| dc.description.abstract |
Integrated pest management (IPM) has been widely accepted as an approach of crop protection in order to minimize the pesticide use thereby reduce the environment impact and health impact on humans. Government and non-government organizations are involved in training the farmers on IPM. Level of adoption of IPM strategies by farmers is not to the level of expectation that affect the final outcome of those trainings. Therefore, it is inevitable to assess the level of adoption. A field survey was carried out to evaluate the adoption of IPM practices in vegetable cultivation by farming communities in selected villages, such as Kaluthawalai, Cheddipalayam, Vantharumoolai and Palugamam in the Batticaloa district. One hundred Farmers were selected randomly to obtain the data on socio- economic conditions of the farmers, existing level of awareness and adoption of IPM practices and problems involved in the adoption of IPM practices. In addition the information on Agricultural Extension Services related to IPM were collected using structured questionnaires. It was found that 85% of the respondents in Kaluthawalai village do practice IPM and among those, 26% respondents have participated in a training
program on IPM by a non governmental organization (NGO). The knowledge has been laterally disseminated effectively among other farmers. In Cheddipalayam, Vantharumoolai and Palugamam, not a single farmer practice IPM, because they were not exposed to any IPM training programme. Farmers of all the four villages have a sound knowledge on varieties of the vegetables cultivated by them, and most of them are aware of the insect pests of those crops. In all the four villages, farmers face inadequate market facilities, inadequate extension facilities and inadequate capital to do their cultivation. It was noticed that the farmers are willing to learn and adopt IPM practices and thereby a proper training should be given to them. |
en_US |