P. R. SumangalaRajeshwari M. Desai2017-03-062017-03-06http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810004033The present study was conducted during the year 2012-13 to delineate the areas of participation of farm women in organic and conventional farming and to assess their Family Quality Index (FQI). A multistage sampling procedure with purposive sampling technique was adopted to select the sample. Fifty each organic and conventional farm women from three villages namely Hirehandigol, Ammangi and Kamadhenu were selected from Northern Dry Zone -3, Northern Transitional Zone-8 and Northern Hilly Zone-9 respectively. Thus the total sample of the study was 300. The results revealed that the work burden of the organic farm women in terms of man days with respect to preparatory tillage, seed activities, sowing activities, after care operations and threshing and processing activities was comparatively more than conventional farm women and it was found to be statistically significant also. The shift to organic production had positive impact on the socio economic status of the farming in all the agro-climatic zones. The scores of variable components of FQI revealed that the organic farming families were slightly better in all the aspects viz., socio economic status, expenditure pattern, savings and investment, family health status, participation level and decision making. Hence, the FQI of organic farming families was significantly superior when compared to conventional farming families in all the three zones. Lack of encouragement, non availability of certified seeds, less rains, time consuming certification procedure, lack of proper storage facilities and lack of consumer awareness regarding organic markets were the major problems of organic farm women. Based on the felt needs of the organic farm women, training programmes on rain water harvesting, integrated farming system and bio fertilizers and bio pesticides utilization, marketing strategies and linkages, value addition to organic produces and scientific and organic methods of preservation of organic produces were suggested.enThesis