Profile and knowledge of cotton growers about pheromone trap

Introduction

Cotton is an important commercial crop that provides livelihood and income to a large number of farming households, but its production is frequently constrained by heavy insect pest pressure. The term pheromone was first coined by Karlson and Lüscher (1959) [17] following the identification of bombykol, the sex pheromone of the silkworm moth, and hundreds of insect pheromones have since been identified and characterised (Cardé & Minks, 1997) [5] . Sex pheromones, chemical signals released by insects to influence mate-finding behaviour, have been increasingly exploited in pest management because of their species-specificity, biodegradability and effectiveness at very low concentrations. Pheromone traps, which combine a species-specific lure with a suitable trap structure, are used for monitoring pest occurrence, mass trapping and mating disruption (Shorey & McKelvey, 1977) [22] , and can help farmers time their insecticide applications more rationally. Cotton is an important commercial crop that provides livelihood and income to a large number of farming households, but its production is frequently constrained by heavy insect pest pressure. The term pheromone was first coined by Karlson and Lüscher (1959) [17] following the identification of bombykol, the sex pheromone of the silkworm moth, and hundreds of insect pheromones have since been identified and characterised (Cardé & Minks, 1997) [5] . Sex pheromones, chemical signals released by insects to influence mate-finding behaviour, have been increasingly exploited in pest management because of their species-specificity, biodegradability and effectiveness at very low concentrations. Pheromone traps, which combine a species-specific lure with a suitable trap structure, are used for monitoring pest occurrence, mass trapping and mating disruption (Shorey & McKelvey, 1977) [22] , and can help farmers time their insecticide applications more rationally.

Methodology

The study was purposively conducted in Buldhana district of the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, an important cottongrowing district. Shegaon and Sangrampur tahsils were purposively selected on the basis of the area under cotton cultivation, and fourteen villages (seven from each tahsil) with a considerable concentration of cotton growers were further selected. From each village, ten cotton growers were www.extensionjournal.com chosen, five of whom had adopted pheromone traps and five of whom had not, giving a total sample of 140 respondents comprising 70 adopters and 70 non-adopters. Primary data were collected through personal interviews using a pre-tested, structured interview schedule covering the personal, socio-economic and communication characteristics of the respondents, along with their knowledge of pheromone trap. Knowledge was assessed using twenty statements covering the meaning, components, installation, maintenance, operation and utility of pheromone traps in cotton, on a two-point continuum (Yes/No), with a score of 1 assigned for a correct response and 0 for an incorrect response. The knowledge score of each respondent was converted into a knowledge index using the formula:

Actual knowledge score obtained Maximum obtainable knowledge score 𝑋100

Based on the index, respondents were categorised as having low (up to 33.33%), medium (33.34 to 66.66%) or high (above 66.66%) knowledge. Data were analysed using frequency and percentage [15] , Borhude (2016) [4] , Ahire et al. (2018) [1] and Jakkawad et al. (2019) [13] . With respect to education, the largest proportion of both adopters (35.71%) and non-adopters (32.86%) had studied up to the higher secondary level, broadly in line with the education levels reported among cotton growers by Kale et al. (2015) [15] and Ahire et al. (2018) [1] . Semi-medium land holdings of 2 to 4 ha were most common among both adopters (48.57%) and non-adopters (57.14%), similar to the semi-medium land-holding pattern reported by Roy (2017) [21] . Agriculture alone was the principal occupation of the majority of adopters (65.71%) and non-adopters (55.71%), corroborating Gamanagatti and Dodamani (2016) [9] , who likewise found agriculture to be the primary occupation of most cotton growers, and the majority of both groups possessed high farming experience of above 20 years. A comparatively higher proportion of adopters (70.00%) than non-adopters (55.71%) had annual income above Rs. 4,00,000, and adopters also reported somewhat wider extension contact, consistent with Ahire et al. (2018) [1] and Jakkawad et al.

Results and Discussion

Profile of cotton growers

(2019) [13] , who linked higher income and extension contact to greater adoption of recommended IPM practices. Overall, the two groups were broadly similar with respect to age, education, occupation and farming experience, but adopters held a slight edge in land holding, income and extension contact. All adopter cotton growers (100.00%) correctly knew the basic meaning of a pheromone trap, followed by knowledge of its main advantage (85.71%), major cotton pests for which traps are available (78.57%) and the purpose of regularly checking the trap (74.29%). Knowledge was comparatively lower among adopters for lure type (12.86%), types of traps (15.71%) and lure-replacement periodicity (30.00%). Among non-adopters, knowledge was largely confined to the general meaning (88.57%) and main advantage (80.00%), while knowledge of nearly all technical aspects was negligible or absent, a pattern similar to that reported by Ahire et al. (2018) [1] and Jakkawad et al. (2019) [13] , who also found general awareness of IPM technologies to be considerably higher than technical knowledge among cotton growers. The majority of adopter cotton growers (51.43%) had medium knowledge, followed by high (32.86%) and low (15.71%). In contrast, the majority of non-adopters (71.43%) had low knowledge, followed by medium (28.57%), while none had high knowledgeconsistent with earlier findings of Borhude (2016) [4] and Kapse et al. (2018) [16] on mediumlevel knowledge predominating among cotton growers.

Knowledge of cotton growers about pheromone trap

Conclusion

Cotton growers in the study area were predominantly middleaged, educated up to higher secondary level, holders of semimedium land, primarily dependent on agriculture, and experienced farmers, with adopters of pheromone traps showing a marginal advantage in land holding, income and extension contact over non-adopters. While general awareness of pheromone traps was fairly widespread, indepth technical knowledge relating to lures, trap spacing, installation timing and maintenance was limited, particularly among non-adopters, more than two-thirds of whom fell in the low knowledge category. Strengthening farmers'

Acknowledgement

www.extensionjournal.com technical knowledge through focused extension education is essential for wider and more effective adoption of pheromone trap in cotton.

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