Junagadh District Research Articles

Assessment of Farmer’s Attitude towards Drip and Traditional Irrigation System in Junagadh District, Gujarat

Cotton (Gossypium herbaceum) is a leading natural fiber crop that is cultivated for its soft, fluffy staple fiber. Drip irrigation is a method of irrigation wherein water is carried to the plant under low pressure, through small diameter plastic pipes and delivered at the root zone drop by drop through an emitting device. The research was conducted in Junagadh district, utilizing a multistage sampling technique. A total of 160 farmers comprising 80 drip irrigation user and 80 conventional irrigation system users were surveyed. Likert’s scale with three point scale was used to analyse attitude towards the drip and traditional irrigation system by using 10 statements for each respondents. The farmers in the research area having positive attitudes toward the drip irrigationmethods as positive trend with value 66.25% was observed among drip respondents. This positive attitude reflects the behavioural intention towards the acceptance of irrigation systems. The study also revealed that 48.75% of the non-adopter farmers had the positive attitude toward the traditional irrigation methods whereas 51.25% of them had a negative and neutral attitude.

Economic Analysis of Seed Spice Cultivation in Gujarat, India

The present investigation was carried out to study the cost of cultivation and returns per hectare of major seed spices in Gujarat. The study was conducted at Banaskantha district for cumin and fennel as per the second highest triennium average area of cumin and fennel and at Junagadh district for coriander as it shows the highest triennium average area of coriander respectively during the year of 2023-24. In Gujarat for 2023-24, cumin cultivation incurred significant costs with hired labour as the largest component at 15.80 per cent, followed closely by family labour (15.65%) and rental value of owned land (13.44%). Fennel farms saw average costs of ₹70468.90 per hectare, peaking at ₹71356.01 on large farms and lowest at ₹67208.33 on small farms, with family labour (17.25%), irrigation (16.04%) and land rental (15.64%) as major expenses. Similarly, coriander farms had an average cost of ₹75939.26 per hectare, highest on large farms at ₹76551.63 and lowest on small farms at ₹74160.06, with rental value on owned land (18.95%), hired labour (16.35%), and family labour (11.74%) being significant costs. Costs increased with farm size across all crops. Cumin proved most profitable with an input-output ratio of 1:3.08, compared to fennel (1:1.48) and coriander (1:1.76) in the same period.

Analysis of Marketing Channels, Price Spread and Costs of Wheat in Junagadh District of Gujarat, India

The purpose of this study was to estimate the price spread, marketing margin and marketing cost of wheat in the Junagadh district. The present study was carried out in Junagadh district. Multi-stage sampling technique was adopted as per the objective of study and total 120 farmers were selected for the study purpose. Data were gathered through in-person interviews with farmers, typically conducted on their farms, using a structured questionnaire. For the wheat, three main marketing channels were identified: Producer-consumer (Channel I), Producer-village trader-consumer (Channel II), and Producer-wholesaler-retailer-consumer (Channel III). With the lowest overall cost, margin, and price spread, Channel-I earned the largest producer's share in terms of consumer rupees. Whereas Channels II and III, being the least efficient.

Discriminant Analysis of Plant Growth Regulators among Vegetable Growers in Junagadh District of Gujarat, India

In an agrarian economy like ours, farming productivity is of vital importance for farmers' economic wellbeing and national prosperity. The differential adoption of PGRs among horticulturists can offer insights into broader agricultural practices. Understanding PGR use in vegetable provides a comparative basis for evaluating its impact on diverse crops in the region. This study examines the socio-economic profile and identifies distinguishing factors between users and non-users using a sample of 160 farmers (80 users and 80 non-users) in Junagadh district, Gujarat. Analyses included simple tabular analysis and discriminant analysis. In this study, it was observed that most farmers were aged 36 to 50 years, and all respondents were male. The majority had an education level of 1st to 8th standard and an income up to 2 lakhs. Most farmers had landholdings of 2.01 to 4.00 hectares, engaged in both agriculture and animal husbandry, and had over 12 years of farming experience. Linear discriminant analysis identified annual family income, education, quality of yield and awareness as the most significant variables in distinguishing between users and non-users of plant growth regulators.

