Abstract :
The present study was conducted in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan during of the year 2011-12 covering 3 Panchayat Samities and 108 small farmers. The main emphasis was laid on to know the level of adoption of mustard technology among the small farmers and the possible factors responsible for promoting the adoption. The study highlights that of the total 50 per cent respondents had adopted the mustard technology to medium extent. The small farmers were found very conscious about the adoption of high yielding varieties of rapeseed-mustard followed by time of sowing, seed rate and spacing whereas less bothered about the soil treatment and weed management and least adoption was found in case of plant protection measures regarding wheat production technology. The important variable which promoted the adoption were; the higher education, farm power, caste, occupation, social participation, family type, income and housing pattern. The study further revealed that several constraints faced by the small farmers in adoption of mustard production technology viz., unavailability of fertilizers at peak season, weed control through herbicide as technically complex method, unavailability of improved seed at the time of sowing, high cost involved in inputs purchasing and harmful residual effect of pesticides on main crops and application of weedicide the reduced the availability of fodder were the main problems which affected the adoption of rapeseed and mustard production technology among the farmers.
Keyword :
Improved package of practices, Small farmers, Farm power, Extent of adoption, Weed management, Peak season, Complex method, Constraints