Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2017) 6(11): 3992-4000 International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 6 Number 11 (2017) pp. 3992-4000 Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com Original Research Article https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2017.611.468 A Detailed Study on Identification and Categorization of Various Constraints Faced by Cashew Growers in Cuddalore District of Tamil Nadu Post the Impact of Thane Storm, India M. Balarubini1*, C. Karthikeyan2 and T.N. Sujeetha1 1Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology, TNAU, Tamil Nadu, India 2Agricultural College and Research Institute, TNAU, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India *Corresponding author ABSTRACT Climate change is widely accepted to be a prime cause for natural disasters. An K e yw or ds acute need to identify and understand the constraints faced by the disaster affected Constraints, farming community to provide them with appropriate solutions as a mean for Production, empowerment. The study was conducted in Panruti block of Cuddalore district Psychological, Social, with sample size of 194 Thane affected cashew growers. The objective of the Environmental and paper is to analyse the constraints confronted by Thane affected cashew growers Personal . on various dimensions. The respondents were interviewed personally by a well- Article Info structured interview schedule. The findings clearly discuss about the five sub- Accepted: heads viz., production technology related constraints, psychological constraints, 28 September 2017 social constraints, environmental constraints and personal constraints. Humongous Available Online: range of 93.30 per cent of respondents were found to not adopt erection of bore 10 November 2017 wells as the main production technology related constraint. Introduction Identification of problems and constraints (iii) donors working for a particular clientele faced by the disaster affected citizens is group and (iv) high demands of the farming important to draw suggestions and community (Chandramohan, 2006). The key frameworks for policies to overcome the lacunas still remaining in proper management problems identified. In the same lines, various of disaster is in redefining institutional based studies in the past on problems/constraints and, in that, ingraining adequate capacity is faced by disaster affected farmers or people critically important. It is noted that in the were surfed through and some of the relevant affected coast, the preparedness has lost research findings pertaining to the present momentum beyond establishment of Tsunami study is furnished. The constraints/ challenges Warning System for the Indian Ocean faced in the Post Tsunami agriculture (Neupane, 2010). The Tamil Nadu Chief livelihood restoration include: (i) limitation of Minister also said that the fishermen will be government reclamation plans, (ii) NGOs eligible to get between 20 thousand to ` 1 lakh having their own ideologies/methodologies, depending on the model of damaged vessels. 3992 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2017) 6(11): 3992-4000 But the Government is yet to announce any Results and Discussion relief for crop damages (Women Federation, 2012). Cashew crop on about 29,000 Ha of Constraints in adopting the relief measures land but not a single delivery has been made by the Thane affected cashew growers to the district. Hence, not a single farmer has been able to raise fresh crops. These farmers Thane being a natural disaster, the are having very poor yield because they are Government of Tamil Nadu has provided compelled to sell the raw cashews in low various mitigation and relief measures to prices since they lack resources to invest in counter the impact of the storm. It is of prime technologies for processing and packaging the importance that the beneficiaries had to adopt nuts for enhancing product quality (Sachdeva, these measures to reap the maximum benefits. 2013). During the research investigation the respondents had expressed various constraints The measures taken by the Government in the in adopting the relief measures provided by pre Thane cyclone are giving news about the various agencies. cyclone, warnings and announcement of holidays. But, the respondents report that the The constraints encountered by the Government did not assist in providing basic respondents in adoption of the recommended needs to the commons (Damodaran, 2015). technologies for cashew cultivation Post- The causes for adoption and non-adoption of Thane are discussed under five heads. They recommended practices would help both the are: farmers and the extension functionaries to manipulate better planning and execution of Production technology related Constraints mitigation efforts. Psychological Constraints Social Constraints Materials and Methods Environmental Constraints and Personal Constraints Considering the criteria viz., maximum area under cashew cultivation as well as maximum Production technologies related constraints number of farmers affected by Thane storm, Panruti block of Cuddalore district was New and improved production technologies selected for the study. Considering the same are being promoted by the Department of criteria, the Block Development Office was Horticulture envisaging the mitigation of the also consulted to select the top three villages impact posed by Thane storm. The viz., Vegakollai, Kadampuliyar and Marangur distribution of respondents based on their which had maximum area under cashew adoption status of various cashew production cultivation as well as maximum number of technologies is presented in the Table 1. farmers affected by Thane storm. Employing Details furnished in the Table 1 are in the proportionate sampling method, 194 Thane descending order based on the adoption status affected cashew growers were selected of the respective technologies by the randomly from the three selected villages. respondents. The inferences drawn based on The primary data was collected during multiple interactions with the respondents in November, 2014. Percentage analysis was alignment to the constraints faced by them for used to find out the frequency distribution of non-adoption and reasons that influenced the constraints. adoption behaviour is discussed in detail below: 3993 Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2017) 6(11): 3992-4000 Intercropping soil application of Sevidol 4G at the rate of 75gm per tree to prevent adult beetles from Intercropping is a known technology to laying eggs. Grow catch crops or host trees enhance the income generating potential of a like Moringa and Silk Cotton to divert CSRB unit of land. Intercropping is a multiple from cashew. cropping practices involving growing two or more crops in proximity. The most common Management of TMB: Spraying of goal of intercropping is to produce a greater Profenophos 35 EC (1ml per Litre) and yield on a given piece of land by making use Carbendazim (1gm per Litre) during the of resources that would otherwise not be fleshing period and if incidence is persistent utilized by a single crop. Since the take up another spray of Chlorpyriphos 2.5 ml productivity and income generating capability per Litre at one week interval was of cashew was severely impacted by Thane recommended. storm, the farmers need to obtain maximum benefit out of their available land, water and Treatment of seedling with bio-fertilizer other resources has enabled them to adopt intercropping to an extent of 100 per cent. Treatment of cashew seedlings with Bio- fertilizers like Azospirillum and Pesticide application Phospobacteria to enhance the plant capability to uptake available soil nitrogen Like any other commercially grown crop, and phosphorous respectively has an adoption cashew is also prone to pest and disease level of 87.11 per cent. The key reason behind attack. The common pests quoted by the this large scale adoption is due to the respondents are (i) Cashew Stem & Root availability and provision of these bio- Borer (CSRB) – Plocaederus ferrugineus. (ii) fertilizers at free of cost by the State Tea Mosquito Bug (TMB) – Helopeltis Department of Horticulture. The 12.89 per antonii. Since the pest incidence is ominous, cent growers who come under non-adopter application of pesticides has become category revealed that these bio-fertilizers had imminent for the cashew growers to protect not reached them at the time of planting. Yet, the crop and its yield. The respondents also the growers expressed willingness to adopt expressed that the pest infestation has the technology if it continues to be available increased significantly Post-Thane due to lack at free of cost or subsidized cost. of nutrition and resilience in the crop. Hence around 92 per cent of the respondents Appropriate spacing reported use of pesticides. About one-tenth (8%) of the farmers who didn‟t take up Spacing is an important criteria and application of pesticides expressed that they fundamental principle in commercial can‟t afford to go for chemical pest control production of any crop. Optimum space and they go to others farm as labourers to provided per plant/tree will enable the roots to make up the losses incurred due to pest grow with less competition for soil & water incidence. The pesticides used by the growers resources and the shoots to grow luxuriously for managing the above mentioned pests are with less competition for sunlight & air. given below; Around 70.62 per cent of the growers had adopted appropriate spacing recommended by CSRB: Coal Tar + Kerosene @ 1:2 ratio or the State Department. The spacing