Journal of Global Agriculture and Ecology

The present study examined constraints affecting the adoption of recommended grape cultivation practices among farmers in Maharashtra. The study was conducted in Nashik and Sangli districts, which were selected because of their larger area and production under grape cultivation in the state. Six talukas were selected purposively: Niphad, Dindori and Baglan in Nashik district, and Tasgaon, Kavathe-Mahankal and Palus in Sangli district. Three villages from each taluka were selected, and 10 grape growers from each village were included, giving a total sample of 180 respondents. Data were collected through personal interviews using a structured interview schedule. The findings indicate that grape growers experienced several constraints in practising recommended cultivation methods. The most frequently reported constraint was that traders take advantage of incorrect weather forecasts and viral news to purchase produce at low prices (97.22 per cent). This was followed by the costly and difficult use of drip irrigation (93.33 per cent), high rates of inputs such as pesticides, fungicides, fertilisers and insecticides (91.11 per cent), inadequate pricing strategy based on production costs (89.44 per cent), issues with marketing and government export policies (87.78 per cent), uncertain electrical power supply (86.11 per cent), fluctuation in market prices (83.89 per cent), difficulty in adapting to changing climatic conditions (81.11 per cent), and limited availability and high cost of labour (75.56 per cent). The manuscript also reports that education, landholding, annual income, social participation and extension contact were positively and significantly related to adoption level, whereas age showed a non-significant relationship. Overall, the findings highlight the need for context-specific extension, market and infrastructure support to facilitate the adoption of recommended grape cultivation practices.