Study on The Adoption of New Tri fertilizer Mixture (VPL-880) Among Tea Small Holders in Matara District of Srilanka

Abstract

SmaiI holdings sector holds 45 i]erc€iit {-)f tlie area under te:i. planta,;ion. The avbrage yie id in the small holder sectoi was I.86ikgha iri e.culparison to 1,35Skg/ha in the esrate sect.rr jn 2005.Iire llea Researcir Institute introduced a new f'er1ilizer recommsnriation ior niature tea in 20OtJ. The major objective s of'this sludy u,e re to deterniine the levei of adoption of the fertilizer nlixturs and to assess ilre iirfiueiloe of'attitudes tovrards the recommendatiotrs on ihe selec.tion trf fbrtiiizer Lry the pianters. Data collection in the study ra,as by survey researcir tirrough personai ir-rtervicu,s using a structureri quesiionnaire. Inf'omation related to tea cultivation and f'ertilizer usage, lanrJ and crop infbmriil-ion. attiti:de of the respondents towards plant nutriticn, inibni-latioti sour':cs, credibility oiinf'ormiition sources u'ere gathered tl-orn a grollp of 45 tea small tiolders selected randornly in thc N{aiara district. Many of tlie re spondents (78 iiercenl) had rriedium attitude towards the practical aspects of the new fbrtilizcr rnixturr: nnd 55.6 percent of the respondents had hig,h attitr.ldes torvards 'lr,* econo::iic aspects of the new fertilizer mixtures'fire ;lrrlst impoft:ut roasorls for tlre lolr adoption were low practieabiiit-"* iuflucnces. arid the attitude towards the new recomniendation and the monopoly and interference of tea factory in distribution of 'IRi ferlitizer. ii can be conclucled that ths knowledge and adopticn of the ner.r' ferrilizer recoffirnendation were iow. The extension officers of l-Si-{ilA cr:uic! target all land size holders and younger larmers to increase the adr:ptiorr ol new TRI fertilizer recommendation and improve tea procluerivity.