Knowledge and Adoption of Integrated Pest Management Practices Among Vegetable Growers in Araziline Block of Varanasi District (U.P.)

The present study on knowledge and extent of adoption of IPM practices was carried out during 2011–12 in Araziline Block of Varanasi district. By following simple random sampling 50 vegetable growers were selected and data was collected by personal interview method. The important findings of the study were that majority of vegetable growers had medium level of knowledge in both potato (65.84%) and cabbage crop (58.66%). In case of adoption of IPM practices more number of vegetable growers was noticed in medium category of adoption in both potato (65.67%) and cabbage (63.67%). Almost all the vegetable growers possessed the knowledge of summer ploughing, regular destruction of damaged fruits at each harvest of crop followed by practice of crop rotation with pulses (88.00%) and trimming of the field bunds (81.67%). All the selected entrepreneurial characteristics of vegetable growers were positively and significantly related with the adoption of IPM practices in both the crops. Majority of respondents were belonged to medium level of entrepreneurial behavior. The major constraints faced by the respondent in adoption of IPM practices were lack of technical knowledge regarding use of NSKE, pheromone traps and bio-agents (92.33%), followed by non-availability of skilled labors (93.33%) and the lack of knowledge about preparation of NSKE (82.50%).