ADOPTION OF MIXED CROPPING IN RABI SEASON BY THE FARMERS OF MADARIPUR SADAR UPAZILA

Abstract

The main purpose of the study was to determine the extent of mixed cropping in rabi season by the farmers of Madaripur sadar upazila and to explore the relationships between the selected characteristics of the respondents and their extent of adoption of mixed cropping in Rabi season. The study was conducted in four unions covering eight villages of Madaripur sadar upazila .Data were collected from randomly selected I 00 farmers by using a pre-tested interview schedule during the period from November 15 to December 15, 2007. From the study it was found that the highest proportion (51 percent) of the farmers had low adoption of mixed cropping compared to 40 and 9 percent having medium and high adoption of mixed cropping respectively. Pearson Product Moment Correlation(s) test was used to ascertain the relationships between the concerned dependent and independent variables of the study. Findings revealed that number of family labor, cropping intensity, annual family income, credit received, training exposure and knowledge on mixed cropping had significant positive relationship with the adoption of mixed cropping while age, level of education, land possession, extension contact, and organization participation had no significant relationship with the adoption of mixed cropping. On the basis of descending order of Problem Faced Index (PFI) the farmers confronted the problems were "lack of extension service", "lack of inputs in time", "lack of technical knowledge", "unfavorable climate", "difficult to practice mixed cropping", "high pest attack", and "less crop production by adopting mixed cropping"