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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
Vermicomposting is a simple biotechnological process of composting, in which certain species of earthworms are used to enhance the process of waste conversion and produce a better end product. A cross sectional study was conducted in Erode and Tirupur districts of Tamil Nadu among randomly selected 120 Kangayam cattle farmers. A semi structured interview schedule was prepared to assess the independent variables and to measure the knowledge level of farmers. The schedule was pretested in order to check the reliability and validity. The data were collected by adopting personal interview method and they were tabulated, analysed with suitable statistical tools. The study revealed that majority of the respondents (56.67 %) were middle aged, having small land holding of 2.5 acres to 5 acres of land (67.50 %) and were primarily agriculturist (81.67 %). Regarding the experience in Kangayam cattle rearing 35.83 per cent of the respondents had 7 – 10 years of experience followed by 28.33 per cent of them had more than 10 years of experience in Kangayam cattle rearing. With related to the psychological variables majority (61.67 %) of the respondents were of medium level of risk orientation and 57.50 of them are having high level of social participation. It was also found that, about 60.00 per cent of the respondents are had medium level of mass media exposure followed by high level of mass media exposure (24.17 %). Majority of the respondents (55.83 %) had medium level of knowledge in various domains of vermicompost technology followed by 31.67 per cent of the respondents are possessing low level of knowledge in vermicompost technology. Only 12.50 per cent of the respondents are having high level of knowledge in vermicomposting. The study also showed that the variables experience in Kangayam cattle rearing and mass media exposure are positively and significantly associated with the level of knowledge at 1% significant level and the variables viz., age, Kangayam cattle herd size and risk orientation are positively associated with knowledge level at 5% significant level. Hence, suitable extension programmes should be planned to inculcate the knowledge about the vermicompost technology to increase the compost production in the future farming conditions.