AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATION CENTRE

www.arccjournals.com / indianjournals.comAgric. Sci. Digest., 33 (4) : 294 - 298, 2013

DOI- 10.5958/j.0976-0547.33.4.028

IMPACT OF TRAINING ON KNOWLEDGE AND ADOPTION OFSERICULTURISTS IN KOLAR DISTRICT OF INDIA

G. Srinivasa, Mukesh Gope* , A. Manjula and J. Somireddy

National Silkworm Seed organization,Bangalore- 560 001, India

Received: 07-08-2012 Accepted: 02-05-2013

ABSTRACTThe knowledge and adoption of mulberry sericulture technologies by the farmers was studied in

Kolar district of Karnataka. The primary data were collected from the selected sample of 80 trainedsericulturists with a structured schedule by using personal interview method before and after thetraining. The study suggests that the adoption of technology could be increased by motivation andconducting extension programmes such as Group discussion and Result demonstration. In additionstudy tours, refresher training programmes and confidence building steps would result in greatertechnology know how and adoption, this will have a positive spread effect in the study area.

Key words: Knowledge, Adoption, Transfer of technology, Spread effect.

*Department of Sericulture, Jharkhand State, India

INTRODUCTIONThe world production of raw silk currently

stands at 152868 (2012) metric tonnes of which,India’s share is about 23679 metric tonnes. Mulberrysilk production is practiced in 74128 hectares inKarnataka. Karnataka’a production of 8219 metrictonnes of raw silk during 2012-13 accounted for34.71 per cent of the country’s total raw silkproduction (Anonymous 2008, 2009, 2010).

Sericulture has made a clear impact on thefarmers of southern states especially Karnataka,Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in the last twodecades. Further, efforts are made to develop theindustry in non-traditional areas like northeasternstates, to improve the economic status of the farmers.In spite of efforts made by Central Silk Board, thestate department of sericulture and the Non-government organizations, the practice of bivoltinesericulture is not picking up in India in general andKarnataka in particular. Various studies conductedin this direction indicated that the socio-economiccharacteristics of farmers play an important role inadopting bivoltine sericulture than any other things.Hence, the present study was taken up with anobjective of understanding the knowledge andadoption bivoltine cocoon production by the farmersin Karnataka.

MATERIALS AND METHODSThe study was conducted in Karnataka state.

Kolar district was purposively selected for the study asit represents the district with high proportion of areaunder mulberry. Shiddlaghatta, Chintamani(both inChikkaballapur district presently) and Srinivasapurataluks and from each taluk, three villages wereidentif ied based on the number of trainedsericuturists. Thirty trained farmers each fromShiddlaghatta and Chintamani and 20 farmers fromSrinivasapura taluk were selected for the purpose ofcollecting data. Thus, a total of 80 trainedsericulturists form the sample of the study. Theprimary data were collected from the selectedfarmers on their personal and socio-economiccharacters, knowledge and adoption of sericulturalpractices, etc. with the help of a structured scheduleby using personal interview method both before andafter the training. The data were scored, tabulatedand analysed by using percentages, the impact wasstudied technology wise by using the formula:

RESULTS AND DICSUSSIONImpact of training on level of knowledge ofsericulturists in Kolar district: It revealed that theknowledge level (Table-1) about the importance of

Score obtained after training - Score obtained before training X 100

Number of respondents

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sericulture practices improved among farmers dueto training. The knowledge level was found to be54.84% in case of incubation and loose egg brushingfollowed by disinfection (35.48%), mounting care(32.26%), bed cleaning (32.26%) and uzi control(32.26%) and cocoon harvesting (32.26%). Theimpact of training on the level of knowledge ofdifferent Sericultural technologies was studied. Thestudy revealed that, there was a considerable changein the level of knowledge due to the exposure totraining in sericulture.

In Sidlaghatta taluk, the improvement inknowledge level was seen with respect totechnologies like uzi control (67.74%), followed byrearing space per 100 dfls (32.26%), FYM andfertiliser (25.81%), cocoon harvesting methods(19.35%), leaf size for different instars (19.35%),plant protection (12.90%), nursery bed size (12.90%)and weedicide (6.45%). However there was nochange in other important technologies indicted inthe study.

In Chintamani taluk the training impact wasseen in technologies like uzi control (90.00%), FYMquantity (46.67%), fertiliser (36.67%), rearing house(36.67%), nursery bed size (33.33%), pruning(30.00%), cocoon harvesting methods (26.67%),leaf size for different stages (16.67%), mounting(13.35%), planting material selection (6.67%),weedicide (6.67%) and growth regulator (3.33%).

The impact was seen in Srinivasapura talukon the knowledge level of technologies such asmulberry variety (55.00%), nursery bed size(50.00%), plant protection (40.00%), pruning(40.00%), shoot rearing (40.00%), loose egg brushing(30.00%), paired row (15.00%), cocoon harvestingmethods (10.00%) and planting material selection(50.00%).

