A Study of Knowledge of the Farmer's About Plant Protection measures in Major Crops in Meerut District of Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

Agriculture is the backbone of India's economy". It provides employment to about 68.4 per cent of the population in the country and contributes near about 17.8 per cent in national income. It is the base of several industries of our country apart from supplyinq jute and raw material for sugar factory, jute factory and , - textile industries etc. During the last 61 years after independence food grain production increased from a level of 53 million tones to 227.3 million tones (Anonymous 2008). By considering all these facts that farming of these days should be treated as business not only for livelihood. For this it is an important ' - factor to enter in process of adoption of improved farm practices that starts from awareness means gaining the knowledge about any farm practice in general and plant protection practices in particular that has been proved best for increasing agricultural production, hence this study has been framed by the researcher ,. entitled, "A study of knowledge of the farmers about plant protection measures in major crops in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh" The findings of the study has been summarized below according to facts revealed on different aspects of the subject matter covered with in the scope of the thesis problem. , - ,Maximum of the res!Jondents i.e. 58.75% belong to middle age group of 36 to 50, while 31.25% years respondents belong to age group of above old age group years. It shows that the higher percentage of respondent belong to middle age between 36 to 50 years. About 63.75 percent of the respondent belongs to the (O.B.C.) caste stratum. The educational back ground of the respondent indicates that the majority 22.5 •percent respondents have their level of high school followed by junior high school. It is clear from the study that level of education is quite different in the area under study. The study indicated that majority of respondents 53.75 percent had fair knowledge while 31 .25 percent had good knowledge and 15 percent respondents had poor knowledge about plant protection practices in sugarcane crop. Majority (56.3) percent of respondents in Paddy crop have adopted the plant production technology to high extent of adoption. The majority of 50 percent respondent was having low communication behaviour in major crops~ The majority of 43.75 percent respondent to have low mass media exposure.