BY SERICULTURISTS IN BORDER AREA OF KASHMIR ... Division of Sericulture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of.
Int. J. Agricult. Stat. Sci., Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 197-201, 2010
ISSN : 0973-1903
ADOPTION OF IMPROVED SERICULTURAL PRACTICES BY SERICULTURISTS IN BORDER AREA OF KASHMIR S. Farhat Iqbal Qadri*, M. A. Malik, Awquib Sabhat and Firdose Ahmad Malik Division of Sericulture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Mirgund - Post Box No. 674, GPO Srinagar – 190 001, India.
Abstract The present study was undertaken among the sericulturists of Kashmir, India on the level of adoption of improved sericultural techniques and the reasons for non-adoption. Seven villages in foot hills of district Baramulla of Jammu and Kashmir state were adopted for the present study with an objective to find out the level of adoption and constraints of recommended sericultural practices. It was found that the adoption level of the improved package of practices of mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing were at very low rate. The major constraints were lack of awareness followed by traditional practices. Expensive and cumbersome technologies, lack of awareness, and non-availability of technology were attributed as the major reasons for non-adoption. Creating awareness and interest among farmers about latest technologies and development of farmer-friendly and cost-effective technologies are needed. Hence, it has been suggested that intensified extension efforts would bear fruitful results in popularizing the improved sericulture practices. Key words : Adoption level, Improved package of practices, Non adoption, Sericulture.
1. Introduction Sericulture is an eco-friendly agro-based labour intensive rural cottage industry providing subsidiary employment and supplementing the income of rural farmers especially the economically weaker section of the society. The industrial production of raw silk and fabric employs a large number of semi literate and semi skilled poor workers throughout the year. Thus, a large portion of the cost incurred in the conversion of soil to silk reaches poor workers involved in the value addition at each stage like cocoon production, silk reeling, fabric production, dying and printing. Sericulture industry is therefore, discretely helping in building an egalitarian society in highly populous countries like India and China. Sericulture plays an important role in transformation of rural economy as it assures regular employment and periodic returns round the year [Lakshmannan et al. (1998)]. Sericulture has also an important place in the economy of Jammu & Kashmir as more than 23,000 families are generating their employment through this vocation. Jammu and Kashmir state is basically an agrarian economy. Agriculture occupies predominant position in terms of dependence for livelihood and employment. Though, we have a salubrious climate, *Author for correspondence.
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a predominately agriculture economy, a dense population giving us ample man-power which are willing and able to work it economically, socio religious traditions favouring the use of silk fabrics and a growing domestic and export market, but like other cottage industries sericulture too has been languishing. With large number of our village population deriving the greater part of their income from sericulture in hilly and far flung areas and not having other identified areas like horticulture sector to absorb and employ huge chunk of population in the state, faster growth in sericulture is necessary to provide boost to their incomes. Rising income in sericulture will help redress the rural-urban imbalance. Therefore, a new approach in sericulture is necessary in view of the fact that as an important activity allied to agriculture, it can strengthen the productivity based on agriculture economy in such areas where other activities to provide livelihood are minimal. Sustenance of any technology depends on the knowledge and adoption level of the technology by the farmers which is influenced by many factors. Tough the Government agencies organize many extension programmes and training courses, involvement of the farmers is the basic criteria for popularizing any technology. In spite of availability of many improved techniques in host plant management and as well as silkworm rearing, majority of the silkworm rearers of Kashmir valley are still inclined to follow their traditional practices. Hence, the present study was carried out to assess the extent of adoption of improved sericultural practices by farmers, in order to identify the reasons for non-adoption of recommended sericultural practices and to draw suggestions for improving the rate of adoption at the farmers level.
