropping intensity, production of Bt. cotton and non-Bt. cotton, scientific orientation, overall modernity, mass media exposure and extension participation were significantly correlated with knowledge of Bt. cotton growers about distinctive features of Bt. cotton.
19. Major conditions faced by the Bt. cotton growers were high price of seed, heavy infestation of sucking pest, problem of wilt, improper vegetative growth and difficulty in weed control.
20. Suggestions given by the Bt. cotton growers to overcome the constraints were sucking pest resistant variety should be developed, seed should available in time and on low cost, wilt resistant variety should be developed, Bt gene should be incorporated in desi variety and Govt. should provide training to farmers for Bt. cotton cultivation.