International Journal of Advances in Agricultural Science and Technology
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Evaluation of Existing Soil Conservation Measures in Central Highlands of Sri Lanka Through Participatory Approach
Get PDFThe central highland of Sri Lanka is highly vulnerable to soil erosion. A number of programmessupported by donor funded projects have been implemented within the last three decades with the aim ofsustainable management of land resources. However, farmers are reluctant to adopt measures to reduce the soilerosion and even when soil conservation structures are adopted, farmers fail to manage them. Hence, this studywas conducted to assess the adoptability of different soil conservation options in central highlands of the country.Multi Criteria Analysis was applied with the participation of farmers and field officers to assess existing soilconservation options. The assessment was based on physical effectiveness, economic viability and the socialacceptability of soil conservation measures. According to the evaluation of farmers and field officers, forwardslope terraces, reversed- slope terraces, bench terraces, grass strips and mulching are the best five conservationmeasures among evaluated options and bench terraces has been ranked to be the most effective soil conservationtechnology. Selection of soil conservation measures is highly dependent on the assumed benefits, input cost andpersonal attitudes of the individual farmer. Hence, an effective mechanism to change farmers’ attitudes maysignificant to mobilize them towards modified conservation techniques
Feasibility Evaluation of Animal Drawn Improved Equipment under Terrace Cultivation- A Case Study in Sikkim
Get PDFMore than 64% of the population is dependent on agriculture and related activities. Incountry, there are 80 % operational holdings in small and marginal categories which dependfully on animal power. Around 75 million ha (55% of the total cultivated area) of the countryis managed by draught animals with 1.5-2 ha command area. The present use of draughtanimals is limited from 100 to 120 h per year in cultivation operation. It has been reportedthat the total area under food crop production in Sikkim was 81320 ha (HRD report, Govt. ofSikkim; 2005-06). The command area per hectare by use of traditional equipment was 1 ha(50-70 terraces). The command area by use of improved equipment could be increased up to1.5 ha (80-100 terraces). The animal based cultivation is treated as zero based system as theanimals are well maintained and sustained in the hills eco-system of Sikkim cost effectively.For mustard and wheat crops, seedbed preparation and seeding equipment were feasibilitytested in terrace cultivation and the cost economics was compared over traditional practices.The effective field capacity and cost of operation of improved wing plough were 0.024sq.m/h and Rs. 1600/ ha for puddling operation in rice production system under terracefarming. The improved wing plough provided output from 200 to 300 sq.m/h for dry tillageoperation. Under seeding equipment, single row seed drill was tested for mustard and wheatwhich gave effective field capacity varying from 300 to 500 sq.m/h. The single row seed drillwhen used for zero tillage seeding, the effective field capacity was 300 sq.m/h. The savingsin cost of operation and time were 65% and 69% respectively over traditional method. 
FORMULATION OF FRUIT BASED NUTRITIOUS BEVERAGES INCORPORATING CELERY AND MINT, USING A NATURAL SWEETENER
Get PDFThe present study was undertaken to analyze the nutritional composition of celery and mint to beused for beverages preparation, using a variety of fruit bases like orange, gooseberry and cherry tomatoesand also to chemically determine the nutritional constituents of the prepared beverages. Celery juice/pulpand mint was incorporated into three beverages using orange, gooseberry and cherry tomato in threedifferent drinks along with Stevia as the natural and zero calorie sweeteners, using the standard ingredientsand methods of preparation. The four treatments were T0 (fruit juice-100% and sugar-20gm), T1 (fruit juice78%, celery juice-20% and mint extract-2%), T2 (fruit juice-76%, celery juice- 20% and mint extract-4%), T3(fruit juice-74%, celery juice-20% and mint extract-6%) and T4 (fruit juice-72%, celery juice-20% and mintextract-8%). The beverages prepared were organoleptically evaluated for color, consistency, taste & flavorand overall acceptability using a 9 point Hedonic Scale. The cherry tomato based celery beverage with mintwas best among all the three. The nutritional compositions of beverages were chemically analyzed. The totalcarbohydrate content ranged from 2.28gm to 33.5gm/100ml, the carotene content ranged from 9µg-486.32µg,the highest being in the cherry tomato based drink. The iron content was between 1.2mg and 2.66mg/100ml,the vitamin-C was between 22.8mg and 600mg/100ml, the highest being in the gooseberry based juice. Thecalcium content ranged from 5mg-56.56mg/100ml.It was concluded from the study that the beverages formulated using celery; mint and Stevia at differentlevels of incorporation were at par with conventional beverages while improving the vitamin-C, carotene,iron and calcium content in addition to the fact that celery and mint has several other therapeutic benefit
Adoption Behaviour Of Improved Potato Production Technology Among The Farmers Of Meerut District (UP)
Get PDFAgriculture is the prime source of all round development of our country, where crop husbandrycontribute significantly towards total economy of our nation. In the context of food requirement of ourburgeoning population, potato is one of the important crop for meeting this demand as a wholesome food. Thepresent study was conducted during 2018-19 in purposively selected area Meerut covering 06 villages and asample of 120 potato growers was selected through proportionate random sampling method. The study revealedthe association between the socio-economic characters with that of the adoption behaviour towards improvedproduction practices. 
