Performance evaluation and impact of small weeding tools for drudgery reduction of farm Women

Abstract

Weeding is a main drudgery prone activity mostly performed by farm women. To resolve this problem Krishi Vigyan Kendra conducted OFT programme in adopted villages of two districts of Bihar viz., Vaishali and Muzaffarpur during 2014-17 to assess the impact of three different weeding tools viz., Khurpi, RAU Wheel Hoe and Improved Grabar refined by KVK Sheohar for weeding in pulses and vegetable crops in line sowing. In total 225 respondents were selected for the study. The main aim of the study was to assess women friendly weeding tools to alleviate them from backbreaking drudgery, pains and ill health and enhance productivity and efficiency in the weeding operations. The women traditionally carried out weeding operation by using tool like Khurpi in squatting and bending position which decrease the work efficiency as time progresses. Results revealed that Improved Grabar was very good in terms of area covered (0.15 ha/day), weed mortality (90%) and low cost of weeding (Rs 6000/- per ha for two times weeding). The work output of Improved Grabar was near about four times as compared to traditional weeding tool i.e., Khurpi in terms of area covered, and the performance of RAU wheel was at par. Farm women adopted the Improved Grabar as it increased the efficiency of work, reduced the drudgery and helped in avoiding bending or squatting posture. It reduced the exertion and fatigue and women felt comfortable. There was high degree of adoption of this tool by the farm women in the adopted villages. Therefore, there is need to popularize this weeding tool in other areas.