The present study was under taken in Akola, Amravati and Buldana district in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra state. From each selected district one tahsil has been selected purposively where soil is saline or sodic. The selected tahsils are Akola, Daryapur and Shegaon from Akola, Amravati and Buldana districts, respectively. From each tahsil four villages were selected randomly and from each selected village ten farmers were interviewed. Thus, the total 120 respondents were the sample for this study. The objectives of the study were, to study the personal, socioeconomic , situational and psychological characteristics of the farmers and to study the knowledge of the respondents about the soil testing techniques and its recommendations in saline sodic track of Vidarbha. The exploratory research design was used for present study. The findings revealed that majority of the respondents were in middle age group, educated upto high school level possessed small land holding (1.01-2.00 ha), having agriculture as main occupation, annual income upto Rs. 50,000, farming experience in between 11 to 20 years, medium level of extension contact, they have followed crop rotation on their field, have to travel above 45 km distance from their village to reach soil testing laboratory, followed seasonal cropping pattern, medium level of motivation and low level of innovativeness. Majority of the respondents having medium knowledge level about soil testing techniques and its recommendations. As regards the relational analysis, age, land holding, occupation, farming experience, crop rotation, distance from soil testing lab and cropping pattern was non-significantly corelated with knowledge. Annual income, extension contact and motivation were significantly correlated with knowledge. Whereas, education and innovation was highly significant with knowledge.

The present research study was based on exploratory research design of social research. The field survey was carried out in Akola district of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra State during 2011-2012 for ascertaining the knowledge level of the onion growers about recommended cultivation practices for onion crop. The results revealed that 39.00 per cent of farmers had medium level of knowledge about recommended cultivation practices for onion crop followed by 35.00 per cent and 26.00 per cent of the farmers had high and low level of knowledge. In this context, it was implied that the information regarding recommended cultivation practices should be disseminated to the farmers by extension functionaries, KVK's, NGO's, through demonstrations, workshops, distributing printed material like leaflets; folders; etc. It will lend a hand for increasing knowledge, perception, adoption and ultimately the yield level of onion crop.

The research study was conducted in Warud and Morshi talukas of Amravati district (Vidarbha region) of Maharashtra with exploratory design of the social research during 2015-16. Multistage sampling method was used for the study. Total 100 orange orchards owner having productive orange trees were the respondents for the study. The study revealed that 58.00 per cent orange growers have tested their orchard soil. Majority of orange growers had area under orange orchards upto 2.00 ha. Majority 67.00 per cent respondents have not availed the employment guarantee scheme of government for plantation of orange orchard; they have planted the orchard by spending their own money. Majority of respondents have to travel distance between 51 to 100 km from their villages to reach at soil testing laboratory. Maximum 63.00 per cent of orange growers have used drip as a method of irrigation. Exactly half (50.00%) of the respondents kept medium level of extension contact with extension agencies for seeking information. Majority (87.00%) orange orchards affected by dieback disease, majority of respondents have used the State department soil testing laboratories as soil testing agency for testing of orchards soil. More than half (57.00%) orange growers faced the constraints of lack of knowledge about soil testing and 47.00 per cent orange growers faced the constraints of lack of technical skill about soil testing technique, as technical constraints. As regard to situational constraints, 73.00 per cent respondents faced problem of delay in soil test report. It could be concluded that the analysis of these constraints would call for the attention of the administrators of Government, Department of Agriculture of Maharashtra and other concerned departments for planning systematic efforts to encountered these constraints will go long way for the Development of Agriculture in general and Horticulture in particular.

An experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of supplementation of growth promoters on the feed intake performance of goat kids. A sixteen goat kids were selected from the livestock instructional farm, on the basis of nearness to the age and weight. The selected kids were randomly divided in to 4 groups of 4 kids in each treatment. Treatments was control (T1) with Feed as per the standard, Feed as per standards + 3 g Lactobacillus acidophillusper Kg. (T2), Feed as per standards + 3 g Saccharomyces cerevisiae per Kg. (T3), and Feed as per standards + mixture of 1.5g Lactobacillus acidophilus + 1.5g Saccharomyces cerevisiae per Kg. (T4). Feed intake and dry matter intake is correlated to the performance of the goat kids.

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