Aims: The main objective of the study was to explore the influences of socio-demographic factors of lemon cultivators on accepting pest management practices. Study Design: A total of 120 lemon growers of the Tangail district were selected as samples following the proportionate random sampling technique. Primary data were collected from sampled respondents using a pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaire by face-to-face interview. Results and Discussion: Findings indicate that majority of the respondents were middle-aged (69.2%), having a secondary level of education (47.5%), small farm size (73.3%), medium family size (57.5%), and medium use of information sources (74.2%). Farmers use chemical, mechanical, and cultural pest management practices, with the majority of respondents had a moderate degree of adoption. Education, annual family income, contact with the source of information, and organizational participation of the respondents showed positive significant relationships with their adoption of pest management practices. High input price, low market price of the product, disease, and pest attack was identified as the major problems faced by the lemon growers. Conclusion: Adoption of pest management practices significantly influenced by socio-economic factors of lemon growers. Hence, agricultural extension agents should step forward to work with different groups of farmers for raising their knowledge of integrated pest control and improve expertise in lemon cultivation. Furthermore, the government should take the requisite steps to address issues such as high production costs, low commodity prices, and disease and pest infestation.

The study aimed at assessing the pest risk and management practices of lemon production and its profitability in Tangail district of Bangladesh. Household survey was conducted by an interview schedule from 120 lemon growers who were selected as sample respondents following a proportionate random sampling technique. Lemon butterfly and dieback disease were identified as important problems in lemon cultivation. Lemon butterfly was found with the highest infestation in Elachi lemon (70.0%) and Kagozi lemon (57.0%). Dieback disease was found with the highest infestation rate of 49.3% in Elachi lemon, 38.0% in Kagozi lemon, and 33.3% in Sakara-2 variety. Almost 82.5 percent of the respondents had medium to high adoption of pest management practices. The adoption of pest management practices was positively related to the profitability of lemon cultivation. However, there is further scope to make pest management practices sustainable by enhancing the adoption of biological, cultural, and mechanical approaches.

The aim of this study was to ascertain the current problems faced by pineapple growers and suggest possible solutions. A total of 300 pineapple growers of the Madhupur tract were selected as samples following the proportionate random sampling technique. Primary data were collected using a pre-designed and pre-tested interview schedule. Findings indicate that majority of the respondents were middle and young aged (71.4%), and having medium family size (61.9%). The highest proportion (42.9%) of the respondents were illiterate, had high annual income (48.6%), medium farming experience (53.3%), contact with fertilizer dealer (68.67%), medium to small farm size (88.6%), also having medium to small pineapple farm size (89.5%), and majorities production cost and net return was also low which is (42.6%) and (40.0%) respectively. Major constraints reported by pineapple growers were ineffective extension services, high value or unavailability of agrochemicals, infestation of Bengal Monitors in mature fruit, high value or unavailability of labor and so on. Effective extension services, establishment of farmers' association with processing company, making pineapple processing factory, provide training in processing to local small entrepreneurs were some of the major suggestions by the pineapple growers. Multiple regression analysis result indicated that respondents’ education, farm size, pineapple farm size and total income were the contributing factors that influenced their problem facing. These findings will be helpful to the policy maker for developing a sustainable framework and relevant guidelines for increasing pineapple production in Bangladesh.

The study was conducted to investigate the adoption of IPSA seem and BU pepe1 crop variety by the farmers in Bhaluka upazila of Mymensingh and Meherpur Sadar upazila of Meherpur districts, respectively in Bangladesh. In-person interviews with 80 respondents and two focus group discussions were carried out to collect data. According to study findings, the highest portion of the respondents were young aged, literate, had medium farm size, low farming experience, and organizational participation and their average annual income were Tk. 192850 and Tk. 200500 for IPSA seem and BU pepe1 growers, respectively. Extent of adoption was above fifty percent in both cases of IPSA seem and BU pepe1 whereas the extent of BU pepe1 adoption was higher than IPSA seem. Performance of IPSA seem and BU pepe1 was satisfactory to the farmers in terms of ease of handling, better marketability and adaptation to the environment, vigor, and better physical appearance. Majority of the IPSA seem and BU pepe1 respondents experienced a medium increase in crop yield while medium to high-income increase by cultivating those varieties. Majority of them had a low to moderate knowledge gap in cultivating IPSA seem and BU pepe1. The major problems faced by the farmers were pod borer infestation, common mosaic virus for IPSA seem while low germination percentage, common mosaic virus for BU pepe1. The study results showed that respondents with small farm sizes were more interested in adopting IPSA seem than others. So, engaging small farmers in cultivating IPSA seem would make this technology more available and popular among the farmers.

No abstract