PLANT PROTECTION MANAGEMENT PRACTICES USED BY THE FARMERS IN POTATO CULTIVATION

Abstract

The study examines the status of plant protection management practices in potato cultivation and estimates the contribution of the selected characteristics of the cultivators with their plant protection management practices to potato cultivation. This study is an integration of quantitative data that were collect in Pashuram block of Rangpur sadar. Data were gathered from 112 potato cultivators from 07 February to 06 March, 2017. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression were used for analysis. Most of the farmers (52.7 percent) belong to medium use of plant protection management practices followed by high use of plant protection management practices (39.3 percent). Among the variables- level of education, annual family income from potato cultivation, potato cultivation experience, knowledge on potato cultivation, usages of mass media, training exposure, organizational participation were significant contributor and provided 71.0 percent variation in use of plant protection management practices in potato cultivation. It was also found that lack of cold storage positioned the 1 st as per Problem Faced Index (PFI) while getting low service from extension workers ranked at the last position regarding problems faced by farmers in potato cultivation. It is recommended that DAE (Department of Agricultural Extension) should invest on improving growers knowledge on potato cultivation and using diverse mass media to increase the extent of use of plant protection management practices in potato cultivation.