Abstract

                                This study on the factors influencing adoption behaviour of fish farmers towards critical technologies in inland fish culture was carried out during 2009-10 in Thiruvarur district of Tamil Nadu. The data were collected using a well structured and pre tested interview schedule from 120 randomly selected fish farmers. The findings revealed that majority (82%) of fish farmers possessed medium to high level of knowledge and more than three - fourth (76%) of them belonged to medium to high level adopter category. The adoption behaviour of fish farmers towards critical inland fish culture technologies was significantly influenced by the factors like, occupation, annual income, land holding, extent of weed infestation, social participation, mass media participation, extension agency contact, cosmopoliteness, innovative proneness, value orientation, risk orientation, economic motivation, knowledge about critical inland fish culture technologies and negatively by their age. Based on the above findings the study recommends more number of knowledge building activities like meetings, discussions, mass media etc., to increase knowledge and thereby adoption of critical inland fish culture technologies. Economic benefits of critical inland fish culture technologies need to be and cosmopolite methods and channels like exposure visits, study tours etc need to be organized. More number of young fish farmers need to be trained in critical inland fish culture technologies.

Key words : Adoption, critical technologies, inland fish culture, correlation, path analysis.