Constraints faced by the paddy growers in adoption of plant protection measures

Introduction

Paddy (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important cereal crops and plays a central role in food security and rural livelihoods (Kumar et al., 2020) [5] . In Maharashtra, paddy cultivation is particularly important in eastern Vidarbha, including Gadchiroli district. The district is characterized by predominantly rainfed agriculture and paddy cultivation forms an important component of the local farming system. Paddy production is affected by several insect pests and diseases. Important insect pests include stem borer, leaf folder, plant hopper, gall midge and armyworm, while important diseases include blast, neck blast, sheath blight, false smut, rice bunt and sheath rot (Savary et al., 2019) [9] . Effective plant protection is therefore essential for maintaining crop yield and maintaining the economic returns obtained from other agricultural inputs. However, the availability of a recommendation does not necessarily ensure its adoption. Farmers may possess knowledge about pests and diseases but may not implement recommended measures because of economic, technical, informational and institutional constraints (Rahman, 2012; Sharma, 2019) [7,10] . However, a gap may exist between farmers' awareness of recommended plant protection measures and their actual adoption in the field. Earlier research has also indicated that education, farm characteristics, information sources, training and other socio-economic factors can influence the adoption of agricultural technologies. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to assess the profile of paddy growers and their constraints in adoption of recommended plant protection measures.

Objectives

1. To study the profile of paddy growers 2. To study the constraints faced by paddy growers in adoption of recommended plant protection measures.

Methodology

An exploratory research design of social research was used for the present investigation. The study was conducted in Gadchiroli district of the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. Gadchiroli, Desaiganj and Armori talukas were purposively selected. Four villages from each selected taluka were selected based on their higher area under paddy cultivation, resulting in 12 selected villages. Ten paddy growers were selected from each selected village. Thus, 120 paddy growers constituted the final sample. Data were collected through personal interviews at the respondents' homes, fields and workplaces using a pre-tested structured interview schedule. www.extensionjournal.com

Results and Discussion

Profile of paddy growers

The major profile characteristics of paddy growers are presented in Table 1. 2013) [1] , Ghimire and Kafle (2014) [3] The largest proportion of respondents (38.33%) had completed secondary school, followed by 27.50 per cent with higher secondary education and 12.50 per cent with collegelevel education. Only 1.67 per cent were illiterate. The educational profile indicates that most respondents had at least basic formal education the present finding is in accordance with the findings of Sharma (2019) [10] . Small farmers having 1.01-2.00 ha constituted the largest group (47.50%), followed by semi-medium farmers (31.67%) and marginal farmers (20.83%). 37.50 per cent were engaged in agriculture along with labour work, while 33.33 per cent were engaged exclusively in farming. This reflects the importance of agriculture and agricultural labour as major livelihood activities. The present finding is in accordance with the findings of Sharma (2019) [10] The largest proportion of respondents (44.17%) belonged to the medium annualincome group of ₹2,00,001-₹4,00,000. Nearly half of respondents (47.50 per cent) cultivated paddy on 1.01-2.00 ha. More than half of the respondents (54.17%) had more than 20 years of experience in paddy cultivation, with a mean experience of 25.47 years. Medium income from paddy cultivation (₹50,001-₹1,00,000) was reported by 45.00 per cent of respondents, with a mean income of ₹81,240. A very high proportion (93.33%) had access to agricultural credit. These findings indicate that the sample consisted largely of experienced farmers cultivating paddy on relatively small holdings.

Nearly half of the respondents (49.17%) had a medium level of source of information, followed by 42.50 per cent with a low level and 8.33 per cent with a high level of source of information. A major gap was observed in formal training: only 8.33 per cent had received training, whereas 91.67 per cent had not received training. Adequate for 80.00 per cent and inadequate for 20.00 per cet of respondents. These characteristics are important for understanding the constraints reported by the farmers. A high favourable attitude towards plant protection was observed among 62.50 per cent of respondents, while 31.67 per cent had moderately favourable attitude. The majority (45.83%) had medium knowledge about recommended plant protection measures, followed by 37.50 per cent with high knowledge and 16.67 per cent with low knowledge. The mean knowledge index was 61.81. Knowledge was relatively better regarding commonly recognized pests and diseases, whereas knowledge of their symptoms and specific management practices was comparatively lower.

Constraints faced by paddy growers in adoption of recommended plant protection measures

The constraints faced by paddy growers in adoption of recommended plant protection measures are presented in Table 2.

Conclusion

The study showed that paddy growers in the selected area of Gadchiroli were predominantly middle-aged or older, with secondary-level education, small land holdings and substantial experience in paddy cultivation. A considerable proportion depended on agriculture and agricultural labour for their livelihood and most respondents had access to agricultural credit. However, access to formal training was very limited, with only 8.33 per cent of respondents reporting training.

The major constraints in adoption of recommended plant protection measures were high cost of pesticides and spraying equipment and inadequate training, difficulty in early identification of pests and diseases, lack of timely technical guidance and lack of technical knowledge. Therefore, improving in adoption requires an integrated extension approach that combines practical training, village-level