Extent of Adoption of Drought Management Technologies in Mulberry Sericulture in Southern Dry Zone of Tamil Nadu

摘要

Mulberry cultivation and Silk worm rearing in several Sericultural clusters in the South India are severely affected by drought. Drought besides reducing mulberry yield also leads to silkworm partial or total crop losses quantitatively and also qualitatively. Study was conducted with the sericulture farmers of southern dry agro climatic zone of Tamil Nadu to find out the extent of adoption of drought management technologies in the mulberry garden and silkworm rearing. Tlie farmer's wise adoption index was calculated for 30 identified drought management technologies. Tlte study revealed that 92 percent of the farmers were low adopters and 8 percent of the farmers were medium adopters. TJie age and experience of the sericulturists were positively correlated with the adoption index but the size of the land holding was negatively correlated. Hie adoption index was also positively correlated with the number of silkworm layings reared and the average silk cocoon yield obtained by the farmers. Among the 30 technologies selected for the study, 60 percent of technologies have low level of adoption, 3.3 percent have medium level of adoption and 36.67 percent of technologies have high level of adoption. Tlie technologies in silkworm feeding, hanging of wet gunny cloths, increasing feeding frequency, mulberry leaf harvest and preservation were highly adopted by the farmers.Adoption gap for individual technologies is also worked out. Even though water shortage is the main constraint in these areas farmers donot take up any steps to cope up the situation. Hence the study suggests for taking suitable efforts to increase the awareness and bridge the adoption gaps to increase the quality linked silk production in the drought areas also.