Singh et al.

ofȱpotatoȱinȱplainȱareasȱlikeȱGujrat,ȱUttarȱPradesh,ȱ potatoȱproductionȱinȱtheȱstateȱ(Tableȱ1).ȱTwoȱblocksȱ

Westȱ Bengal,ȱ Biharȱ etcȱ isȱ higherȱ thanȱ hillyȱ statesȱ fromȱ eachȱ districtȱ namelyȱ Mashobaraȱ andȱ Theogȱ

likeȱHimachal,ȱJammu-KashmirȱandȱNorth-Easternȱ fromȱShimla,ȱSundernagarȱandȱDrangȱfromȱMandiȱ

states.

andȱ Nagrotaȱ Bagwanȱ andȱ Bhawarnaȱ blocksȱ fromȱ

Theȱ hillyȱ stateȱ ofȱ Himachalȱ Pradeshȱ (HP)ȱ knownȱ

Kangraȱwereȱselectedȱandȱ15ȱfarmersȱfromȱeachȱblockȱ

asȱfruitȱbowlȱofȱtheȱcountryȱhasȱaȱvastȱpotentialȱforȱ

wereȱ selectedȱ usingȱ multistageȱ randomȱ samplingȱ

vegetableȱcultivationȱalso.ȱPotatoȱisȱmostlyȱproducedȱ

techniquesȱmakingȱaȱtotalȱsampleȱsizeȱofȱ90ȱfarmers.ȱ

inȱShimla,ȱMandi,ȱKangra,ȱSirmour,ȱLahaul-Spitiȱandȱ

Theȱdataȱwasȱcollectedȱthroughȱpersonalȱinterviewȱ

UnaȱdistrictsȱofȱHP.ȱSummerȱcropȱofȱpotatoȱisȱgrownȱ

methodȱusingȱaȱstructuredȱinterviewȱschedule.ȱTheȱ

fromȱ March/Aprilȱ toȱ Septemberȱ underȱ rainfedȱ

collectedȱ dataȱ wasȱ properlyȱ coded,ȱ tabulatedȱ andȱ

conditionsȱinȱhighȱhillsȱ i.e. ȱ2700ȱmeterȱaboveȱmeanȱ

analyzedȱusingȱappropriateȱstatisticalȱtools.

seaȱlevelȱ(Pandeyȱ et al. 2008).ȱTheȱclimaticȱconditionȱ

inȱhigherȱhillsȱofȱHPȱ viz. ȱShimlaȱandȱMandiȱdistrict,ȱ

Table 1: Potato production in different districts of HP

isȱveryȱsuitableȱforȱseedȱpotatoȱproductionȱandȱthereȱ

during 2010-11

isȱaȱvastȱopportunitiesȱtoȱincreaseȱproductionȱasȱwellȱ

asȱproductivity.ȱMoreover,ȱthereȱisȱaȱhighȱdemandȱofȱ

Production % contribution

Sl. No.

Name of District

tableȱpotatoȱfromȱHPȱbecauseȱofȱitsȱoffȱseasonȱnature.ȱ

(MT)

to state

Theȱ harvestedȱ freshȱ potatoȱ ofȱ thisȱ areaȱ isȱ soldȱ asȱ

1

Bilaspur

1000

0.48

Pahari Aloo inȱvariousȱpartsȱofȱtheȱcountryȱatȱaȱhigherȱ

2

Chamba

6250

3.03

priceȱ(ArunȱPanditȱ et al .ȱ2010).ȱPotatoȱwasȱproducedȱ

3

Hamirpur

250

0.08

onȱ19,199ȱhaȱareaȱinȱHPȱwithȱaȱproductionȱofȱ2,05,283ȱ

4

Kangra

47700

15.58

metricȱtonesȱ(StatisticalȱOutlineȱofȱHP,ȱ2014).ȱThus,ȱ

5

Kinnaur

2600

0.85

averageȱ productivityȱ ofȱ potatoȱ inȱ HPȱ wasȱ onlyȱ

6

Kullu

9080

2.97

12.9ȱ tones/haȱ whichȱ isȱ farȱ belowȱ nationalȱ averageȱ

7

Lahaul-Spiti

9500

4.61

productivity.ȱ Theȱ reasonȱ ofȱ lowȱ productivityȱ mayȱ

8

Mandi

21500

7.02

beȱlackȱofȱknowledgeȱofȱimprovedȱpotatoȱvarietiesȱ

andȱscientificȱtechniquesȱofȱpotatoȱcultivationȱamongȱ

9

Shimla

78240

25.57

farmers.ȱTheȱproductivityȱofȱpotatoȱhasȱalsoȱdeclinedȱ

10

Sirmour

18000

8.73

probablyȱ becauseȱ ofȱ moreȱ interestȱ towardsȱ apple,ȱ

11

Solan

5850

2.84

cauliflowerȱandȱpeaȱcultivationȱinȱtheȱrecentȱyears.ȱ

12

Una

6000

2.91

Productivityȱofȱpotatoȱcanȱbeȱincreasedȱbyȱincreasingȱ

Total

205970

100

theȱknowledgeȱlevelȱofȱfarmersȱregardingȱimprovedȱ

varietiesȱ andȱ recommendedȱ technologiesȱ whichȱ inȱ

Theȱfollowingȱdeviceȱwasȱdevelopedȱtoȱmeasureȱtheȱ

turnȱ willȱ increaseȱ adoptionȱ rate.ȱ Keepingȱ inȱ viewȱ

extentȱofȱknowledgeȱofȱfarmersȱregardingȱscientificȱ

aboveȱscenario,ȱtheȱpresentȱstudyȱwasȱcarriedȱoutȱtoȱ

potatoȱproductionȱtechnology.

findȱoutȱtheȱknowledgeȱlevelȱofȱpotatoȱgrowersȱandȱ

itsȱcorrelatesȱregardingȱscientificȱmethodsȱofȱpotatoȱ

cultivation.

Where,

Materials and Methods

KI=ȱKnowledgeȱIndexȱofȱaȱrespondent

Thisȱ studyȱ wasȱ conductedȱ duringȱ 2011-12ȱ inȱ threeȱ

Theȱ KIȱ inȱ relationȱ toȱ scientificȱ potatoȱ productionȱ

districtsȱofȱHimachalȱPradeshȱnamelyȱShimla,ȱMandiȱ

technologiesȱ wasȱ calculatedȱ byȱ theȱ formulaȱ

andȱKangra.ȱTheseȱdistrictsȱwereȱselectedȱpurposivelyȱ

mentionedȱearlier.ȱTheȱmeanȱandȱStandardȱDeviationȱ

sinceȱ theyȱ togetherȱ contributeȱ almostȱ halfȱ ofȱ totalȱ

(S.D.)ȱ ofȱ theȱ individualȱ KIȱ regardingȱ scientificȱ

382