Technology mapping and adoption behaviour for sugarcane protection technologies by Dharmapuri District Sugarcane growers

Sugarcane is the second most important industrial crop in the country occupying about 5 million hectares of area with the production of 376.9 mt.  Although more than 40% of the cane area in the country is in Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu ranks first in productivity of sugarcane. Even though Tamil Nadu is in higher productivity zone, the average farm level potential yield was very less which leads lot of scope for increasing production in Tamil Nadu. Sugarcane farmers from Tamil Nadu ranged from small to large. All the farmers not following all the recommended practices. Hence, a study is required to analyses the predominant technologies in the particular area and adoption behavior of the farmers to bridge the technological gap. With that idea in mind, a study has been taken up with the objectives that to document the technological mapping and to study the adoption behavior of sugarcane farmers at Subaramani Siva Co-operative Sugar Mill area in Dharmapui district of Tamil Nadu state. From Dharmapuri districts seven blocks were selected. From each block ten respondents were selected; thus 70 respondents were constituted for the study. The Study revealed that all the blocks are not similar in case of technologies, the predominant technologies are differing block to block. Adoption pattern for protection technologies reveled that integrated weed management was adopted by majority of the respondent. The technologies ‘pheromone trap’ and ‘soil trenching of recommended termiticides’ are not at all adopted by the respondents in the study area

Social and technological dimensions; and constraint analysis in sugarcane cultivation of Theni district of Tamil Nadu, India

Bridging the yield gap in any crop cultivation should be the prime objective of any research efforts. By following the recommended production-cum-protection technologies, farmers can bridge the yield gap in any crop. As per sugarcane is concerned, the average cane yield in Tamil Nadu is 101 t/ha, which is lower than the potential yield of 203.7 t/ha resulting in yield gap of 50.42%. With this in mind, a study has been initiated to explore the social and technology dimensions and constraints involved in cane cultivation to addressing the issue of yield gap. Six blocks from Theni district under Rajshree Sugars & Chemicals Ltd were selected as study area. Information collected from sixty sugarcane farmers with semi structured interview schedule. The study revealed that majority (91.7%) of the respondents had more than 5 years of experience in sugarcane cultivation. Further, it revealed that the technologies, seed rate (83.3%), planting season (75.00%), primary tillage with mould board / disc plough (67%), gap filling, two split application of N and K (58.3%) and Organic fertilizer application  (58.3%), stubble shaving, off baring (50.0%) had adoption rate of more than 50 percentage. Major constraints faced by cent per cent of the respondents were; non availability of labour and high labour cost, prolonged drought and water scarcity, low procuring cost per by sugar factory, yield reduction due to continuous cultivation of sugarcane. The novelty and importance of the study is that it mainly analysis all the sugarcane production and protection technologies from seed rate to harvest in three point continuum viz., fully adopted, partially adopted and not adopted

Tribal farmers' perceived constraints in the adoption of good dairy farming practices in the northern hills zone of Chhattisgarh, India

This study was carried out during the year 2014-15 to explore the perceived constraints encountered by the tribal dairy farmers in the successful adoption of Good Dairy Farming Practices (GDFPs). Out of 27 districts in Chhattisgarh, three tribal populated districts were selected for this study from northern hills zone of the state and totally 300 respondents were selected for constraints analysis. The study revealed that 55.33 % of the tribal farmers realised that insufficient knowledge and awareness towards good dairy farming practices is the major constraints in the adoption process, majority (70.00 %) of the tribal farmers perceived that lack of progeny tested superior bulls for AI and natural service are the main constraint in the adoption of good breeding practices, about (75.70 %) of the tribal farmers expressed the higher cost of concentrates, mineral mixtures and vitamin supplements are the main constraints in the adoption of good feeding practices, majority (70.70 %) of the tribal farmers responded that less number of veterinary hospitals in their locality is the main constraints and its ranks first in the healthcare constraints list, little less than three-fourths (67.67 %) of the tribal farmers articulated that lack of advanced farm machineries (portable milking unit) for small dairy holders is the main constraints in the adoption of good management practices and about three-fourths (75.30 %) of the tribal farmers conveyed that the lack of insurance for longer period is the main constraints and tops in the socio-economic constraints. This constraints study will be highly useful to policy makers and the scientific community to assess the dairy production technologies for refinement and appropriate strategies can be formulated to promote tribal dairying from subsistence level to intensive in order to increase the income from dairy sector

Eco-friendly fishing methods and techniques practiced in the northern hills zone of Chhattisgarh state, India

