ANALYSIS OF TRAINED FARM WOMEN'S CHARACTERISTICS AND THEIR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES.

Women play very important role in the field of agriculture. where a project "Madhya Pradesh women in Agriculture""MAPWA". The study was conducted in Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh. "MAPWA" was started in September 2000. Total 120 trained farm women were selected as respondents for data collection. The level of knowledge of the trained farm women found in all 5 practices viz, seed germination test, seed treatment with fungicides, seed treatment with culture, balanced use of fertilizer and preparation of vermin-compost. In the study socio-personal characteristics (age, education, caste, social participation), socio-economic characteristics (size of land holding, socioeconomic status, economic motivation, risk preference), communicational characteristics (information seeking behavior, exposure to demonstration, mass media exposure, extension participation) and socio-psychological characteristics (innovativeness, attitude towards improved farm practices, cosmopoliteness) were found to have significant association with knowledge of trained farm women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]