With a view to studying the production constraints faced by root and tuber crop growers, 70 respondents were selected from the Navsari district of Gujarat state where production of root and tuber crop is more. High wages of labour & lack of finance was found to be the major socioeconomic constraint. In technological constraints, found that unavailability of newly released varieties, uneven supply of canal water, high price of manures, fertilizers and chemicals faced to be the major constraints by the root & tuber crop growers. To overcome this constraints they suggested that agriculture extension workers should provided information regarding variety, irrigation management, manure and fertilizer, plant protection and new practices of root and tuber crops, appropriate charges of labour, irrigation and chemicals should be provided, inputs should be provided timely and at local level, awareness regarding root and tuber crop cultivation should be created for food and nutritional security.

1. Production Constraints as Perceived by Root and Tuber Crop Growers in Navsari
District of Gujarat State
V. B. GIRAWALE1*
, R. M. NAIK2
AND R. M. PATIL3
Department of Extension Education, NMCA, NAU, Navasri, Gujarat
*email: vedantgirawale60@gmail.com
Advances in Life Sciences 5(19), Print : ISSN 2278-3849, 8485-8487, 2016
ABSTRACT
With a view tostudying the production constraints faced
by root and tuber crop growers, 70 respondents were
selected fromthe Navsari districtof Gujarat state where
production of root and tuber crop is more. Highwages of
labour & lack of finance was found tobe the major socio-
economic constraint. In technological constraints, found
that unavailability of newly released varieties, uneven
supply of canal water, high price of manures, fertilizers
and chemicals faced to be the major constraints by the
root & tuber crop growers. Toovercome this constraints
theysuggested thatagriculture extension workersshould
provided information regarding variety, irrigation
management, manure and fertilizer, plant protectionand
newpracticesofrootandtuber crops, appropriatecharges
of labour, irrigation and chemicals should be provided,
inputs should be provided timely and at local level,
awarenessregardingrootandtubercropcultivationshould
be created for food and nutritional security.
Keywords Production, Constraints, Perceived, Root
and Tuber Crop Growers
Tropical root and tuber crops are considered as the
third important group of food crops after cereals and grain
legumes. They contribute 6 per cent of the average daily
calorific intake of human beings. These crops are very
important in the context of food and nutritional security
and assume great relevance due to the ever increasing
population and climate change. The total demand of these
crops in the Gujarat state is approx. 50000 tonnes of elephant
foot yam, 35000 tonnes of yam and 40000 tonnes of sweet
potato and the production is very low due to less acreage.
The gap in the demand and supply is bridged by import
from neighboring states. Moreover, elephant foot yam is
operated from Navi Mumbai market (Vashi) which is only at
a distance of 250 to 300 km from Navsari. Hence there is a
scope for increasing the area and production by careful
analysis of the production constraints perceived by root
and tuber crop growers.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study was conducted in Navsari district of
Gujarat state where production of root and tuber crop is
more. 9 villages of 3 taluka of Navsari district were selected
randomly from list of maximum grower’s taluka and village.
70 respondents were selected as a sample size
according to random proportionate sampling. The
responses were collected through pretested, well structured
personal interview schedule. The respondents were
contacted at their home or at their field.
Constraints & suggestions were ranked on the basis
of number and percentage of respondents who reported
respective constraint & suggestion.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Production constraints faced by root and tuber crop
growers
Constraints in crop production never end. However
they can be minimized if known to policy makers and
planners. The data in this regards are presented in Table 1
Socio-economic constraints:
The data presented in table 1, indicate that 74.28 per
cent of farmers expressed high wages of labour was found
to be major constraint followed by lack of finance & small
size of holding respectively.
Technological constraints:
The data presented in Table 1, indicate that constraints
of root and tuber crop growers i.e. unavailability of newly
released varieties was ranked first with 57.14 per cent and
lack of knowledge about innovations ranked second with
35.71 per cent related to varieties. In case of water
management constraints, uneven supply of canal water
ranked first with 37.14 per cent followed by high cost of
irrigation (30.00 per cent) & non availability of govt. tube
well (28.57 per cent). While high price of manures and
fertilizers was ranked first with 72.85 per cent followed by
lack of knowledge about fertilizers doses (41.42 per cent)
and untimely availability of fertilizers (28.57 per cent) with
respect to constraints related to fertilizers. High cost of
chemicals ranked first 84.28 per cent followed by non
availability of some chemicals (38.57 per cent), lack of
knowledge about plant protections chemicals (24.28 per
cent) and quality of plant protection chemicals not being
satisfactory (15.71 per cent) with respect to plant protection
measures. This finding is similar to report of Singh et al.
(2009).
Suggestion from root and tuber crop growers to
overcome the constraints
An attempt was also made to ascertain suggestions
from farmers to overcome various constraints faced by
respondents in production of root and tuber crops. The
respondents were requested to offer their valuable
suggestion against difficulties faced by them in production
root and tuber crops. The data were collected and
summarized in Table 2

