In India, 16% of the world’s population struggles to survive on 2.4% of the planet’s land mass. The pressure of this intense land utilization is causing more and more forest and agricultural land to deteriorate into useless wasteland. In 2000, India’s Ministry of Land Use classified nearly 63 million hectares of the subcontinent and about one-fifth of its entire territory as wasteland, out of which 33 million hectares of wasteland were allotted for tree plantation. According to the government, 174 million hectares i.e. more than half of the country’s territory is suffering to a greater or lesser extent from land degradation, not as the result of a law of nature but the vicious circle of erosion.
Soil deterioration and poverty can, however, be prevented by Jatropha cultivation. This technology has a huge potential for replication nationwide and improving the livelihood of many. It can be used to replace petrol/diesel, for soap production and for climatic protection and hence deserves specific attention.
Jatropha can help to increase rural income, promote self-sustainability and alleviate rural poverty, but at present this crop is not cultivated on scientific lines and is merely grown as fencing or a wild plant.
With this in mind, the present study was undertaken with the following specific objective: to identify the various constraints perceived by farmers in the adoption of recommended Jatropha cultivation practices.

By: H.R. Meena, F.L. Sharma (RCA, MPUAT, Udaipur)

download this document:    29 kb