Evaluation of technology gap in cashew farming in Chitradurga District

Abstract

The study assessed the technological gap in the adoption of recommended cashew cultivation practices in Chitradurga district of Karnataka. Results revealed a high technological gap (94.44%) in the adoption of the Ullal variety, while a minimal gap (5.55%) was found for the Vengurla series, indicating varietal preference suited to local conditions. Farmers exhibited full adoption of grafted plants and pit size, with high compliance in spacing (92.22%), plant population (92.23%), and drip irrigation (73.33%). However, major gaps persisted in fertilizer management, particularly split-dose application (81.11%) and recommended NPK use (61.61%). Pest and disease control showed moderate to high gaps, especially in die-back disease management (77.77%). While yield and harvesting practices were largely adopted, processing techniques recorded a complete technological gap (100%). The findings suggest that enhanced training, demonstrations, and extension efforts are essential to improve adoption of advanced cultivation and processing technologies for higher cashew productivity.