A Study on Knowledge Level and Adoption Behaviour of Improved Cultivation Practices of Pearl Millet Growers in Bijapur District of Karnataka

Pearl millet is predominantly cultivated as a rainfed crop in diverse soils and climate. It is a drought and heat tolerant crop among cereal crops. It has the highest water use efficiency under drought stress. The features associated with cultivation of this crop are low value status, adoption to poor resource base production and consumption of poorer section of the society. In northern Karnataka, Bijapur district stands for highest area and production. The study revealed that majority of the respondents belonged to the medium level of knowledge as this crop grown with the long experience of farmers and cultivation practices being simple and easy to adopt. Majority of the respondents belonged to the medium level of adoption category followed by high and low adoption category. The practices like harrowing, varieties/hybrids, seed rate, optimum time of sowing and right time of harvesting were fully adopted by majority of farmers. Cent per cent of respondents not adopted spraying to control ergot of bajra.