Belli, R.B.Vinayak2022-02-072022-02-072017-12https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810181801The present study was undertaken in the Department of Agricultural Extension Education, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad covering Vijayapura and Bagalkot districts of North Karnataka during 2016-17. The ex-post facto research design was used. Major proportion of farmers belonged to middle age group (46.66 %), while, illiterates were 26.66 per cent. Majority (85.00 %) of the respondents had nuclear family and small land holders category occupied the highest percentage (60.83 %). It depicted that majority of farmers (58.33 %) belonged to medium annual income. Majority (65.83 %) of farmers possessed one to two cattle. It revealed that 41.67 per cent of respondents belonged to medium extension contact category, 56.66 per cent respondents belonged to medium organizational participation and 45.00 per cent of them belonged to medium mass media participation. More than half of the respondents (55.55 %) were growing redgram in kharif season and in rabi, majority of respondents (80.00 %) were growing sorghum. Whereas in summer, 33.33 per cent respondents were growing groundnut as their major crop. High majority of farmers possessed knowledge about vermi-compost (85.83 %), application of organic manure (83.33 %) and advantages of organic farming (66.66 %). Overall 81.67 per cent of respondents were empowered through organic farming. 32.83 per cent of farmers gained self confidence through organic farming. Social empowerment through organic farming revealed that 66.67 per cent farmers were aware about new schemes which help organic farmers. 69.33 per cent of farmers were empowered economically through organic farming activity. Majority of the organic farmers sell their produce in co-operative society (78.33%) followed by regulated market (28.33 %). Cent per cent of them sold their produce through organic mela, grain fairs and raitha santhe. It showed that majority of organic farmers faced constraints in controlling pests and diseases organically (87.50 %) and lack of marketing facilities for organic produce (80.83 %).EnglishThesis