Training needs of chickpea growers in Panchmahals district

Abstract

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is the most important pulse crop in India. India is a major producer of chickpea which contributes 46.2 percent of national agriculture production. Training is an important educational tool, which may effectively be used to improve skills and update knowledge. Training only can bridge the enormous gap between remarkable yields achieved by the scientists and those obtained by the farmers. The first and most important step in training is to find out the training needs. The present study was conducted in the Panchmahals district of Gujarat. Panchmahals district comprises 7 talukas out of these 5 talukas Godhra, Shahera, Ghoghmba, Halol, and Kalol were selected purposively. The statistical sample of the research was 300 chickpea growers. The majority (77.00 percent) of the chickpea growers were found in the middle age group to old age group, more than half (53.66 percent) of the chickpea growers had secondary to the primary level of education, more than two-thirds (69.00 percent) of the chickpea growers had most need of training in integrated disease management, followed by integrated pest management (66.33 percent) and damage of root rot, wilt, and stunt (64.00 percent) in plant protection measures, More than two-fifth (64.00 percent) of the chickpea growers had most need of training in high yielding varieties and characteristics of high yielding varieties (62.33 percent). Three-fifth (60.00 percent) of chickpea growers had the most need of training in the recommended dose of fertilizer in fertilizer management, Age, education, experience in farming, social participation and mass media exposure had negative and significant correlation with training needs of chickpea growers.