Perception about effectiveness of Sawaj brand bio-fertilizers under field conditions perceived by its end users in Surendranagar district of Gujarat

A bio-fertilizer is a substance that contains living microorganisms which when applied to seeds, plant surfaces or soil, colonize the rhizosphere or the interior of the plant and promote growth by increasing the supply or availability of primary nutrients to the host plant. Bio-fertilizers are known to play a number of vital roles in soil fertility, crop productivity and production in agriculture as they are eco-friendly and cannot at any cost replace chemical fertilizers that are indispensable for getting maximum crop yields. Junagadh Agricultural University (JAU) has been engaged in production of bio-fertilizers in the brand name of Sawaj bio-fertilizers (Azotobacter, Rhizobium and PSM each in the packing of 500 ml bottles) and making it available to the farming community since 2005–06. It was worth knowing the perception about the use of Sawaj bio-fertilizers among its end users, the farmers. The present study was carried out in Surendranagar district of Gujarat. It was found that majority of the respondents (61%) belonged to middle age group and were educated up to primary level (37%), had medium size of landholding (53%), most of them had social participation and had been actively participating in extension programmes. Majority of the respondents (41%) had their annual income ranging from Rs 1, 00, 000 to 1, 50, 000. They preferred to adopt the innovation after seeing its successful adoption by others. Majority of respondents had partially adopted the Sawaj brand bio-fertilizers and had positive perception about them. Most of them opined that application of these was environment-friendly and their use was safer and cheaper than chemical fertilizers. Majority of respondents (54%) said that they would continue the use of these bio-fertilizers.