Knowledge of the farmers of Kheda district in Gujarat about improved cultivation practices of kharif rice crop

Rice is the most important and extensively grown food crop in India. It is the staple food crop for more than half of the world. Rice is grown on about 44 per cent of the total area under cereal crops and contributes about 45 per cent of the total cereal production in India. In Gujarat state, district Kheda is ranked first in area and production with 0.095 million ha and 0.23 million ton production. The present study was undertaken in Matar Taluka of Kheda district with the specific objectives of studying the socio-personal characteristics and knowledge level of rice growers about the improved cultivation practices of the crop and find out the knowledge gap. Majority of the respondents had medium level of knowledge about improved cultivation practices of rice. About 64 per cent of the respondents had medium, whereas, 24 per cent had low level of knowledge about improved cultivation practices. Majority of the respondents knew the practices viz suitable soil type, land preparation, improved varieties, seed rate, area of nursery needed for one ha of selected cultivation and age of nursery plants appropriate for transplanting. The practices viz latest varieties recommended by researchers, recommended doses of fertilizers in nursery, disease control methods in nursery, application for seed treatment, seed treatment by bio-fertilizers, application of nitrogenous fertilizers, chemical weed control, knowledge about the beneficial insects in rice crop were least known to the rice growers.