Integrated pest management (ipm) practices in tomato - A study on its adoption and impact in Kandhamal district of Odisha

Tomato is an important crop in India, which is being consumed widely in different forms. India is the second largest tomato producer in the world with 11 percent of global production. Pest and disease attack causes severe loss to the crop, putting farmers in distress. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices are getting relevance as an integrated approach which combines biological, cultural, and other alternatives to chemical control with the judicious use of pesticides. It is a promising technology as it keeps pest population below the economically damaging levels without making any harm to the environment. Present study tries to analyze the extent of adoption of IPM practices in Kandhamal district of Odisha, the relevant factors which influence IPM adoption, and the economic impact of adoption of IPM practices. The study found that IPM adopters were getting higher returns and are incurring lower cost of production compared to non-adopters. Requirements of labours, fertilizers, plant protection chemicals were found to be lower for IPM adopters. Adoption rate was showing sharp increase over years. Factors like income from the crop, farm size, etc. are important factors favoring adoption of IPM. The study stressed upon the need for intervention to create awareness and to disseminate information so as to speed up the rate of adoption.