GOPI KRISHNA, TRAGHAVENDRA REDDY, M2018-05-072018-05-072016http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810044735D5255Blackgram is scientifically known as Phasiolus mungo and it is commonly known as Urad in India. India is its primary origin and is mainly cultivated in Asian countries including Pakistan, Myanmar and parts of Southern Asia. About 70% of world's blackgram production comes from India. In India, blackgram is grown in 31 lakh hectares with production of 14 lakh tonnes with productivity of 451 kg per hectare. In Andhra Pradesh, blackgram is grown in an area of 3.7 M ha with a production of 3.9 M t with productivity of 968 kg per hectare. An ex-post facto research design was followed .The study was conducted in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh state during the year, 2015-16. Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh was selected, out of 57 mandals, three mandals were selected purposively and four villages were selected from each mandal for the study. Respondents were selected from each village by following proportionate random sampling method. Thus, 120 farmers constituted as sample for the study. Data were collected by pre-tested schedule followed by personal interview method. For the purpose of statistical analysis of the coded data, appropriate statistical tools were used viz., frequency and percentages, correlation analysis, multiple linear regression analysis and ranking. The detailed analysis of profile characteristics of blackgram growers indicated that majority of the growers were old aged (40.00%), one fourth with primary school (23.33%), having small land holdings (38.33%), medium farming experience (61.66%), medium extension contact (46.66%), high social participation (38.33%), medium level of mass media exposure (45.00%), medium level of economic motivation (59.16%), medium level of innovativeness (43.33%), medium level of scientific orientation (62.50%), medium level of risk orientation ( 59.16%), medium level of market orientation ( 67.50%), medium level of annual income (52.50%), and majority of them (57.50%) with zero trainings. The detailed analysis of dependent variables indicated that majority of the blackgram growers (65.00%) had medium level of knowledge followed by high (19.16%) and low (15.83%) level of knowledge. About 65.00 per cent of blackgram growers had medium level of adoption followed by those having low (17.50%) and high (17.50%) adoption levels. The study revealed that blackgram growers had knowledge on the selected production technology in following aspects viz., recommended method of sowing as broadcasting , recommended time of sowing in the month of November –December , sowing shall be taken up 3-4 days prior to harvest of paddy , variety which is resistant to yellow mosaic , recommended chemical used for seed treatment against seed borne diseases ,duration of rabi blackgram varities grown ranges from , 1-2 irrigations should be given when there are no rains , weeds are dominant problem in rice fallow blackgram. In case of extent of adoption, that the blackgram growers had fully adopted the selected production technology in the following order viz., The method of sowing is broadcasting, sowing of seed in the months of November- December, drying of harvested crop on threshing floor and later going for threshing by trampling with help of tractors, harvesting of crop is done when most of the pods turn black, following drying of seed after seed treatment, harvesting of crop after 75-95 days after sowing, growing of blackgram in well drained loam soils, sparying of weedicide after 20-25 days after sowing,Sowing of seed prior to 2-3 days of harvest of Paddy. Out of fourteen selected profile characteristics, nine of them viz., extension contact, social participation, mass media exposure, economic motivation, innovativeness, scientific orientation, risk orientation, market orientation, annual income, showed significant relation with level of knowledge of blackgram growers.But age, education, farm size, farming experience, training received did not show any significant relationship with their level of knowledge. The multiple linear regression analysis (MLR) indicated that all the fourteen selected profile characteristics put together explained 86.66 per cent of variance in the level of knowledge selected production technology, remaining 13.34 percent is due to the extraneous effect of variables. Out of fourteen selected profile characteristics namely education, innovativeness, scientific orientation, market orientation, risk orientation, mass media exposure and extension contact showed significant relation with extent of adoption of selected production technology of Rice fallow Blackgram. But age, education, farm size, farming experience, training received did not show any significant relationship with extent of adoption. The MLR indicated that all the fourteen selected profile characteristics put together contributed 69.07 percent to the total variance in the extent of adoption; remaining 30.03 percent due to the extraneous effect of variables. The most important constraints encountered by the blackgram growers were, inadequate quantity of seed availability from government agencies, inadequate technical knowledge on usage of foliar sprays, inadequate information on crical stages of irrigation, inadequate availability of sprayers, exploitation by middle men, inadequate financial assistance from the government , non-availability of labour in time, inadequate storage facility, and inadequate technical guidance through training programmes about cultivation practices. Suggestions made by the blackgram growers to overcome the constraints were, financial assistance from the government at the time of crop losses, timely technical guidance to the farmers, provision of plant protection equipment on subsidy, provision of good marketing facilities, provision of timely credit facility at lower interest, providing support price to blackgram, evolving suitable varieties with YMV and drought resistance, supply of seed adequately and on timely basis. through government agencies.en-USnullThesis