Impact of KVK on adoption of improved bitter gourd cultivation technology in Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh

Available agricultural technology does not serve its purpose till it reaches and adopted by its ultimate users, the farmers. The present study was conducted inGorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh state to find out the adoption of improved technologies in bitter gourd cultivation. To conduct the study successfullya total number of fifty KVKbenefitted farmers and fifty KVK notbenefitted farmers were selected to make a sample size of one hundred. Aschedule was developed to know the adoption level of improved bitter gourd cultivation practices and adoption level was ranked based on the adoption status. The study indicated that most of the KVK's non benefitted farmers have less knowledge about Integrated Pest Management (IPM), use of growth regulators, seed treatment and Integrated Disease Management practices due to which the adoption rate for the bitter gourd cultivation practices were very poor, against it the adoption rate among KVKbenefitted farmers found satisfactorily. The study also exposed that the Marketing facilities in the villages were very poor among KVK non-benefitted farmer whereas, KVK improves the marketing skills of benefitted farmers through various trainings and organizing them into various Self-Help Groups/ Farmers interest Groups. On the basis of that it may be concluded that the technology transformation tools like farmers field school, demonstration, training and exposure visit are most effective to enhance the production and productivity of crops bitter gourd.