2. Materials and Methods The study was conducted in seven villages of Narvaw area of district Baramulla of Kashmir, namely Malpora, Dandarpora, Wansern, Numblen, Khal, Kaliban and Kawhar. The villages were selected because of the fact that area is backward, is inhabited by the people belonging to socially backward class and some of the families of the area are agricultural labours, practising sericulture since the beginning. According to revenue records, out of 1296 house holds, most of the farmers had diversified their agriculture to other activities. Ninety respondents were selected randomly from all the seven villages. To collect the responses a survey was conducted in the area in consultation with the officials of the Sericulture Development Department and progressive rearers. A specially designed schedule was used as an instrument of data collection in personnel interview with respondents. The data were tabulated and inferences were drawn on simple percentage basis.
3. Results and Discussion For making the sericulture successes, adoption of recommended sericultural practices is essential. The tabulated data from Table 1 indicates adoption level of mulberry cultivation practices under rain fed condition. The practices like method of leaf harvesting were 100% adopted by all the sample farmers. The practices of time of harvesting of leaf was adopted by (77.7%) followed by plant to plant spacing (38.8%), planting of recommended mulberry
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199
Table 1 : Adoption of improved mulberry cultivation practices. S.No.
Adoption
Technology
Non-adaptation
Number
percentage
Number
Percentage
1.
Variety
20.0
22.2
70.0
77.8
2.
Spacing
35.0
38.9
55.0
61.1
3.
Manure
10.0
11.1
80.0
88.9
4.
Fertilizer (a) Quantity
4.0
4.4
86.0
95.6
(b) Method of application
12.0
13.3
78.0
86.7
(a) Method
90.0
100.0
-
-
(b) Time
70.0
77.8
20.0
22.2
(c) Transportation
15.0
16.7
75.0
96.7
Plant protection
3.0
3.33
87.0
96.7
5.
6.
Leaf harvesting
Table 2 : Adoption of improved silkworm rearing practices. S.No.
Technology
Adoption
Non-adaptation
Number
Percentage
Number
Percentage
1.
Separate rearing house
2.0
2.2
88.0
97.8
2.
Disinfection before rearing
65.0
72.2
25.0
27.8
3.
Chwakie rearing (a) Method of chopping leaves
45.0
50.0
45.0
50.0
(b) Maintenance of temperature and relative humidity
75.0
83.33
15.0
16.66
4.
Bed cleaning
25.0
27.8
65.0
72.2
5.
Use of bed disinfectants
60.0
66.7
30.0
33.3
6.
Preservation of leaf
5.0
5.6
85.0
94.4
7.
Mounting
4.0
4.4
86.0
95.6
varieties (22.2%) transport of leaf (16.6%) and method of application of fertilizers (13.33%). The majority of the farmers did not adopt the practices like recommended plant protection measures (96.6%), fertilizer quantity (95.5%), manure (88.8%), method of application of fertilizers (86.6%), method of leaf transportation (88.3%), and recommended varieties (77.7%). The level o adoption of plant protection measures were very less, even though number of plants in their vicinity were found to be affected by diseases. The successes of cocoon production not only depend on feeding of nutrient mulberry leaves to silkworm but also on the adoption of recommended silkworm rearing practices. Table 2 revealed the level of adoption of different technological innovations in silkworm
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Table 3 : Reason for non-adoption of improved mulberry cultivation practices. S.No.
Technology
Adoption
High cost
Non-adaptation
Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 1.
Variety
48.0
53.3
-
-
-
-
2.
Spacing
15.0
16.7
-
-
85.0
94.4
3.
Manure
43.0
47.8
-
-
-
-
4.
Fertilizer (a) Quantity
62.0
68.9
28
31.1
-
-
(b) Method of application
70.0
77.8
-
-
-
-
(a) Method
70.0
33.3
-
-
-
-
(b) Time
30.0
88.9
-
-
-
-
(c) Transportation
20.0
22.2
-
-
-
-
Plant protection
4.0
4.4
-
-
-
-
5.
6.
Leaf harvesting
Table 4 : Reason for non-adoption of improved silkworm rearing practices. S.No.
Technology
Adoption
High cost
Traditional practices
Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage 1.
