1. KAUTIR (Kerala Agricultural University Theses Information and Retrieval)
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Item Problems and prospects of medicinal plant cultivation in Thiruvananthapuram district(Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2000) Allan Thomas; Padmanabhan, V BA research study entitled "Problems and prospects of medicinal plant cultivation in Thiruvananthapuram district" was undertaken with a view to assess the knowledge of the medicinal plant cultivators on the medicinal value of the plants cultivated by them, to identify the training need of the cultivators in medicinal plant cultivation, to study the market orientation of the cultivators, to analyse the cost-benefit relationship of medicinal plant cultivation and to identify the problems and solutions in medicinal plant cultivation. One hundred medicinal plant cultivators were selected from the four taluks of Thiruvananthapuram district using stratified random sampling technique with proportionate allocation. Data were collected by using a structured interview schedule. Knowledge was assessed by developing a knowledge test for the study. Training need was identified using the method developed by Bhatnagar (1987). Market orientation was studied by using the method developed by Anantharaman (1991), which included identification of marketing channels and analysis of cost- benefit relationship of medicinal plant cultivation by using input-output analysis in terms of economic aspects of medicinal plant cultivation. Problems and solutions in medicinal plant cultivation as perceived by the cultivators, procurers and retail shop dealers were identified by using open-end questions. Ranking was done to identify the importance of the problems and solutions. Majority of the medicinal plant cultivators had medium to high-level knowledge on the medicinal value of the plants cultivated by them. The independent variables, namely, age, farming experience, experience in medicinal plant cultivation, farm size, area under medicinal plant cultivation, annual income, income from medicinal plant cultivation, extension contact, extension participation, mass media exposure and information seeking behaviour were having significant and positive relationship with knowledge. The variable education was found to have no relationship with knowledge on medicinal value of plants cultivated by them. Marketing was perceived as the most important area of training at knowledge level followed by processing, storing, seeds and sowing, harvesting, land preparation, manuring, weeding, plant protection and irrigation in the descending order of importance whereas for training need at skill level, processing was holding first preference followed by harvesting, storing, marketing, seeds and sowing, land preparation, plant protection, manuring, weeding and irrigation. Market orientation of the cultivators was studied under two heads, namely, identification of marketing channels and analysis of cost-benefit relationship of medicinal plant cultivation. Among the marketing channels identified, the producer-dealer-ayurvedic medicine manufactures was the channel through which bulk of the produces were marketed. The cost-benefit relationship of medicinal plant cultivation revealed that it was a profitable enterprise. The problems identified in the descending order of importance by medicinal plant cultivators, procurers and retailers were, pre-harvest and post-harvest handling, lack of storage facilities unorganised marketing, non availability of genuine planting materials, lack of developmental and extension service, lack of research work for developing new varieties, lack of credit/loan facilities, lack of cultivators package of practices, over- exploitation of wild medicinal plants, fluctuations in market price, substitution and adulteration, confusion with respect to identification of the species, inexorable monetisation of medicinal plant economy, absence of practical training, climate and soil and lack of co-ordination among medicinal plant cultivators. Training of farmers in pre-harvest and post-harvest handling of medicinal plant produce, providing suitable storage facilities, creating a regulated market for the medicinal plant produces, ensuring regular and timely supply of genuine planting materials through government and service agencies, initiating more research for developing new varieties of improved medicinal properties, providing credit or loans through institutionalised agencies at low interest rates, providing the farming community with a unique and standardised package of practices recommendations of an authentic expertise body, conserving the wild economically important medicinal plant species and initiating participatory and group approaches in medicinal plant cultivation only can help the farmers to solve the aforesaid problems. Medicinal plants are a national treasure. Preventing extinction and preserving the great Indian medicinal heritage is of much importance. With the advent of 21 st century due to global search for "alternatives" in health care, there is a tremendous resurgence of interests in traditional system of medicines by popularising medicinal plant cultivation.Item Technology assessment in the homegarden systems(Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Horticulture, 2004) Allan Thomas; Bhaskaran, SHomegardens of Kerala presents a traditional agroforestry system designed to meet the food, fodder, fuel wood and timber requirement of the farm households and to generate supplementary income through the sale of surplus (Salam and Sreekumar, 1991). The homegarden system has its unique structural configuration and cropping patterns. The structural and functional diversity of this farming system makes it a unique one. It is the predominant type of agricultural production system in the state of Kerala (Shehana et al., 1994). This study was undertaken in the Southern Kerala comprising Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha and Pathanamthitta districts covering a sample size of 208 homegardens using multi-stage stratified random sampling technique which, examines the structural configuration, cropping system, type of homegardens, extent of contribution of dominant homegarden components to the annual homegarden income, marketing channels of major products contributing to the homegarden annual income, extent of adoption of technology/scientific practices, its relationship with the socio-personal characteristic of individual farmers, identifying the technology need of the homegarden farmers, the delineation of dimension of technology suited for homegardens and constraints experienced by homegarden farmers. The structural configuration, cropping patterns and type of homegardens were identified using the measure of Shannon and Wiener diversity index (Sagar and Singh, 1999), species richness (Margalef, 1958) and measure of evenness (Pielou, 1969). The measure of dominance in terms of structural, numerical and economic dominance was developed for the study. Based on this, ten major dominance systems were observed in homegardens. Types of homegardens were delineated based on added components to the homegarden primary structure. Six types of specialised homegardens were thus identified based on the additions to primary structure. Two more types were identified based on socio-cultural components in homegardens. On the economic front of homegardens, the extent of contribution of major components towards annual homegarden income, it was found that livestock, rubber and tapioca in Thiruvananthapuram; rubber, livestock, pepper and coconut in Kollam; livestock, coconut, arecanut and pepper in Alappuzha and rubber, livestock and coconut in Pathanamthitta contributed to a greater extent in terms of annual homegarden income. Marketing channels for the different crops in four districts were also identified and classified. Technology assessment revealed that a limited quantity of technology reached the homegardens. Only two-third of the respondents fell under medium category of adoption of scientific practices/technology. Factors influencing the adoption of scientific practices were identified as education, annual homegarden income, extension contribution, market orientation and knowledge on technology in homegardens. Fifty-four indigenous practices (ITK practices) were observed to be followed by the homegarden farmers. Maximum technology need was reported for unexploited and under exploited horticultural tree crops which was on par with fruit tree crops (mango and jack) and followed by beverage crops. Processing, value addition and storage requirements were immediate technology needs of the homegarden farmers. Drainage and soil amendment technologies were reported to be important for Alappuzha homegarden farmers. On delineation of dimensions of technologies as perceived by homegarden farmers, agricultural officers and scientists, twenty-four dimensions were felt important by all categories of respondents. Additional nine dimensions perceived by the farmers were found to fall out of the ambit of extension and scientific community revealing that there is a major requirement either overlooked by the scientific/extension system, which is yet to be bridged. The foremost constraint identified was surplus produce but that was insufficient for marketing. To conclude, primarily a system with dominance has been developed which is again derived from diversity index, species richness, evenness and measure of dominance. Variability in homegardens exists within regions, within and between districts, but was not influenced by holding size. Above all constraints, technology requirement and delineated dimensions of technology was worked out based actual homegarden situation, thus providing a holistic approach to the entire homegarden scenario of the four districts under study.