KNOWLEDGE OF GROUNDNUT GROWERS ABOUT INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR REDHEADED HAIRY CATERPILLAR IN CHITRADURGA DISTRICT

The study was conducted in purposively selected four taluks of Chitradurga district. From each
taluk 10 villages and from each village five groundnut growers were selected randomly thus making
a total sample of 200 farmeus. The study revealed that majority of the farmers (49%) had medium
knowledge level about Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices. Majority of the farmers had full
knowledge on weeding (92.50%), summer ploughing (80%) growing cowpea/pigeon pea as intercrop
(70%). Under the chemical control practices 50 per cent of farmers had full knowledge on insecticide
applied, frequency of pesticide and its concentration. With regard to mechanical control methods
majority of the farmers had low knowledge on pheromone traps (88%), destruction of alternate host
plants(80%) and setting up of light traps (80%). Incase of insecticide of plant origin of IPM practices
farmers had low knowledge on frequency of spraying name seed kernel extract (92.50%), its
concentrations (87.50%) and preparation (75%). Out of IB characteristics education, farm size, social participation, mass media participation, cosmopoliteness, extension participation and innovation proness had positive and significant relationship with knowledge of IPM practices. All the 13 characteristics taken together explained a variation in 69.27 per cent towards the knowledge level. The results indicate that the systematic efforts on the part of extension agency are required to enlight and orient the groundnut growers on IPM practices having less knowledge.