Knowledge and adoption level of potato production technology among the farmers of Sabarkantha district

Abstract

The study was purposively conducted in the Dhansura and Bayad taluka of Banaskantha district of the Gujarat state. For selection of 6 villages and 120 respondents, multistage sampling technique was employed. A majority (61.67%) of the potato growers had medium level of knowledge regarding recommended practices of potato. Sowing time and method, irrigation management, land preparation, earthing up, recommended variety, harvesting, spacing, seed rate and basal application of chemical fertilizers were the practices in which potato growers had higher knowledge. While in case of adoption, majority (70.83 per cent) of the potato growers had medium extent of adoption of recommended production technology of potato. The important practices having higher adoption were: irrigation management (86.57 mean score), earthing up (85.23 mean score), spacing (81.19 mean score), sowing time and method (80.17 mean score), recommended variety (76.15 mean score), harvesting (75 51 mean score), seed rate (75.17 mean score), basal fertilizers (73.15 mean score) and seed treatment (72.27mean score). The independent variables viz., age, education, annual income, extension participation, method of irrigation, innovative proneness, risk orientation and level of knowledge were found having positive and significant association with adoption of recommended potato production technology by potato growers.