Impact of Transfer of Rodent Management Technologies in Paddy and Wheat Crops Among Different Categories of Farmers in Punjab

A study was conducted in three villages viz. maintenance, imparting education and free rodenticides (Dhatt), neglected, imparting only education (Boparai) and survey, where no education neither free rodenticides (Raqba) given to farmers to see the effect of education regarding rodent control on different categories of farmers. Farmers were categorized on the basis of their land holding viz. large (>10 acres), medium (5-10 acres) and small farmers (<5 acres). Among three villages, higher % control success, lower % cut tillers, damage (kg/acre), pre-harvest burrow count in both paddy and wheat crops were recorded in maintenance as compared to neglected and survey villages. In maintenance village, all the categories of farmers had used rodenticides in their fields, when free rodenticides and education was provided to them. Large farmers category may use rodenticides in their fields after getting only education, whereas medium and small farmers mostly apply rodenticides in their fields when these are provided free of cost. Thus, timely education and training for rodent management are important for controlling rodent population in fields. The government policies should made in such a way that subsidized rodenticides should be supplied to medium and small categories of farmers to reduce rodent loss to food grains.