Constraints Faced by the Users and Non-Users of Kisan Credit Card Scheme in Deoghar District of Jharkhand
Get PDFLack of access to finance is a key impediment to farmers in improving the efficiency of theirproductions and adopting better technologies. Credit not only plays a pivotal role in not only increasingagricultural production but also in improving the standard of living especially for farmers. Hence the presentstudy was undertaken to find out the constraint encountered by the users and reasons of non adoption by nonusers of Kisan Credit Card scheme. The present study was conducted in Deoghar block of Deoghar district inJharkhand. Purposive sampling was followed for the selection of one hundred and twenty respondents,dividing them into two groups of the users and non users of KCC Scheme. Pre-structured interview schedulewas used to collect the data, collected data were converted in a tabular form to draw conclusion. The studyinferred that family higher expenses was the major constraint ranked first by 46.66% of the users followedby 40 per cent who ranked insufficient savings as second and crop failure was ranked third by 36.66 percent. The process of loan being a lengthy paper work was the major reason ranked first by 48.33 per cent nonusers followed by delay in loaning ranked second by 46.66 per cent and uncertainty of monsoon ranked thirdby 45 per cent
Effect of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sulphur and Zinc on Yield and their Attributing Characteristics of Mustard Crop
Get PDF A field experiment was conducted on Pot culture house of Department of Soil Science andAgricultural Chemistry at Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur during therabi season 2016-17, In the present experiment 8 treatments T1 (Control), T2 (100% RDF) , T3 (100% RDF+S30),T4 (100% RDF+Zn5), T5 (125% RDF), T6(125% RDF+S30 ), T7 (125% RDF+Zn5), T8 (150% RDF), were laid outin Randomized Block Design(RBD) with four replication. Mustard variety Pusa Bold was taken for study. Theresults revealed that the Yield (grain and stover yield) and their attributing characteristics of mustard respondsignificantly with the different treatment combination. The highest grain (20.11 q/ha) and stover yield (43.13q/ha) was obtained in T7 (125% RDF+Zn5). The treatment T7 cause 32.72 % increase in mustard grain yield and14.22% increase in stover yield over control. The treatment combination T7 (125% RDF+Zn5) gave the best resultin terms of yield and their attributing characteristics
IMPACT OF MGNREGA ON SOCIOECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF BENEFICIARIES OF SRIKAKULAM DISTRICT OF ANDHRAPRADESH
Get PDFThe study was conducted purposively Selected Pathapatnam block in Srikakulam district ofAndhra Pradesh. Six villages selected purposively and from each selected village 20 respondents wereselected randomly thus 120 respondents constituting the sample size for present study. Ex- post facto researchdesign was followed and data was collected by using personal interview method. The collected data weretabulated, analyzed and interpreted with the appropriate statistical tools. Majority of beneficiaries (46.66 percent) was under the age group of 40 and above years. (48.33)per-cent non beneficiaries was exposed tomagazines which was translated into local dialect. It was found from the present study that had an annualincome of above 35000.It was noted that socio-economic status of beneficiaries was better than nonbeneficiaries. majority of the beneficiaries had most favorable attitude towards MGNREGA as compared tonon-beneficiaries.it was also concluded that majority of the beneficiaries had a much better empowermentlevel as compared to non-beneficiaries. Majority of the beneficiaries had agreed that purchasing capacity hadbeen improved as compared to non-beneficiaries which shows MGNREGA has played an important role inupliftment of economic status of the MGNREGA labours. Majority of the respondents faced the problem ofdelayed payment and bias attitude of panchayat members. On the whole it can be concluded that MGNREGAplays an effective developmental role in the lives of rural villagers
IMPACT OF FRONT LINE DEMONSTRATION (FLD) IN ADOPTION OF WHEAT PRODUCTION PRACTICES IN SITAPUR DISTRICT OF UTTAR PRADESH
