Exploring the Knowledge and Adoption Level of Banana Growers in Improved Banana Cultivation Practices

Abstract

The present study aimed to assess the knowledge and adoption level of banana growers in recommended banana cultivation practices in Tiruchirappalli district. Lalgudi, Anthanallur, Thottiyam, Manikandam blocks were purposively selected on the basis of maximum area under Banana cultivation. A sample size of 120 banana farmers was fixed for conducting this study. The data collection was done with the use of a well structured and pre tested interview schedule covering all the aspects of knowledge and adoption of recommended banana cultivation practices. The knowledge level of the respondents with recommended banana cultivation technologies was measured by designing exclusively the knowledge test and the adoption level was measured by developing the adoption index. The result revealed that majority of the respondents had medium to high level of knowledge (84.17%) and adoption (83.33%) on recommended banana cultivation technologies. About 16.67 per cent of the respondents had lower level of adoption. Hundred percent of the respondents having knowledge on Ploughing, propping and desuckering and adopting the same in banana cultivation. Around thirty percentage of the respondents only having knowledge on the technologies of precooling (16.67%), high density planting (18.33%), perianth removal (27.50%) and paired row system (29.17%) and they are not adopting these technologies in banana cultivation. More number of training and other extension programmes may be organized by the extension agencies to improve the knowledge and adoption level of banana growers on all the recommended banana cultivation practices for economic gain.