Separate rearing room
10
11.1
80.0
88.8
-
-
2.
Disinfection of rearing house
60.0
66.6
-
-
10.0
11.1
3.
Chawkie rearing
43.0
47.7
-
-
-
-
(a) Method of chopped leaf
70.0
77.7
-
-
-
-
(b) Maintenance of temperature and relative humidity
27.0
30.0
63.70
70.0
-
-
4.
Bed cleaning
46.0
51.1
-
-
15.0
16.1
5.
Use of bed disinfectant
45.0
50.0
-
-
-
-
6.
Preservation of leaf
50.0
55.5
-
-
40.0
44.4
7.
Mounting
62.0
68.8
-
-
28.0
31.1
rearing. It could be observed that (83.3%) of sample farmers were maintaining the temperature and relative humidity properly. Next, to this the rearing practices adopted at higher rate were the disinfectant of rearing house/ rooms (72.2%), use of bed disinfectants (66.6%) and leaf chopping method (50.0%). Bed cleaning (27.77%), mounting of ripen worms (4.44%) and separate rearing house (2.22%) were at lower rate. The reason for less/non-adoption of mulberry cultivation practices are presented in Table 3. It could be observed from the present data that the reason for poor rate of adoption
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201
of time of harvesting of leaf, method and quantity of application of fertilizers, recommended variety, manure, attributed lack of knowledge. The quantity of fertilizer application was due to the lack of awareness and high cost. In the case of plant to plant spacing the reason attributed lack of knowledge and adoption of traditional practices. However, with regard to non-adoption of silkworm rearing practices, the highest percentage of non-adoption were the method of chopping of leaf for chawkie rearing (77.7) followed by mounting of worms for spinning (68.8%), use of bed disinfectants (50.0%), bed cleaning (61.1%) and maintenance of temperature and relative humidity (30.0%), respectively. The sample farmers reported that the reason for non-adoption of new technologies were lack of awareness and preference to traditional method of rearing of silkworm (Table 4). However, practices like requirement of separate rearing house and maintenance of temperature and relative humidity were associated with high cost. The study revealed that the improved practices in mulberry cultivation namely method of harvesting of leaf had 100% adopted, followed by time of harvesting. While other improved practices were at very low level. The reason for low level of adoption of these improved practices was highly associated with lack of awareness. It has also been reported that lack of knowledge is the primitive factor for non-adoption of improved package of practices [Shinghivi et al. (1994) and Puttaswamy (1977)]. The silkworm rearing practices like, maintenance of temperature and relative humidity, disinfection had reported higher adoption level. The separate rearing house, mounting of ripen worms for spinning, bed cleaning and method of leaf chopping for chawkie were practised at a low level. The low level of adoption of majority of these recommended packages of practices were lack of knowledge. Therefore, from the above findings, it may be concluded that the overall adoption level of improved package of practices of mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing in the study area were reported to be low. Hence, in order to increase the adoption rate in these areas, the work before the extension personnel is to identify the progressive farmers and train them in the use of new technologies, which will go in a long way to improve the adoption level of new recommended technologies.
References Lakshmanan, S., B. Mallikarjuna, R. Gannapathi Rao, H. Jayaram and R. G. Geetadavi (1998). Studies on adoption of sericultural innovation at farmers level in Tamil Nadu: An empirical analysis. Indian J. Seric., 37(1), 44-47. Puttaswamy, T. (1977). Knowledge, adoption and attitude of small farmers towards mixed farming in Sira and Anekal taluks. M.Sc. (Agriculture) Thesis, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, India. Revenue Record (2004). Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla. Shinghivi, N. R., M. K. Sethu Rao, Y. R. Madhava Rao, M. N. Iyengar and R. K. Datta (1994). Knowledge level and adoption of new sericulture technology by farmers in Hunsur taluk, Mysore District, Karnataka state : An Evaluation. Indian J. Seric., 33(2), 48-55.