Get PDFFrontline demonstration (FLD) was started in wheat to generate production data andfeedback information to various development agencies, which are engaged in dissemination oftechnological advances through researchers to the farmer’s fields. Agricultural development meansincreasing the productivity and improving the economic condition of the farmers. This, to a certainextent, depends upon the level of knowledge and skills of the farmers. Frontline demonstration isone of the important activity of the KVK’s and it is organized every year for testing and verifyingthe latest agricultural technologies in the farmer’s condition and identifying the productionconstraints. The study was conducted purposively is selected Gondlamau block of Sitapur district,Uttar Pradesh. The objective of the study was to assess the impact of frontline demonstrations onwheat farmers in terms of knowledge gained and level of yield in relation to the improved practicesof wheat cultivation. Three villages where FLDs conducted by Sitapur KVK as treated villages andthree villages where no such demonstrations conducted by Sitapur KVK as control villages wereselected from purposively selected Gondlamau block of Sitapur district for the purpose of this study.Two types of respondents were selected from these villages: (i) Beneficiaries FLD farmers and (ii)non- beneficiaries FLD farmers. The FLD farmers were those on whose field FLDs on wheat wasconducted and non-FLD farmers were those on whose field FLDs on wheat was not conducted.From each group, 60 farmers were randomly selected. The total sample, therefore, consisted 120respondents’ farmers in both the group for collection of data. The data were collected with the helpof structured schedule by personally interviewing the respondents. The collected data werestatistically analysed by using appropriate statistical tools like percentage, mean, standarddeviation. The results of the study are expected to be useful to the extension personnel and theadministrators to know the impact of front line demonstration adoption level of wheat growers andalso the results could. 
ANALYSIS OF TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY AMONG SMALL-SCALE RAIN-FED RICE (Oryza sativa) FARMERS IN ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA
Get PDFhe possible way to improve production and productivity with a given input mix and availabletechnology is to improve efficiency of resource use. For this purpose examining the technical efficiency of theproduction process is very crucial. Thus, the aim of the study was to analyze the technical efficiency of smallscale rain-fed rice production in Adamawa State, Nigeria. Stochastic frontier approach was employed on a datawhich was collected from 362 sampled rice farmers through multi-stage sampling techniques. The maximumlikelihood of the stochastic frontier model revealed that farm size, seed, inorganic fertilizer, hired labour andherbicides are found to be positively and significantly related to small-scale rice production in the study area. Theaverage technical efficiency score predicted from the estimated Cobb-Douglas stochastic frontier productionfunction was found to be 86% implying that there is a room for rice yield increment by improving the resourceuse efficiency of the rice farmers. The study also revealed there is a wide gap between most technically efficientrice farmer and the least efficient farmer given their efficiency range of 21% and 97%. Thus, the studyrecommends that expansion of farm size under cultivation, improved access to farm inputs like improved riceseeds, inorganic fertilizer and herbicides and campaigns to disseminate rice farming experiences and improvedextension services are crucial to improving the technical efficiency of small-scale rain-fed rice production in thestudy are
A Comparative Study of Beneficiaries & Non-Beneficiaries on the Pulse Production Economy under Front Line Demonstration Programmes in Kaushambi District of Uttar Pradesh
Get PDFThe present study was conducted in Kaushambi district of Uttar Pradesh. Total 158 beneficiary and 158non-beneficiary farmers were selected on the basis of random sampling method from the identified district. Thestudy reveals that pulses can be profitably cultivated in rice fallows in the post rainy season. Farmers‟perceptions and literature reviewed both revealed that inclusion of pulses in cereal-based cropping systemsincreased the yield of subsequent cereal crops and reduce the fertilizer cost too. To enhance the production andprofitability of pulses, better quality and high yielding varieties should be available to the farmers. The trainingabout HYV seed of pulses should be given to the small and marginal farmers. Development of appropriate pulsetechnologies, their effective demonstration and seed sector support as well as IPM/ICM/IDM support system isneeded to encourage farmers in Uttar Pradesh to grow pulses to increase their income and improve soil fertilitystatus, and thus enhance the sustainability of the rice-wheat based system.