Socioeconomic Profile and Its Influence on Knowledge Adoption in Mulberry Cultivation: A Study in the Chattier District

Silk farming is a vital agro-based rural enterprise that generates continuous employment and plays a significant role in strengthening the rural economy. Scientific advancements in sericulture have markedly improved cocoon quality and productivity. The gap is largely influenced by farmers’ awareness, knowledge, and adoption of improved sericulture technologies. Knowledge has become a crucial driver of productivity across agricultural and allied sectors, including sericulture. The present study was undertaken in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh, one of the state’s major cocoon-producing regions, where mulberry cultivation is widely practiced under irrigated conditions. Two mandals, Peddapanjani and Gangavaram, were selected based on the intensity of mulberry acreage and sericulture activity, in consultation with sericulture officers. From each mandal, two villages were chosen for data collection. A total of 120 sericulture farmers representing marginal, small, and large farm categories were selected using proportional sampling techniques. Primary data were collected through personal interviews using a pretested and structured questionnaire. The schedule covered key socio-economic variables such as age, educational level, family size, farming experience, contact with extension personnel, participation in extension activities, and farmers’ knowledge levels regarding mulberry cultivation technologies. Pre-testing ensured the clarity, relevance, and reliability of the questionnaire. The findings reveal that socio-economic factors significantly influence knowledge adoption among sericulturists. Farmers aged 36–55 years, those educated up to high school, individuals with smaller family sizes, those having considerable sericulture experience, and farmers with higher income levels demonstrated comparatively better awareness and understanding of modern sericulture technologies. Study highlights the need to strengthen extension services and promote knowledge dissemination to bridge the yield gap in mulberry farming