Bridging the Gap: Factors Influencing Farmers' Willingness and Behaviour in Biopesticide Application

Replacing chemical pesticides with biopesticides is crucial for ensuring high-quality agricultural products and advancing environmental sustainability. This study examines farmers’ willingness and behaviors regarding the use of biopesticides. A survey of 127 farmers in Junagadh district, Gujarat, was conducted, and a logistic model was employed to analyze factors influencing deviations between farmers’ willingness and their actual behaviors. The findings revealed that 37% of farmers showed a discrepancy between their willingness to use biopesticides and their actual application. Factors significantly impacting this deviation included price affordability, peer influence, education level, land size, emergency conditions, awareness of biopesticides, knowledge of the harmful effects of chemical pesticides, and awareness of agricultural product safety and quality. The primary reason for the gap between willingness and behavior is the farmers’ insufficient knowledge about biopesticides and the incomplete market structure for these products. To address this issue, it is recommended to improve farmers’ professional skills, raise awareness about green production methods, and accelerate the development of the biopesticides market to boost their adoption.

Perception towards Plant Growth Regulators among Vegetable Growers in Junagadh District of Gujarat, India

Perception towards Plant Growth Regulators among Vegetable Growers in Junagadh District of Gujarat, India

Brand preference towards plant growth regulator amongvegetable growers in Junagadh district of Gujarat

Consumer brand preference is an essential step towards understanding consumer choice behaviour, and has therefore always received great attention from marketers. It refers to the inclination of consumers to choose one brand over others in the market. Understanding brand preference is crucial for businesses as it directly influences consumer purchasing behavior and brand loyalty. This study aimed to determine the factors influencing farmers' brand preferences for plant growth regulators. Using a multi-stage sampling technique, two talukas in the Junagadh district, Junagadh and Vanthali were purposefully selected. A total of 160 farmers were sampled, with 80 farmers from each taluka. The factor analysis was employed to analyze the results. The principal component analysis extracted 5 factors, with the first factor explaining 29.110 per cent of the variance. Cumulatively the 5 factors accounted for 89.336 per cent of the total variance. Brand preference was significantly influenced by product quality, additional features, recommendations, financial considerations, and accessibility. Farmers prioritize high-quality, effective PGRs that enhance crop health and yield, while being influenced by trusted recommendations and financial affordability.

Breeding Management Practices of Jaffarabadi Buffalo in Junagadh District of Gujarat, India

A field study was conducted in Junagadh district of Gujarat to ascertain the breeding management practices followed by Jaffarabadi buffalo owners and data were collected from randomly selected 320 respondents through personal interview with the help of structured interview schedule. The present study revealed that all the respondents detected heat in their buffaloes by behavioral signs. Majority (55.62%) of the buffalo owners observed mucus discharge as the symptoms of oestrus and bred their buffaloes by artificial insemination (65.62%) between 12-18 hours after heat detection (77.19%). Majority (73.12%) of respondents bred their buffaloes after 3 to 5 months of calving and only 20.93 percent respondents followed the pregnancy diagnosis during the three months of pregnancy. About 97.50 and 96.88 percent of the respondents treated their buffaloes for anestrous/repeaters and ROP/Prolapse, respectively. About 32.81 percent of the respondents kept the breeding records of the buffaloes. Majority (75.62%) of respondents preferred pure breeding of their Jaffarabadi buffaloes.

Health Care Practices of Jaffarabadi Buffalo Farmers in Rural Areas of Junagadh District of Gujarat, India

A field study was conducted in Junagadh district of Gujarat to ascertain the health care practices followed by Jaffarabadi buffalo owners and data were collected from randomly selected 320 respondents through personal interview with the help of structured interview schedule. The present study revealed that about 63.12 and 17.50 percent of the respondents regularly vaccinated their buffaloes against Foot and Mouth Disease and Haemorrhagic Septicaemia disease, respectively. None of the respondents vaccinated and tested their buffaloes against brucellosis. Only 18.13 percent of the respondents practiced deworming to their buffaloes at regular interval and followed various practices (spraying, dusting and injectable drugs) for control of ecto–parasites (81.56%) and cleaned animal sheds (76.57%). Only 22.82 percent of the respondents informed that they treated their sick buffaloes by veterinarian. All the respondents washed hind quarters of buffalo after drop of placenta. Most (83.75%) of the respondents kept diseased animals together with healthy ones and majority (70.94%) of the respondents removed the dung twice in a day from animal sheds.

