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O. SARADA
Senior Scientist (Extension) DAATTC, ANGRAU, ONGOLE – 523 002
The present investigation was carried out in Prakasam District of Andhra Pradesh during the year 2015-16. An ex-post-
facto research design was used to analyze technological gap in Bt cotton production technology. One hundred and twenty farmers from eight villages of four major Bt cotton growing mandals represented the sample of the study. Majority (57.60%) of the Bt cotton farmers were with medium technological gap followed by 24.00 per cent in high and 18.00 per cent low technological gap categories. Major technological gap was recorded in the time of application of P fertilizer (64.73%) followed by seed treatment (63.89), micronutrient management (60.56%), irrigation (56.83%), pest and disease management (54.88%), time of K application (51.67%) and manure application (51.39%). Major correlates of technological gap were education, extension contact, innovativeness, trainings undergone and mass media use and they were negatively correlated with technological gap. Major training needs identified were high yielding Bt cotton hybrids (92.50%), weed management (81.67%), sucking pest management (74.17%), drought management (64.17%), fertilizer management (57.50%) and compatibility of insecticides and fungicides (55.00%). Major constraints expressed by farmers in Bt cotton production were sucking pest incidence (82.50%), increased micro nutrient deficien- cies (70.00%), terminal moisture stress (67.50%), wilt (63.33%), poor yields(59.17%), continuous mono cropping (55.83%), high seed cost (54.17%) and increased cost of cultivation (51.67%).
KEY WORDS: Bt cotton, technological gap, training needs