Due to non-availability of proper scale to measure utility perception of mass media by the farm women, it was thought necessary to construct a scale for this purpose. Keeping this in view an attempt has been made to develop a scale for measuring utility perception of mass media by the farm women. Normalized rank approach recommended by Guilford (1978) was used in this study for scale construction.

The present investigation was conducted in Parbhani, Hingoli and Nanded districts in Marathwada region of Maharashtra State. A structured interview schedule was used to collect data from 150 respondents who were viewing agricultural programmes on TV, as well as listening agricultural programmes on radio and also reading agricultural articles in the newspaper. The qualitative data were quantified using suitable statistical tools. The suggestions given by the farm women to increase the utility of mass media was studied by frequency and percentage method. Regarding suggestions to improve farm telecast majority of the respondents suggested to change the telecasting time (56.66 %) and to use local language (52.66%). Regarding suggestions to improve farm broadcast, respondents suggested to use simple language (59.33%) and provide useful information timely (50.67%). Regarding suggestions to improve utility of newspaper, respondents suggested that information should be given in easy language (60.00%), case studies of experienced farm women should be published in the newspaper (54.66%), information should be practicable (52.66%), letters must be bold enough (51.33%) and statistics of the nation, state and region should be avoided (46.00%).

The present study was conducted with specific objectives in Marathwada region. The relationship of the characteristics of the awardee farmers namely farming experience, land holding, area under irrigation, occupation, annual income, training received, award received, information seeking behaviour, management orientation and productivity level with cropping pattern was found to be positive and significant. It was however, observed that the relationship between age and education of the respondents and the cropping pattern was non-significant.

SUMMARY :The present study was undertaken in rainfed area of Marathwada region of Maharashtra state. Beed district was selected for the purpose of study as a rainfed area, in which Ambajogai and Kaij tehsil has purposively selected. From Ambajogai tehsil three villages namely Jawalgaon, Ghatnandur, Kumbephal and in Kaij tehsil three villages namely, Borisawargon, Bansarola, Jawalban were selected purposively. Minimum five respondents from each village thus comprising of fifty pigeonpea growing farmers were selected by proportionate random sampling method. The sample predominantly comprised of middle aged (36 to 55 years) (58.00%). As regards of education majority of the respondents (52.00 %) were having graduate and above level education. Large majority (90.00 %) were having farming as main occupation with nearly equal percentage (38.00 % and 34.00 %) were in small and semi medium land holding. 88.00 per cent had medium level of annual income, 86.00 per cent had medium level of social participation and 68.00 per cent had medium contacts. With concern to knowledge and information all respondents (100.00 %) were knew BDN 711 variety. 66.00 per cent were purchased seed from farmers. 60.00 per cent were sown BDN 711 and 2.00 per cent were sown ICPH 2740 on irrigated land whereas 42.00 per cent were sown BDN 711 as rainfed crop in Kharif 2016. large majority (90.00 %) of the respondents were adopted insecticide, followed by 82.00 per cent were used weedicide and 80.00 per cent were used growth regulator for cultivation of pigeonpea. (78.00 %) had medium (13.61 to 40.64 q) level of productivity and 86.00 per cent had medium level (Rs.1744 to Rs. 1147) of expenditure.

Study was undertaken in Marathwada region of Maharashtra state. Ambajogai and Kaij tehsil of Beed district has purposively selected. From Ambajogai tehsil three villages namely Jawalgaon, Ghatnandur, Kumbephal and in Kaij tehsil three villages namely, Borisawargon, Bansarola, Jawalban were selected purposively. Minimum five respondents from each village thus, comprising of fifty pigeonpea growing farmers were selected by proportionate random sampling method. 78.00 per cent of the respondents had medium (13.61 to 40.64 q) level of productivity, 84.00 per cent mentioned yield will be increased if followed the different technologies, 68.00 per cent mentioned drip irrigation system will help to increasing yield level. All of the respondents kept their produce for seed purpose and mentioned BDN 711 is a guaranteed crop due to higher productivity and other characteristics of crop, further it was observed that large majority (80.00 % to 96.00 %) of the respondents felt that BDN 711 variety had no effect of climatic change, intercultural operations are easier due to appropriate growth of plants, resistance for diseases, easier for threshing, suitable for rainfed condition, sustainable in water stress and superior for intercrop. 40.00 per cent of the respondents faced with low knowledge of improved technology and 34.00 per cent of the respondents suggested to provide effective insecticide spraying schedule.