Dharminder SinghJagmit Singh2017-08-212017-08-212017http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810029162The present study was conducted to analyze the socio-economic impact of Bt cotton cultivation among the farmers of Punjab. A total sample of 150 farmers was selected from three major cotton growing districts of Punjab. Data were collected with the help of structured interview schedule. It was found that most of the respondents were falling under the age group of 43 to 56 years and were matriculates and belonged to nuclear families. Nearly half of the respondents possessed the medium size of operational land holding. The majority of the respondents had medium level of innovativeness and scientific orientation. Study revealed that all the respondents had grown double gene Bt cotton hybrids i.e. BG-II after purchasing the seed from private seed shops. It was found that 76.00 per cent of the farmers had sown Bt cotton seeds at recommended time and about 80.00 per cent of the area under Bt cotton was covered by non-recommended hybrids. The average productivity was decreased from 23.00 q/ha in the year 2004 to 19.98 q/ha during the year 2014 and further to 8.32 q/ha in the year 2015. The advent of Bt cotton technology significantly reduced the insecticide usage by the respondents on cotton crop and the average numbers of insecticide sprays were reduced significantly from 13.07 in the year 2004 to 6.20 in the year 2014. However, it was slightly increased to 8.91 in the year 2015 due to widespread attack of whitefly in the entire north zone. The number of insecticide sprays for bollworm significantly decreased from 8.50 in the year 2004 to 0.84 in the year 2014. The net income from Bt cotton crop was increased significantly from Rs. 19,396 per hectare in the year 2004 to Rs. 53,680 in the year 2014, which however decreased to a greater extent in the year 2015 due to whitefly outbreak. The cost on the variables like fertilizers, irrigation, hoeing and harvesting was found to be significant in affecting the total production of the Bt cotton. Also education, land holding and gross annual income of the respondents had a significant impact on the number of insecticide sprays. The major constraints faced by the respondents were price fluctuations (96.67%), lower MSP (94.67%), ineffectiveness of pesticides (94.67%) and substandard quality of pesticides (87.33%). The major suggestions given by the respondents were to develop better resistant Bt varieties and to keep check on seeds and pesticides along with fixed market selling prices.ennullThesis