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Type : Other Article

Perception of Farmers about Arecanut Based Multi-species Cropping System

D. Jaganathan and Nagaraja, N.R.

Abstract

Analysis on benefits and constraints in adoption of arecanut based multispecies cropping system was done during April – June, 2013 in Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka through personal interview and focus group discussions. Majority of farmers (63.3%) belonged to middle age category, about 88 per cent of farmers were having more than 8 years of experience in arecanut cultivation, about 93 per cent had less than 2 ha area under arecanut, majority (58.9%) were cultivating both South Kanara local and improved varieties of arecanut, about 49 per cent of the farmers were having three component crops viz., cocoa, banana and black pepper, more than one fifth of farmers (21.1%) had undergone training. The major benefits as perceived by farmers were additional income from intercrops, more employment for family labourers and increased soil fertility. Arecanut growers expressed 17 constraints which were categorized as input, economic, biophysical, technological/extension and psychological constraints in the order of importance. The constraints faced by small and marginal farmers were multifaceted and warrants interventions at research, extension, development, input delivery, social and policy levels for increasing the adoption of multispecies cropping system

Keyword: Multispecies cropping system; Arecanut; Benefits, Constraint analysis;

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