2. 8486 Advances in Life Sciences 5(19), 2016
Table 1. Production constraints faced by root and tuber crop growers n=70
Sr.
No.
Constraints
Frequency Per cent
Rank
order
Socio-economic constraints
1 High labour wages 52 74.28 I
2 Small size of land holding 21 30.00 III
3 Lack of finance 38 54.28 II
Technological constraints
1 Related to varieties
i. Unavailability of newly released varieties 40 57.14 I
ii. Lack of knowledge about innovation 25 35.71 II
2 Related to water management
i. High cost of irrigation 21 30.00 II
ii. Non availability of govt. Tube well 20 28.57 III
iii. Uneven supply of canal water 26 37.14 I
3 Related to fertilizers
i. Lack of knowledge about fertilizers doses 29 41.42 II
ii. Untimely availability of fertilizers 20 28.57 III
iii. High price of manure and fertilizers 51 72.85 I
4 Related to plant protection
i. Lack of knowledge about plant protection chemical 17 24.28 III
ii. Higher cost of chemicals 59 84.28 I
iii. Plant protection chemicals are not satisfactory 11 15.71 IV
iv. Selected chemicals are not available in govt. store or at Village level
at proper time
27 38.57 II
Table 2. Suggestion given by root and tuber crop growers n=70
Sr.
No.
Suggestions Frequency Percent Rank
1.
Agriculture Extension workers should provided information regarding
variety, irrigation management, manure and fertilizer, plant protection
and new practices of root and tuber crops
56 80.00 I
2. Agricultural inputs should be provided timely and at local level 48 68.57 III
3.
Organization of farmers training programmes for root and tuber crop
growers
46 65.71 IV
4.
Awareness regarding root and tuber crop cultivation should be created
among the people for food and nutritional security
43 61.42 V
5. Loan and subsidy should be easily available 39 55.71 VI
6.
appropriate charges of labour, irrigation and chemicals should be
provided
50 71.42 II
The data presented in table 2 revealed that the farmers
suggested agriculture extension workers should provided
information regarding variety, irrigation management,
manure and fertilizer, plant protection and new practices of
root and tuber crops (80.00 per cent) at rank first, appropriate
charges of labour, irrigation and chemicals should be
provided (71.42 per cent) at rank second, agricultural inputs
should be provided timely and at local level (68.57 per cent)
at rank third, organization of farmers training programmes
for root and tuber crop growers (65.71 per cent) at rank
fourth, awareness regarding root and tuber crop cultivation
should be created among the people for food and nutritional
security (61.42 per cent) at rank fifth and loan and subsidy
should be easily available (48.00 per cent) at sixth.

3. GIRAWALE et al., Production Constraints as Perceived by Root and Tuber Crop Growers in Navsari District of Gujarat State 8487
It could be concluded from the finding that high wages
of labour & lack of finance was found to be the major socio-
economic constraint. In technological constraints, found
that unavailability of newly released varieties, uneven
supply of canal water, high price of manures, fertilizers and
chemicals faced to be the major constraints by the root &
tuber crop growers. To overcome this constraints they
suggested that agriculture extension workers should
provided information regarding variety, irrigation
management, manure and fertilizer, plant protection and new
practices of root and tuber crops, appropriate charges of
labour, irrigation and chemicals should be provided, inputs
should be provided timely and at local level, awareness
regarding root and tuber crop cultivation should be created
for food and nutritional security.
LITERATURE CITED
Singh, D., Kumar S., and Kumar A. 2009. Assessment of knowledge
levels and constraints of potato growers. Indian Journal of
Extension Education, 45(3 & 4): 113-117.
Received on 13-09-2016 Accepted on 17-09-2016