Journal of Global Communication

Efficient transfer of innovations and their practical application to field situations is the key to economic development of India where the bulk of population depends on agriculture. Still there exists a wide gap between the technology available at the research level and its adoption at farmers’ level, particularly in the field of management of practices. Keeping this in view, an attempt has been made to know the extent of adoption of different aspects of pod borer management viz., key insect pests of gram, cultural practices, mechanical practices, biological practices and chemical practices. The study revealed that 103 (51.50 per cent) respondents had medium level of adoption about recommended pod borer management practices. Whereas, 36 (18.00 per cent) of them were observed in high adoption level and remaining 61 (30.50 per cent) of the total had low adoption regarding pod borer management practices in gram. Findings reveal that 97.41 per cent adoption was found towards identification of insect pests before using control measures but very low adoption was observed towards follow up of ETL concept before insecticidal spray. Under the cultural practices of pod borer management in gram, maximum adoption was found with regards to use of deep ploughing followed by use of high yielding varieties and crop rotation. More than 81 per cent adoption level was found among the gram growers with regards to installation of pheromone traps at appropriate crop stage with minimum adoption towards hand picking of the infected plant parts and eggs under the mechanical practices of pod borer management in gram. The study revealed that majority of the respondents adopted use of ‘T’ perches for providing sitting place to different bird fauna in gram field under the biological practices of pod borer management in gram, whereas, least adoption was found towards spray of HaNPV at evening time. In case of chemical practices of pod borer management, majority of the respondents adopted the thiomethoxan in recommended dose at appropriate crop stage but negligible adoption was found towards application of required quantity of water for preparation of insecticidal solution for one ha. Out of five major practices of pod borer management in gram, maximum adoption level was found towards cultural practices and minimum adoption was observed towards biological practices.