ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE OF AGRO-INPUT DEALERS GAINED THROUGH CERTIFICATE COURSE ON INSECTICIDE MANAGEMENT

Agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy and has a crucial role to play in the country's economic development. Agro-input dealers are an important mediator for transfer of technology among the farmer in rural area. Agro input dealers trained about insecticide management that significantly increased their knowledge. The study was conducted to assess the knowledge of Agro-input dealers gained through certificate course on insecticides management and to ascertain relationship between attributes of respondents and their knowledge gained through certificate course on insecticides management. The study was conducted in South Saurashtra Agro-climatic Zone in which total 405 agro-input dealers was selected for the study who were participated in the certificate course in the year 2021-22 at different centres of certificate course like Junagadh, Amreli, Khapat, Targhadiya, Dhari and Kodinar. The study revealed that after the completion of the certificate course, majority of agro-input dealers were from medium to high level knowledge group and course can be significantly increase the knowledge of agro-input dealers about insecticide management. The positive and significant relationship like education, numbers of university visit, numbers of training received and use of university technological product, revealed that these all variables had pivotal contribution in increase in knowledge of agro-input dealers. In addition to this, those agro-input dealers had contacted university by any means they get knowledge about insect pest management and insecticide management. The young farmers had more enthusiastic to acquire the knowledge about insecticide management. The regular and effective technology transfer of nearby recommended technological know-how, regular training should be imparted to young, educated and university contact farmers. May they were as change agents in the future.