Knowledge of farm women about improved black gram cultivation practices

Black gram is a versatile crop that is grown in almost every part of the globe today. It is the most largely produced pulse crop. India produces 70 per cent of worlds’ black gram production and accounts for 10 per cent of country's total pulse production. The present study was confined to the black gram growers of Mandalgarh and Jahazpur panchayat samiti of Bhilwara district, Rajasthan. Majority of the respondents belonged to middle age group were illiterate, had big and joint families with family of up to 8 or more members (68%). Majority of them had semi-pucca houses, had media ownership T.V. (60%), farming as main occupation and most of them were small farmers having 1–2 hectare land. Most of them possessed medium level of knowledge (89%) about the improved cultivation practices of black gram. Majority of the respondents had knowledge about the soil and land preparation (100%) followed by harvesting, irrigation management and agro climatic condition. They had poor knowledge about the improved cultivation practices like weed management, sowing, improved seed varieties, and plant protection measures.