Training needs of scientific mushroom cultivation in Arunachal Pradesh

Abstract

Training is a process of acquisition of new skills, attitude and knowledge in the context of preparing for entry into a vocation or improving ones productivity in an organization or enterprise. It plays an important role for imparting knowledge and updating skills of the farmers. To make training meaningful and effective, it is very much important to identify the training needs of the farmers based on which a suitable training module can be designed. It is essential to organize an appropriate training to the right people, in the right form, at the right time. Mushrooms are macro fungi with distinctive fruiting bodies large enough to be seen by naked eyes and have significant nutritive value. They are rich in fiber and have high Vitamin B₁₂ and folic acid content. They are ideal food for patients suffering from hypertension, diabetes and obesity. Favorable climatic condition and availability of paddy straw offers tremendous scope for cultivation of oyster mushroom in West Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh. However, the farmers are ignorant about the commercial cultivation of mushroom. Keeping the above in view, the present study was undertaken to identify the main areas of training in relation to scientific way of mushroom cultivation. The study was undertaken to know the relationship of selected personnel, socio-economic and psychological characteristics of the respondents with their training needs in relation to commercial mushroom cultivation.