The pooled analysis revealed that theknowledge level was increased after training in thetechnologies viz., FYM quantity (44.44%), Uzicontrol (38.27%), plant protection (35.80%),mulberry variety (30.86%), nursery bed size(29.63%), rearing bed size (25.93%), pruning(16.05%), fertiliser (24.69%), incubation (14.81%),disinfection (13.58%) and leaf size for differentstages (13.58%). However there was no change inthe level of Knowledge of technologies like bed

disinfectant, wrap up method, temperature andrelative humidity at Chawki, usage of growthregulator, Srinivasa et.al., (2005) reported that thefactors that contributed significantly for adoptionwere irrigated land, social participation, extensioncontact and cosmopoliteness.

Impact of training on level adoption (full) ofsericulturist in Kolar district: The impact of trainingon the level of adoption of different sericulturaltechnologies was studied. The impact of exposureto training was studied prior to training and afterthe training. The study revealed that, there was aconsiderable change 1in the level of adoption dueto training in sericulture. The technology wise impactof training on adoption showed that, there was asignificant improvement in technology adoption afterthe training.

In Sidlaghatta taluk, (Table 2), thetechnologies which were adopted after impartingtraining included disinfection (19.35%), leaf size fordifferent stages (19.35%), cocoon harvestingmethods (16.13%), uzi control (16.13%), shootrearing (16.13%), biofertiliser (9.68%), paired row(9.68%), mounting (6.45%), mulberry variety(3.23%) and weedicide (3.23%), Geetha et. al.,(2003) written that, there exists a gap betweenknowledge and adoption for all technologies exceptin the case of disinfection. Social and economicimpact of bivoltine rearing (CSR hybrid) was clearlynoticed in the study area.

In Chintamani Taluk the technologies whichwere found adopted after imparting training includedmulberry variety (36.67%), FYM quantity (30.00%),nursery bed size (23.33%), plant protection(23.33%), pruning (16.67%), paired row (13.33%),growth regulator (6.67%), uzi control (3.33%),rearing space (3.33%), cocoon harvesting methods(3.33%), mulberry variety (36.67%), paired row(13.33%), nursery bed size (23.33%), plantprotection (23.33%), leaf size for different stages(13.33%), pruning (16.67%), fertiliser application(13.33%), paired row (13.33%) and plantingmaterial selection (3.33%).

In Srinivasapura taluk the technologies,which were adopted after the training included Uzicontrol (80.00%), rearing space (70.00%), cocoonharvesting methods (60.00%), mulberry variety

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(50.00%), paired row (15.00%), nursery bed size(35.00%), plant protection (35.00%), leaf size fordifferent instars (35.00%), pruning (25.00%),fertiliser application (20.00%), paired row (15.00%)and planting material selection (5.00%), Chikkanna,et.al., (1995) also reported similar results in theirstudy.

POLICY IMPLICATIONSThe usage of resources has increased

yielding more additional output for every additionalunit used in case of trained farmers. Hence thejudicious usage of these inputs has to be encouragedthrough the efforts of extension. The adoption rateat farmers level could be increased by motivating

farmers in group discussions, training programmesand by planning more and more resultdemonstrations at village level. In addition arrangingfiled study tours and training at grass roots willstimulate and build confidence in the farmers, whichwould result in faster technology adoption,Munikrishnappa, et.al., (1999), who reported thatlack of awareness and non-availabil i ty oftechnological inputs were listed as the majorconstraints for technology adoption. Hence, thesocio-economic characters may be considered apartfrom many other technical requirements beforeintroducing a new practice or technology in seedareas.

REFERENCESAnonymous (2011-2012) Annual Reports-Central Silk Board, Banglore.Chikkanna, D.M. Anjaneya gowda, N.R. Singhvi, G. Srinivasa, M.N.S. Iyengar and R.K. Datta (1995) Study on

adoption behaviour of sericulturists and their characteristics in Kolar district of Karnataka. Indian J. Seric,35:10-14.

Geetha, G.S., Srinivasa, G and N.B. Vijayaprakash (2003) Importance of characters of farmers in adopting andsustaining bivoltine race (CSR) – A case study, National Seminar on Sustainable Sericulture, 1-2nd February,Sugarcane Research Institute, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Munikrishnappa H.M., K. Jagadisha and G. Srinivasa (1999), A study on knowledge and adoption of improved rearingpractices by sericulturists in Mysore District. National seminar on tropical sericulture. Univ. Agril. Sciences,Bangalore, Dec 28-30th

Srinivasa, G, Chengappa, P.G, Keshava Reddy, Lalith Achoth and Nagaraja, G.N (2005) Socio-economic determinantsof Technology adoption in sericulture – An analysis. Indian J Agric Econ. 60, 264-270.

Web site International Sericultural Commission.