An Analysis of Grape Growers' Attitudes towards Integrated Nutrient Management Practices in Chickaballapura District of Karnataka State, India

Abstract

Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) is a holistic approach to maintaining soil fertility and optimizing plant nutrient supply for sustained crop productivity. By integrating various sources of nutrients—including organic inputs (farmyard manure, poultry manure, crop residues, green manures etc) alongside balanced use of inorganic fertilizers. The study examines the attitude of grape growers towards Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) practices in Chickaballapura district of Karnataka, India. An ex-post facto research design was adopted, and data were collected from 120 grape growers selected from two taluks using structured interviews. The analysis was carried out using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and zero-order correlation. The findings revealed that a majority of growers (40.83%) had a favourable attitude towards INM practices, while 32.50 per cent and 26.67 per cent exhibited less favourable and more favourable attitudes, respectively. Variables such as age, education, farming experience, risk orientation, mass media participation, and extension participation showed significant association with attitude, whereas knowledge, economic orientation, innovativeness, and extension contact exhibited highly significant relationships. The study concludes that strengthening knowledge dissemination, extension contact, and farmer training programmes can significantly enhance favourable attitudes towards INM. Promoting practical awareness through extension systems and media can accelerate the adoption of sustainable nutrient management practices in grape cultivation.