Indian forests have the potential to safeguard the livelihood of forest dwelling people, particularly tribal people, who are among the most disadvantaged groups in our society. Tribal people generally depend on forests for their cultural, spiritual, and to varying degree of economic needs. Fishing is one of the important livelihood activities of the tribal community since the time immortal. Fishing provides the source of livelihood as well as nutritional security to the tribal family significantly. An explorative study was conducted in participatory mode to explore the eco-friendly fishing methods. Totally, 300 respondents were selected for this study. The data was documented with the help of participatory observation, focused group discussions with triangulation procedures. In the paper, eco-friendly fishing methods such as Kumani, Pahata, Mora, Donga, Pelna, Choppa, Mora, Gulel, Bhawarjal, Ditori, Beetaah, Chiwaar, Baahla and Jholna and their working procedures are discussed. Jholna used to catch small and medium sized fishes upto 5-7 kg/day. The production cost of this choppa is less than Rs. 250 and it is used to catch small sized fishes up to 1.5-2.5kg/day. Kumani is used to catch small sized fishes and crabs upto 1-2 kg/day. The making cost of Pelna is around Rs. 650 and it is used to catch fishes upto 6-7 kg/day. The construction cost of Pahata gear is around Rs. 2000 and It is used to catch medium to big sized fishes upto 8-10kg/day

An exploratory study on cultural and health significance of traditional tattooing practices among tribal community in Chhattisgarh state, India

This explorative study carried out from four districts of Chhattisgarh state namely Surajpur, Surguja, Balrampur and Jashpur. From each district, four villages were selected and from each village 25 tribal respondents were selected thus 300 respondents were selected for this study. About 65.33 percent of the tribal were between 36and 50 years of age group, more than one fourth (34.67%) of the farmers were educated up to primary school level, about half (49.00 %) of the respondents were at the income range of Rs. 25,001 to Rs. 75,000 and about 80% of the population of the state is rural and the main livelihood of the villagers is agriculture and agriculture-based small industry. Tattooing is one of the livelihood option for the tribal community in the study area. Tattooing has been practiced across the world since at least Neolithic times (7000 BCE), as confirmed by mummified preserved skin, prehistoric art, literatures, poetry, proverbs and the archaeological records. In Southern India, permanent tattoos are called pachakutharathu. In northern India, permanent tattoos are called Godna. Tattoos have been used as cultural symbols among many tribal populations, as well as the caste-based Hindu population of India. These tattoos have also been used as integral part of the tribal’s lifestyle Chhattisgarh state of India

Socio-Economic Profiling of Tribal Dairy Farmers in Northern Hills Zone of Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh is traditionally known as the Rice Bowl of Central India. Chhattisgarh state has one of highest shares of Scheduled Tribe (ST) population within a state, accounting for about 10 per cent of the STs in India. Scheduled Castes and STs together constitute more than 50 per cent of the state’s population. Agriculture is counted as the chief economic occupation of the state. About 80% of the population of the state is rural and the main livelihood of the villagers is agriculture and agriculture-based small industry. This exploratory study was conducted in the tribal populated districts of Chhattisgarh state. In this paper, socio-economic profile of tribal farmers are discussed in detail. About 65.33 percent of the tribal farmers were between 36 and 50 years of age group, more than one fourth (34.67%) of the farmers were educated up to primary school level, less than half  (39.00%) of the respondents had subsistence dairy farming + Minor forest products collection + labour as their sole occupations, nearly half (43.67%) of the respondents were marginal farmers, more than half (62.00 %) of the farmers were found with medium level of farming experience, about half (49.00 %) of the respondents were at the income range of Rs. 25,001 to Rs. 75,000, about half (44.67 %) of the respondents falling under the category of medium herd size followed by 35.67 percent in small and 19.66 percent in large herd size, more than half (56.33%) of the tribal dairy farmers falling under the category of subsistence level of dairy production system

Effects of acupuncture and massage on pain, quality of sleep and health related quality of life in patient with systemic lupus erythematosus

A 41-years-old woman diagnosed of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in 2006 came to our hospital - outpatient department with the complaint of severe pain and swelling over multiple joints associated with disturbed sleep/sleeplessness and poor quality of life since seven years. She received acupuncture (20 minutes) and massage (20 minutes) daily for the period of 30 days with 7 days of rest period in between after first 15 days. After intervention we observed reduction of pain in Visual Analog Scale score; improvement in day time sleepiness, and quality of sleep in Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, respectively; improvement in health related quality of life in Short Form-36 version 2 (SF-36v2) Health Survey. These results showed that acupuncture and massage can be considered as an integrative approach for symptomatic management of SLE