A STUDY ON INDIGENOUS AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES OF MAJOR CROPS IN RAYALASEEMA REGION OF ANDHRA PRADESH
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Date
2018
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Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University
Abstract
The present study entitled “A study on indigenous agricultural practices of major crops in Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh”. The study intended to analyze the indigenous practices in agricultural crops with the objectives of documentation of the available Indigenous Agricultural Practices (IAPs) in the study area, analyzing their rationality, extent of adoption and the relationship between the profile characteristics of farmers with the extent of adoption.
Ex-post facto research design was adopted in the present investigation. Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh state was selected purposively for the study. From Rayalaseema region two districts i.e. Anantpur and Kurnool were selected purposively based on the highest cultivated area. Three mandals were selected purposively, from each selected district based on the highest cultivated area. Thus a total of 6 mandals were selected from the two districts. Two villages were selected from each of the 6 mandals by following simple random sampling thus making a total of 12 villages. From each village, 15 farmers were selected by following simple random sampling procedure, thus making a total of 180 respondents who were cultivating three crops i.e. paddy, groundnut and red gram had been selected for the study. This study was conducted in three phases in two districts of rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh. In this first phase maximum possible numbers of indigenous agricultural practices in major crops (paddy, groundnut and red gram) were collected through informal interviews with 90 experienced farmers. In the second phase, 133 IAPs applicable to 3 selected crops were judged for their rationality by scientists. During the third phase, extent of adoption of these 133 IAPs was studied with 180 farmer respondents through a structured interview schedule.
The results of the study indicate that majority of the respondents were middle aged, illiterates, had semi-medium farm size, medium level of farming experience, family size, family income, extension contact, mass media exposure, innovativeness,
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fatalism, social participation, achievement motivation, scientific orientation, economic orientation, market orientation and attitude towards indigenous agricultural practices.
There were 133 IAPs identified and documented under three different sub components viz., crop production, crop protection and post harvest practices in three major crops. In paddy crop, a total of 68 IAPs were identified and documented out of which, 34 IAPs were documented in crop production followed by 27 practices in crop protection aspects and 7 in post harvest practices. In groundnut a total of 37 were documented, out of which 17 IAPs were documented in each crop production and crop protection and 3 were identified in post harvest aspects. In red gram, 12 IAPs were documented in crop production followed by 10 IAPs in post harvest practices and 6 in crop protection.
Among 133 documented, 44 IAPs belonged to pest and disease management, 20 were related to post harvest management, 16 were related to seeds, sowing and planting, 9 were related to nutrient management, 8 IAPs were documented in each preparatory cultivation and varieties, 7 belonged to cropping system and the 6 IAPs were documented in each other plant protection management (wild boar, monkey, rat elephant bird control) and harvest aspects, 5 IAPs documented on seasonal aspects, 3 were in inter-cultivation and weed management and 1 was documented in water management.
In paddy crop, 50 per cent of the farmers were medium adopters followed by 28.89 per cent were low adopter and 21.11 per cent of the farmers were high adopter category in paddy.
In groundnut crop, 55.56 per cent of the farmers were medium category followed by low (30.56%) and high (13.88%) categories respectively.
In red gram crop, 52.78 per cent of the farmers were medium category followed by low (33.33%) and high (13.89%) categories respectively.
Out of 68 IAPs on paddy, 61 IAPs were found rational and 7 IAPs were found irrational. Among the 37 IAPs in groundnut, 35 IAPs were found rational and 2 IAPs were found irrational. Among the 28 IAPs on red gram, 25 IAPs were found rational and remaining 3 IAPs were found irrational.
Out of 68 IAPs on paddy, more than 50 per cent of the respondents adopted 16 IAPs completely and 13 IAPs partially and 39 IAPs were not adopted by more than 50 per cent of the respondents.
Out of the 37 IAPs on groundnut, more than 50 per cent of the respondents adopted 9 IAPs completely and 7 IAPs partially and 21 IAPs were not adopted by more than 50 per cent of the respondents.
Out of the 28 IAPs on red gram, more than 50 per cent of the respondents adopted 8 IAPs completely and 4 IAPs partially and 16 IAPs were not adopted by more than 50 per cent of the respondents.
The correlation analysis indicated that the profile characteristics of the respondents like age, farming experience, fatalism and attitude towards indigenous
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agricultural practices were found positive and significant with the extent of adoption of indigenous agricultural practices. Whereas education, extension contact, innovativeness, achievement motivation, scientific orientation and economic orientation had negative and significant relationship with the extent of adoption of indigenous agricultural practices. Farm size, family income, social participation and market orientation exhibited positive and non-significant relationship and mass media contact exhibited negative and non significant relationship with the extent of adoption of indigenous agricultural practices.
The step wise multiple regression analysis indicated that, out of the 16 independent variables, four variables viz., age, fatalism, attitude towards indigenous agricultural practices and extension contact were found to be the important variables in influencing the extent of adoption of IAPs to the tune of 66.69 per cent. Of these four variables, age, fatalism and attitude towards indigenous agricultural practices were found to influence positively and the extension contact negatively influenced the extent of adoption of indigenous agricultural practices.
Problems expressed by the farmers were the preference for sophistication with much reliance on readymade inputs/products followed by farmers are not willing to take risk, IAPs requires more time for their adoption and lower economic status of the farmers and hence cannot wait for long term benefits.
Suggestions elicited by the farmers were to make available necessary inputs and clear cut methods of implementation of IAP practices followed by to make IAP practices compatible with modern technologies to arrive at optimal solutions and to highlight the values and advantages of IAP practices and give propaganda for the same especially at fairs and gatherings.
Strategy was developed for promotion of indigenous agricultural practices by blending with modern technologies. Blending of indigenous knowledge with modern scientific technologies is the need of the day to support sustainable development of agriculture and allied sector in our country. A consortium of sustainable technology development is to bring policy makers, administrators, farmers, researchers, extensionists and NGO representatives together in order to classify the identified problems and IAPs and blend the IAPs with modern technologies to solve the local problems for development of agriculture. The various institutions in our country has mentioned in the strategy play a major role in identification, collection, documentation and preservation, validation, up scaling and out scaling of the IAPs and giving acknowledgement to the knowledge generated in local system.
Description
D5671
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