Assessment of knowledge level of farmers towards Urd cultivation practices in Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

The present study was conducted to assess the knowledge level of Urd growers regarding recommended cultivation practices. A total of 120 respondents were selected for the study. The findings revealed that majority of the respondents (72.5%) possessed medium level of knowledge, followed by 17.5% with low knowledge and 10% with high knowledge. With respect to individual recommended practices, cent percent of the respondents had correct knowledge about soil type, planting material, sowing time, cultural practices, irrigation method, and harvesting. However, gaps were observed in knowledge regarding recommended varieties (73.33%), spacing (70.83%), FYM application (95.83%), fertilizer use (81.66%), disease identification (48.33%) and control measures (59.16%), as well as insect pest management (53.33% knowledge of insect pest and 61.66% knowledge of control practices). The study suggests that although Urd growers possess satisfactory knowledge of basic practices, there is a need to strengthen their awareness regarding plant protection measures and scientific input management through extension programmes.