Jornal de Ciências Agrícolas e Pesquisa de Alimentos
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Abstrato

Analysis of Adoption Levels of Technologies Recommended for the Management of Major Coconut Pests in SriLanka

Ruvani Subhathma WG

Coconut production in Sri Lanka is threatened by pest and diseases. Therefore, different remedial measures havebeen introduced by Coconut Research Institute (CRI) to safeguard the plantations. This study was carried out todetermine the level of technology adoption to manage major coconut pests by the coconut farmers in different landcategories. The farmers were selected from the Kurunegala district, which is the major coconut growing district incoconut triangle in Sri Lanka. Findings of the study revealed that more than 70 percent of the growers in all landcategories above 2Ac had adopted technologies recommended by CRI to control black beetle. Technology adoptionlevel was around 60 percent for red weevil control, nearly 30 percent for coconut mite and around 65 percent forplesispa beetle. Farmers’ perceptions affect their technology adoption decisions. There are two factors that possiblyaffect the farmers’ perception namely; information receiving sources and occurrence of a pest attack in their fields.Since the farmers are having limited resources to get essential information on coconut cultivation, they were unableto find recommended technologies to control all these four pests. In addition, the study revealed that unawarenessof technologies and low attention for coconut farming were the two major reasons for poor adoption levels of therecommended technologies. It can be concluded that coconut growers in Kurunegala district require moreawareness regarding recommended technologies to manage major coconut pests. For that purpose, farmer levelextension programs should be strengthened.