The extent of Adoption of Scientific Muga Culture Technology by the Muga Rearers of the Sonitpur District of Assam, India
Dababrata Saikia
Department of Sericulture, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat-13 Assam, India.
Dipankar Saikia *
Directorate of Sericulture, Government of Assam, Khanapara, Guwahati-22, Assam, India.
Monimala Saikia
Department of Sericulture, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat-13 Assam, India.
Debajit Borah
Department of Agricultural Science, College of Sericulture, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat-13, Assam, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
A study was conducted in the Sonitpur district of Assam, India, to assess the level of adoption of improved technologies among 120 muga farmers. Adoption of the scientific muga culture practices by the silk cultivators has direct relation with the yield production. It was found that majority (65.83%) of the muga rearers demonstrated a medium level of adoption, with 14.17% exhibiting a low level and 20.00% demonstrating a high level of adoption of scientific muga culture technology. Intercultural operation, brushing of newly hatched worms during morning hours of the day, avoiding frequent handling of worms, selection of well-formed good cocoons for seed production as well as for reeling purpose and collection and destruction of diseased larvae and removal of affected twigs /shoots from the field are some of the practices fully adopted while use of improved mounting device for cocooning, spraying of 0.01% sodium hypochlorite solution as a disinfectant on the foliage 4 days before brushing, stifling the cocoon in hot air oven and use of new technologies and machines for re-reeling, weaving etc. were not followed by the muga farmers.
Keywords: Muga culture, adoption, rearers, brushing, disinfectant