Assessment of Technological Knowledge of Input Dealers About Agro Services in Junagadh District, India

Aims: (1) To assess the technological knowledge of the input dealers towards agro-services and (2) To ascertain the association between selected characteristics of the input dealers and their knowledge regarding -services
 Study Design: An ex-post facto research design was used for the study.
 Place and Duration of Study: Junagadh district of Gujarat state
 Methodology: Junagadh district comprises nine talukas out of which five talukas viz Junagadh, Keshod, Mendarda, Vanthali, and Maliya hatina were randomly selected for the study because these talukas had enough input dealers. From each taluka, thirty input dealers were selected randomly for the study. Thus, a total of 150 input dealers were selected randomly from five talukas.
 Results: More than half (51.34 percent) of input dealers had a medium level of knowledge regarding agro-services followed by (30.00 percent) and (18.66 percent) of input dealers who had high-level and low of knowledge, respectively. The characteristics of input dealers viz., risk orientation, management orientation, economic motivation, and progressivism had a positive and highly significant relationship with their knowledge regarding agro-services. The age of input dealers had a negative and significant relationship with their knowledge regarding agro-services.
 Conclusion: A significant majority of input dealers were found to possess a moderate to high level of knowledge regarding agro-services.

The Study of Profile Characteristics of Agro- Input Dealers Towards Agro Services in Junagadh District of Gujarat State

Aim: To study the selected characteristics of the input dealers.
 Study Design: Ex-post facto research design.
 Place and Duration of Study: The present investigation was undertaken in Junagadh district of Gujarat state.
 Methodology: Junagadh district comprises of nine talukas out of which five talukas viz, Junagadh, Keshod, Mendarda, Vanthali and Maliya-hatina were randomly selected for the study. From each taluka thirty input dealers were selected randomly for the study. Thus, total 150 input dealers were selected randomly from five talukas.
 Results: With regard to characteristics, approximately half (49.34%) of input dealers were in the middle age group, while nearly half (46.00%) had attained a graduation/post-graduation level of education. Around half (48.67 %) of input dealers had moderate social participation, and a majority (69.34 %) reported a high to very high annual income. Approximately 60.00%% of input dealers utilized sources of information at a moderate level, while 51.34%% had a medium level of mass media exposure. Only 16.64%% of input dealers had received training, and a majority (61.34 %%) had moderate extension contact. Additionally, 58.67 % of input dealers exhibited a moderate level of risk orientation, while 62.00%% displayed a medium level of management orientation. Approximately 75.34%% of agro-input dealers had a medium level of economic motivation, and slightly over half (58.67 %) demonstrated a medium level of progressivism.
 Conclusion: It can be concluded that the majority of the respondents were from the middle age group with a graduation/post-graduation level of education. Additionally, more than half of the input dealers had medium social participation and belonged to the high to very high annual income bracket. Similarly, over half of the input dealers utilized sources of information and had mass media exposure at a moderate level. However, the data indicates that only a few input dealers received training from various institutes, while most had moderate extension contact and exhibited a medium level of risk and management orientation. Moreover, a significant proportion of agro-input dealers demonstrated a medium level of economic motivation and progressivism.

Seepage Analysis and Optimization of Reservoir Earthen Embankment with Double Textured HDPE Geo-Membrane Barrier

This research paper focuses on conducting a steady state seepage analysis along with the downstream slope factor of safety using the Modified Bishops method in a poorly compacted earthen embankment and optimizing the same reservoir earthen embankment in a case study located near Sadiyavav village in Junagadh district in Gujarat, India. The study site, situated at 21°32'06.5"N and 70°37'26.7"E, is renowned for its Asiatic lions. The analysis and optimization were performed with a double-textured High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Geo-membrane barrier. Previously, designs and numerical solutions proposed homogenous embankments and too poorly compacted with no drainage arrangements, which led to anisotropic conditions within the section and water seeping out, cutting the phreatic line. The paper presents the documented improvements in the factor of safety achieved through the seepage analysis and the optimization of the HDPE Geo-membrane barrier. Two improvement techniques were studied using the “Limiting Equilibrium-Finite Element Method” (LS-FEM). The first using (HDPE) Geo-membrane stabilized with gabions, and the second alternative using HDPE Geo-membrane with gabions in addition to rock toe. The study results showed improvements in the downstream slope stability for the two alternatives by 3% and 10%, respectively. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-11-07 Full Text: PDF

Awareness and Brand Preference of Chickpea Growers towards Selected Pesticides in Junagadh District of Gujarat, India

The study was carried out with five objectives: to know the cropping pattern of farmers, to measure market potential of selected pesticides, to know the awareness of farmers towards selected pesticides, to know the factors that influence brand preference of chickpea growers towards selected pesticides, and to identify the problems faced by farmers and dealers related to pesticides. Total 150 chickpea farmers and 25 dealers were studied. The primary data were collected from the Moti Monpari, Sarsai, Khambhaliya, Liliya, and Vichhavad. Major portion of farmers get information about pesticide from the retailer shop. The primary factors considered by the farmers in brand preference towards fungicides and insecticides were: perception about product, influence by others, price sensitivity, and easy to use. The major problem of the farmer related to pesticides was lack of technical knowledge, followed by unawareness about adverse effect on health and non-availability of pesticide on time. The major problem of dealers related to pesticides was low margin, followed by high competition and high cost of transportation.

