Obadiya Rai and Sujata Upadhyay
Abstract
The present study was conducted by interviewing sixty farmers through pre-designed questionnaire regarding demography, production technology, pests, and disease especially gummosis and their management in different districts of Sikkim. Most respondents were found to be male (76.7%) belonging to age group over 45 years age (63.3%). The predominant family size was medium (5-7 members) and 56.7% respondents having secondary level of education. Respondents (50%) had long experience in citrus cultivation with most farmers having small landholdings (43.3%). Self-raised seedlings were used by 73.3% of farmers and 43.3% farmers managed soil fertility through livestock manures and intercropping. Sixty per cent farmers (60%) did not irrigate orchard and relied on rainfed cultivation. The major constraints faced by farmers (46.7%) were fruit drop and infestation of disease and pests. Lastly, most farmers had low (50%) and sometimes no knowledge (36.7%) about the main pest and disease including gummosis highlighting the massive scope for research, extension services and training on plant protection measures.