KNOWLEDGE LEVEL OF FARMERS ABOUT RECOMMENDED PRACTICES OF AROMATIC RICE CULTIVATION: A STUDY OF ALIGARH DISTRICT OF UTTAR PRADESH

NETRAPAL MALIK¹*, P.K. RATHI^2
1Scientist-Agricultural Extension, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Mohanpura, 207401, CSA University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur, 208002, Uttar Pradesh, India
²Associate Director Extension, Directorate of Extension, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur, 208002, Uttar Pradesh, India
* Corresponding Author : netrapalmalik1@gmail.com

Received : 30-03-2020     Accepted : 13-04-2020     Published : 15-04-2020
Volume : 12     Issue : 7       Pages : 9668 - 9671
Int J Agr Sci 12.7 (2020):9668-9671

Keywords : Sources of agricultural information, Participation of farmers in extension activities, Farmers profile of district Aligarh
Academic Editor : Dr P K Bhanja, M K Singh, Dr A. S. Jeena, Dr A D Kalola, P. T. Patel, S. M. Zofair, Ajit Kumar Singh
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Authors are thankful to the Director Extension, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur, 208002, Uttar Pradesh, India and Krishi Vigyan Kendra Chherat, Aligarh, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur, 208002, Uttar Pradesh, India
Author Contribution : All authors equally contributed

The study was conducted to assess the knowledge level of farmers about recommended practices of aromatic rice cultivation in kharif season. Sample size of the study comprised 180 farmers of district Aligarh of Uttar Pradesh, growing aromatic rice. Majority of the aromatic rice growing farmers were having medium family size (5-8 members), educated up to high school and intermediate, and possessing land up to four acres with electricity operated tube-well as major source of irrigation. Fellow farmers, friends/relatives and shopkeepers of agricultural inputs were the most frequently used information sources for agricultural information by the rice growers. Few farmers also participated in the extension activities organized by the different extension service providers in the district. Maximum numbers of farmers were having knowledge about green manuring, suitable varieties, optimum age of seedlings for transplanting, appropriate time of irrigation in nursery, recommended dose of Diammonium phosphate (DAP) in main field, benefits of neem coated urea and summer ploughing. More than half of the rice growers were having knowledge about recommended dose of urea in main field and compost in nursery, water management in nursery and recommended dose of zinc sulphate in both nursery and main field. Near about half of the rice growing farmers were having knowledge about seed rate, soil sampling method, application of urea in main field, and association between infestation of weeds and insect-pest in paddy crop. However, most of the farmers were lacking in knowledge about appropriate area for nursery, nutrient and weed management in nursery, insect and disease management, seed treatment, recommended dose of Muriate of potash (MoP), chemical methods of weed management, micro-nutrients management, critical stages of irrigation, bio-fertilizers and bio-control agents in rice cultivation. Based on the study it can be stated that there is need to enhance the extension activities on cultivation practices of rice, with special emphasis on nursery management, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Integrated Nutrient Management (INM). Agricultural inputs providers must be trained in insect-pest, disease, nutrient and weed management in rice, and motivated to provide right information to the farmers when farmers come to them, because a large number of farmers depends on them for adopting input oriented technological interventions.

1. CRRI (2011) Vision 2030. Central Rice Research Institute. Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Cuttack (Odisha), India, 1.
2. Singh M.K. and Prasad S.K. (2014) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B, Biological Sciences, 84(3),613-623.
3. Directorate of Economics and Statistics (2018) Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Agricultural Statistics at a Glance 2017.
4. Singh S.P., Singh M.K., Kumar S. and Sravan U.S. (2019) In, Hasanuzzaman M. (ed.), Agronomic Crops, Vol 1, Production Technologies, Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd., 175-198.
5. NCML (2019) Basmati Survey Report Kharif 2019 Vol ,1 Submitted to Basmati Export Development Foundation, APEDA, New Delhi, 4.
6. Pradhan S.K., Khan M.A. and Sharma M.L. (2019) International Journal of Agriculture Sciences, 11(23), 9258-9262.
7. Singh R., Hansra B.S. and Chand R. (2013) Journal of Community Mobilization and Sustainable Development, (8)1,24-28.