Purchasing Behaviour and Problems Faced by Farmers and Dealers Related to Insecticide

Insecticides protect crops from insects by either killing them or preventing their attack. They assist in keeping the number of pests under the appropriate threshold level. A study entitled "Purchasing behaviour and problems faced by farmers and dealers related to insecticide” focused on understanding the factors that influence farmers' decisions while purchasing insecticides and identifies the problems they faced in the study area. The study aimed to provide insights into the socio-economic background of farmers, understand their purchasing behaviour towards insecticide, and assess the problems faced by farmers and dealers. The study was conducted in Keshod taluka in Junagadh district of Gujarat. Both primary and secondary data were used to meet the study's predetermined objectives. The semi-structured schedule was used to complete the primary survey. A total of 100 farmers and 30 dealers from the Keshod taluka made up the sample of 130 respondents. In this study, it was observed that the majority of farmers were between the age of 21 to 60 years. Most of the respondents had a joint family. A major part of the respondents were small and marginal farmers. The major issues faced by farmers were the high cost of pesticides and the lack of after-sales support. The major issues faced by farmers were the relatively high price and after-sale service.

Isolation of Actinomycetes from Arachis hypogaea L. and Gossypium herbaceum L. for Screening Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities

The principal objective of the present study was to check the antimicrobial activity of Actinomycetes isolated from soil samples collected from the fields of Arachis hypogea L. and Gossipium herbaceum L. against different plant pathogenic strains. Various soil samples were isolated from fields located near the Junagadh district, Gujarat, India. Isolation was followed by a serial dilution process which was later plated on Actinomycete Isolation Agar (AIA) media. Potential colonies were subjected to screening, purification, and storage in glycerol stock. Morphological and Biochemical characterization of the isolates was performed. Isolated candidates were subjected to extraction for the production of the antimicrobial compound. The antimicrobial activity of the purified extract of isolates was tested. Total 30 actinomycete isolates were evaluated for antagonistic activity against pathogenic microorganisms.
 Isolates C-25, C-15, and G-1 showed the best results in the decreasing order of their potency against fungal pathogens, and C-5, C-25, C-14, and C-13 showed the best results in decreasing order of potency against bacterial pathogens. 3 isolates inhibited all 4 test fungi. 10 isolates inhibited 3 test fungi. 11 isolates inhibited 2 test fungi. 6 isolates did not inhibit any test fungi. 4 isolates show potent inhibition. 15 inhibited Macrophomina. C-10 showed a 1 cm inhibition zone & G-1 showed a 0.8 cm zone of inhibition. 12 isolates gave 0.2-0.6 cm zone and 15 isolates gave negative results against Macrophomina. C-10 showed a very potent zone of inhibition of 0.7 cm. 9 isolates showed a 0.1-0.5 cm zone of inhibition. 20 isolates did not show inhibition against Fusarium. 1 isolate C-11(a) gave the 1cm potent zone of inhibition. 15 isolates gave the 0.7-0.2cm inhibition of the growth. 14 isolates gave negative results against Alternaria fungus. From these results, it was concluded that isolates had antibacterial and antifungal activities and could be used in the development of new antibiotics for pharmaceutical or agricultural purposes.

Feeding Management Practices of Gir Cattle followed in Gujarat, India

The present study was undertaken to collect information on feeding management practices of Gir cattle at Junagadh district and data were ascertained from randomly selected 320 Gir cattle owners through personal interview with the help of pre-tested structured schedule from four randomly selected talukas of Junagadh district, Gujarat. Majority of Gir cattle owners (86.88%) followed stall feeding system and most of them (93.44%) cultivated green fodder crops for feeding of Gir cattle. Majority (81.56%) of the respondents fed green and dry fodder as such. Groundnut gotar was the major ingredient (71.87%) used as dry fodder, 84.06 % respondents provided compound cattle feed as concentrate to their milking animals. Only 8.12 % of the Gir cattle owners followed scientific feeding of concentrates. Majority of the respondents fed concentrates to their young calves (80.94%) and heifers (87.5%) after soaking (62.81%) in water. 17.5 % of the respondents supplemented mineral mixture to their Gir cattle.

