KNOWLEDGE LEVEL OF CRISIS MANAGEMENT PRACTICES BY THE CUMIN GROWERS

Abstract

The uncertainty in production of cumin crop causes wide variation in the income of cumin growing farmers from year to year. Thus, production and income uncertainty due to the crisis involved in cumin crop create serious consequences on the income and future production planning of the crop. The present study was confined to “ex-post-facto” research design. The multistage sampling technique was used for selection of respondents. From each of three selected district viz.;Banaskantha, Patan and Kutch of North-West Agro-Climatic Zone two talukas having highest cumin area and production were selected. Three villages from each taluka and from each village, fifteen cumin growers were selected randomly. Thus, total 270 cumin growers were selected for the study. The result of the study revealed that nearly two-thirds (65.92%) of the cumin growers had medium level of knowledge about crisis management practices. Whereas, in case of practices vise knowledge regarding crisis management in cumin; majority of the cumin growers had knowledge about seed is safe from spuriousness and adulteration, to be safe from soil erosion, timely sowing of cumin in first week of November at 30°C, timely application of fertilizers, to postpone the irrigation during cloudy weather, unseasonal rainfall or when the sign of diseases appear, different control measures other than chemical control for disease management, remove weeds by hand weeding and harvest crop when seed attain grey colour to maintain volatile oil and shattering effect.