Abstract

The case study was conducted to know the adoption of improved sericulture production technologies and problems faced by farmers in Koppal district of Karnataka during the year 2016–17. The findings revealed that majority of the respondents (54.00%) belonged to medium adoption category with respect to sericulture production technologies. Whereas 34% of the respondents belonged to low adoption category and only 12% of the respondents belonged to high adoption category. The variables, namely, age, education, occupation, land holding, family annual income, farming experience in sericulture, mass media participation, extension participation, extension contact, scientific orientation and risk orientation were found important in influencing the adoption of mulberry sericulture production technologies by farmers. With regard to problems, the major problems faced by the farmers are lack of knowledge regarding control of pests and diseases like uzifly, ants, pebrine, white muscardine and yellow muscardine (100.00%), lack of marketing facility and fluctuation in price of cocoon (100.00%), lack of information about crossbred races of silkworm (94.00%), lack of information about concentration of the disinfectant (87.00%), lack of knowledge regarding controlling of pest and diseases (84.00%), lack of supply of disease free laying (DLFs) from govt. sources (84.00%), high cost of establishment at initial stage (80.00%), high incidence pest and disease like stem borer (78.00%), lack of knowledge about training and pruning of mulberry plant (70.00%) and inadequate training facilities (70.00%).