Knowledge, Technology Adoption and Production Constraints of Black Pepper Growers in Kolli Hills
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Authors
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Kalai Chezhiyan Kalidoss
SRM College of Agricultural Sciences, SRM Institute of Science and Technology
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Periasami Nagappan
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Muhammed Iqshanullah Abdul Kadar
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Indhushree A
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Sathees Kumar Kathirvel
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Juhi Pratiksha Udaya Chandran
Keywords:
Adoption, KnowledgeAbstract
Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) is an important spice crop supporting the livelihoods of farmers in Kolli Hills, Tamil Nadu.The study assessed the knowledge and technology adoption levels of black pepper growers and identified the major constraints affecting the adoption of recommended cultivation practices. Primary data were collected from 280 growers using a structured interview schedule during 2025 in Kolli Hills. Twenty-eight knowledge statements and twenty-eight technology adoption statements were constructed to measure on a five-point continuum and grouped into nine indicators. Principal Component Analysis was employed to derive indicator weights and construct composite Knowledge and Technology Adoption Indices. The Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin measure indicated satisfactory sampling adequacy, with values of 0.741 for knowledge and 0.791 for technology adoption. The overall Composite Knowledge Index (0.599) indicated a moderate level of knowledge, whereas the Composite Technology Adoption Index (0.495) indicated comparatively lower adoption of the recommended cultivation practices. Garrett's Ranking Technique revealed that high labour cost, scarcity of skilled labour and high input cost were the major production constraints. The findings highlight the importance of need-based extension services, capacity-building programmes and institutional support in addressing the identified knowledge, technology adoption and production constraints among black pepper growers in Kolli Hills.
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