Farmers Perception and Constraints in Adoption of Bt. Cotton Technology

The study was conducted using ex-post facto research design and interview schedule based survey research method attempted to assess the techno-economic performance, constraints in adoption, and farmers’ perception of Bt. Cotton in the important cotton growing districts Ganganagar and Hanumangarh of Rajasthan. Bt. cotton was deployed for commercial cultivation in India in 2002. However, in Rajasthan its legal cultivation began only in 2005. Mean perception score of farmers was 3.34 which showed that their perception about Bt. cotton was largely positive. Odd ratio estimate showed significant positive relation of farmers’ age, innovativeness and family size. For better adoption of Bt. cotton constraints like high seed cost, unavailability of irrigation in time and in adequate quantity and lack of information dissemination of complete package of technology through public extension system need to be managed. Study supported by similar results of Qaim and Janvry (2003), due to the high technology fee charged for Bt. by the monopoly seed supplier, the adoption of Bt. crops is low. Farmers should be made aware of IPM packages for management of cotton pests through intensive extension programmes.