Knowledge of improved cultivation practices of gram among the farmers of Kheda district of Gujarat

Gram is a versatile crop that is grown in almost every part of the globe today. It is the most largely produced pulse crop in India accounting to a share of 40 per cent of the total pulse crops produced that makes it the leading gram producing country in the world. In fact about 70 per cent of the total world production of gram is dominated by India. The present study was confined to the gram growers of Matar taluka of Kheda district. Majority of the respondents belonged to middle age group were educated up to primary standard, had small and nuclear families with family of up to 5 members (57%). Majority of them had semi-pucca houses, had membership of at least one social organization with agriculture and animal husbandry combined as profession. Among the respondents 78 per cent had up to two animals and most of them were marginal farmers having less than 1 hectare land. Most of them possessed medium level of knowledge (72%) about the improved cultivation practices of gram. Majority of the respondents had knowledge about the harmful insects (91%) followed by disease infestation, hand weeding and number of hand weedings to be done, suitable soil type, application of farm yard manure, spacing between rows and plants and land preparation. They had minimum knowledge about the improved cultivation practices like chemical weed and disease control methods, seed treatment, application of nitrogenous fertilizers and latest recommended varieties.