Impact of interventions on knowledge and adoption of improved technologies in ber (Ziziphus mauritiana) cultivation

The present study was conducted to ascertain the knowledge gain and adoption level of ten specific technologies demonstrated through various interventions during earlier years by the KVK. Barmer, chohtan, Baytoo, Balotra, and Gudamalani blocks of Barmer District were taken for study and 20 beneficiary farmers were randomly selected from each block. The data were collected through personal interview with well-designed questionnaire. The data revealed that the gain in knowledge was more than 50 per cent for technologies viz., time and method of pruning of Ber (72%), use of micronutrient (68%), plant protection techniques and time of planting (65%), method of manure and fertilizer application (58%), drip irrigation (54%) and recommended dose of fertilizer (51%). Similarly, time and method of pruning, plant protection techniques and recommended dose of fertilizer recorded the highest extent of adoption as 63, 56 and 19 per cent, respectively. This could be due to the easiness and effectiveness of technologies at field level application and yield enhancement. Though the acquisition of knowledge for the technologies like value addition (58%), use of micronutrient (68%) and drip irrigation (62%) was high, the number of farmers adopting these technologies were very low i.e., 31, 25 and 13 per cent, respectively.