P.G. Students and Principal.
The constant and sustained efforts of the microbiologists and biotechnologists for isolating and standardizing the activities of microorganisms have helped to increase the production of bio fertilizers. The bio fertilizers are carrier based preparations containing effective strains of microorganisms like bacteria, algae, fungi alone or in combination with sufficient number which can provide plant nutrients through microbial activity. When these microorganisms are incorporated with seeds/seedlings and in soil they ensure enhanced crop production by way of biological nitrogen fixation, solubilisation of fixed phosphate, uptake of phosphorous and other mineral nutrients and synthesis of growth promoting substances. This concept has helped in the development of bio fertilizer industries, as they do not depend on high cost and depleting raw materials. Bio fertilizers are environment friendly, less costly and non-bulky. Total production of bio-fertilizers during 2012–13 was 46836 metric tones. Biofertilizers have been recommended to crops like paddy, wheat, barley, maize, jowar, oat, sugarcane, sugar beet, tobacco, cotton, potato, brinjal, sunflower, mustard, onion, cauliflower, tomato, cabbage and many other vegetable and fruit crops. With this background, the study entitled “Extent of knowledge and adoption of biofertilizers use by the biofertilizer users of Navsari district” was undertaken with the following objectives: To study the profile of the biofertilizer users, to ascertain the knowledge level of biofertilizer users towards the use of
Biofertilizers, to study the adoption pattern of bio fertilizers by biofertilizer users, to measure the relationship between profiles with level of Knowledge and adoption towards the use of biofertilizer and to identify the constraints faced and obtain suggestions by the biofertilizer users in adoption of biofertilizers. Results indicated that majority of the farmers was in the middle age group (36–50 years), most of the farmers had education up to high school level, majority of farmers had 2 to 5 acre of land holding, majority of farmers belonged to more than Rs. 1, 00, 000 annual incomes, majority of farmers had low level of social participation, majority of farmers had medium extension contact, majority of the farmers had low level of scientific orientation, majority of farmers belonged to medium mass media exposure, majority of farmers belonged to medium level of knowledge about use of biofertilizer, majority of farmers belonged to medium level of adoption of biofertilizer. The study on correlation indicated that the variable age is negative but significant relationship with the level of knowledge about the use of biofertilizer, education is positive and highly significant and other variables viz., land holding, annual income, social participation, extension contact, scientific orientation and mass media exposure are positive and significant. However, the variable age is negative but significant relationship with the level of adoption of biofertilizer, education and extension contact are the positive and highly significant and other variables viz. land holding, annual income, social participation and mass media exposure is positive and significant relationship with the level of overall adoption of the biofertilizer. Scientific orientation is negative and non-significant.
