Technological Gap in Adoption of Pomegranate Cultivation Practices by the Pomegranate Growers

Abstract

India is one of the largest producers of pomegranate in the world. Maharashtra is the leading state in India other important states are Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. The area under pomegranate cultivation is increasing rapidly in Guajrat and especially in Banaskantha district. It was 210 ha in 2005-06 which was increased to 10951 ha in 2018-19. At present pomegranate cultivation in the district is at cross road. It is observed that because of some constrains, farmers are not realizing the potential yield and quality because of the gap in the adaption of recommended technologies. This paper summarizes the present cultivation practices followed by the farmers and prevailing gap in technologies like Processing and Value Addition, Integrated Disease Management, Harvesting, Sorting, Grading, Packaging and Storage and Integrated Pest Management etc, and provides suggestions for needed research and promotion of policies to reduce the technological gap in the cultivation of better quality pomegranates.