Feeding Management Practices Followed by Jaffarabadi Buffalo Owners in Rural Areas of Junagadh District of Gujarat, India

A field study was conducted in Junagadh district of Gujarat to ascertain the housing management practices followed by Jaffarabadi buffalo owners and data were collected from randomly selected 320 respondents through personal interview with the help of structured interview schedule. The study revealed that most (84.06%) of respondents followed stall feeding system for their buffaloes. About 59.38% of buffalo owners fed their buffaloes thrice or more in a day. Majority (75.62%) of respondents provided non-leguminous green fodder and 75.93% respondents fed groundnut gotar as a dry fodder. About 80.31, 84.06 and 91.88% of the respondents fed green and dry fodder as such, fed home-made concentrate feed and not followed scientific criteria for feeding of concentrates, respectively, to their animals. Majority (62.18%) of respondents fed concentrates during milking. About 85.31, 88.12 and 96.88% of buffalo owners fed concentrates to young calves, heifers and advanced pregnant heifers, respectively. Only 23.43 and 26.25% of the respondents provided mineral mixture and salt to their buffaloes. 80.31% of respondents provided water three times in a day in ad libitum quantity.

Climatological impact on groundnut crop over Junagadh district

The present study investigated the climatic vulnerability of the peanut cropping system in Gujarat's Junagadh district. The Junagadh district is situated in western Gujarat between the latitudes of 70.150 and 70.550 and the longitudes of 20.470 and 21.450. One of the significant oil seed crops in India is the groundnut crop. Gujarat is India's top groundnut producer. Gujarat's Junagadh district produces the majority of the state's ground net crops. Planning for climate change mitigation efforts requires an understanding of the past, present, and projected temperatures and precipitation in the Junagadh district. IMD provided historical daily temperature data with a resolution of 100 km for the years 1951 to 2019.Historical daily temperature data from 1951 to 2019 is downscaled to 1 km from IMD at a resolution of 100 km x 100 km. Data on historical precipitation was downscale from Cru's 25 km x 25 km resolution to 10 km. The temperature projections (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) for five South Asian codex domain models at resolutions of 50 km x 50 km and scaled down to 1 km are displayed. 50 km x 50km and 10km downscale daily data from five South Asian codex domain models. The Taylor diagram demonstrated that, when tested against cru data, all models perform better in terms of rainfall and temperature. The cm5a model outperformed the other models in terms of performance. Maximum temperatures are seen to rise from 32.760 C to 35.50 C (RCP 4.5) and 37.20 C (RCP 8.5) and minimum temperatures are seen to rise from 23.920 C to 25.300 C (RCP 4.5) and 27.480 C between 1970 and 2100 (RCP 8.5). June, a crucial month for the germination stage of groundnut crops, sees an increase in both the maximum and minimum temperatures. From 1970 to 2100, June to November total precipitation increased from 853.2 mm to 1029 (RCP 4.5) and 1097 mm, respectively (RCP 8.5).

Factors affecting crop diversification

Diversification is introduction of alternate crops, may give good scope to break the monotony of the traditional system of cultivation. Crop diversification provides better conditions for food security and enables farmers to grow surplus products for sale at market and thus help to obtain increased income to meet other needs related to household well-being. The present study was an attempt to identify the factors affecting crop diversification in Junagadh district of Saurashtra region. The present study is based on primary data and multistage stratified random sampling technique was followed to select 120 respondents spread over six villages of three talukas of Junagadh district. The major factors responsible for the change in crop diversification were family size, size of landholding, income of the family, distance to market and education level of the farmer were found significant. Whereas, age of the farmer and experience in farming was found non-significant. This study also found that the key socio-economic variables such as the age of the farmer, family size, size of landholding, income of the family, education level of the farmer and experience in farming were shown positive influence on the crop diversification in the study area. Distance to market was negatively influenced the diversification in crop.

Farm Women’s Assessment of On-Campus Training Programmes Conducted by Farmer Training Centre, Junagadh

To assess the opinions of farm women on diff erent aspects of trainings organized by Farmer Training Centre (FTC), Junagadh, the present study was conducted using ex-post facto research design during 2019-2020. The multistage and purposive sampling technique was used for the study. Total eight villages and 240 farm women respondents were selected from Junagadh district for the study. It can be concluded from the study that majority of the farm women were interested in off campus training as compared to on campus training programmes. The research showed that out of total, 24.16 per cent of the farm women strongly agreed that staff of the FTC was cooperative, 21.66 per cent of them agreed with management of the training by FTC was good. Majority agreed that lessons were conducted as per the plan (47.00%), content of the training was relevant (46.00%). Training followed by demonstration (75.83%) and use of training aids (77.00%) were most prioritized by farm women. The major suggestions given by farm women to improve training programme were; more practical classes, fi eld visit and demonstration should be organized, followed by method demonstration must be used for complex technologies, more emphasis should be given on practical, female trainers should be preferred.