Study of Adoption on TN-IAMP Black Gram Growers in Madurai District of Tamil Nadu

The World Bank Supported TN IAMP (Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation Project) is a follow up of IAMWARM (Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation and Water-Bodies Restoration and Management Project). Normally Western Ghats are receiving limited average annual rain fall of about 925 mm, lower than the national average 1200 mm. The project will adopt climateresilient approaches that promotes sustainable use of land and water resources. This study was undertaken in the Madurai district of Tamil Nadu state during 2019. Totally 8 villages were selected from the study area. The respondents of 120 TN-IAMP black gram beneficiaries were selected using purposive sampling method. Technologies reveals that (100.00%) of the beneficiaries had adopted recommended variety (VBN 6). Regarding land preparation (47-70%) of the beneficiaries were adopted recommended practices on black gram and correct sowing of season. Majority (65-70%) of the beneficiaries were adopted the recommended practices on harvest indices.


INTRODUCTION
The World Bank Supported TN IAM (Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation) Project is a follow up of IAMWARM (Irrigated Agriculture Modernisation and Water-Bodies Restoration and Management) Project which has made significant development impacts in the state by modernising irrigation infrastructure, improving water use efficiency, enhancing yields and productivity of agriculture in a climate resilient production systems, diversification towards high value crops, strengthening the institutional reforms through Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) and Water Users Association (WUA). Tamil Nadu is one of the water starved states in India endowed with only 3 percent of the water resources in India. The state located in the rain shadow region of the Western Ghats is receiving limited average annual rain fall of about 925 mm, lower than the national average 1200 mm.
The interventions of this component are aimed at increasing productivity of mostly key crops, promoting diversification of agriculture production systems, enhancing resilience and improving farmer access to markets in project sub-basins. The project will adopt climateresilient approaches that promotes sustainable use of land and water resources. The component consists of three subcomponents, 1. Agricultural intensification and diversification 2. Improving alternative livelihood sources through livestock and inland aquaculture 3. Marketing, value-addition and post-harvest management.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study was undertaken in the Madurai district of Tamil Nadu state. Madurai District of Tamil Nadu was purposively selected for this study because, TN-IAMP was implemented under Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. In this district, areas were covered under sirumalaiyar and sathaiyar sub-basin since its cover a more ayacut area. Madurai district consists of 7 Taluks and among this taluks Alanganallur and Vadipatti blocks were selected for this study. Among these blocks totally 8 villages were selected based on TN-IAMP beneficiaries identified. The respondents of 120 TN-IAMP black gram beneficiaries were selected using purposive sampling method and presented in table 1.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION Adoption of TN-IAMP black gram beneficiaries
The extent of adoption is the degree to which a farmer accepts and adopts a new technology. Though various technologies were introduced and taught to the farmers, it is important that those technologies were fully accepted and adopted by the farmers in their field characterized by continuous adoption of those technologies.

Adoption level on crop production technologies
It could be observed from the above Table 2, according to crop production technologies reveals that (100.00 percent) of the beneficiaries had adopted recommended variety (VBN 6) and three-fourth of the beneficiaries (75.00 percent) have adopted recommended seed rate. Regarding land preparation (47-70 percent) of the beneficiaries were adopted recommended practices on black gram and correct sowing of season. Maximum number of beneficiaries (47-65 percent) were adopted recommended rate on usage of chemicals / bio-fertilizers for seed treatment, sowing, spacing and cultural practices (weeding, soil digging and etc.) Adoption level on crop protection technologies It could be observed from above Table 2 , regarding crop protection (50-81 percent ) of the beneficiaries were adopted the recommended practices like cultural control (sowing in proper season and crop rotation), physical control (fixation of traps for pest and collection of pest), biological control (using bio control agents) and chemical control (recommended chemicals). Adoption level on harvest and storage It could be observed from above Table 2, Majority (65-70 percent) of the beneficiaries were adopted the recommended practices on harvest indices (pods turns brown to black colour), harvest methods (hand removal / sickle method) and processing (removal of seeds). With regard to drying process adoption rate of beneficiaries (62.50 percent) were practiced. And (50-70 percent) of the beneficiaries possess storage (with gunny bags for short term).

CONCLUSION
From the above findings, majority of TN-IAMP beneficiaries (97.50 percent) were categorised under low to medium level of adoption on recommended practices, because of most of beneficiaries were functionally literate to middle school level, medium level of social participation, information seeking behaviour and innovativeness. In future, beneficiaries might to follow TN-IAMP for another five years or more which leads to good