Abstract:
SmaiI holdings sector holds 45 i]erc€iit {-)f tlie area under te:i. planta,;ion.
The avbrage yie id in the small holder sectoi was I.86ikgha iri e.culparison
to 1,35Skg/ha in the esrate sect.rr jn 2005.Iire llea Researcir Institute
introduced a new f'er1ilizer recommsnriation ior niature tea in 20OtJ. The
major objective s of'this sludy u,e re to deterniine the levei of adoption of
the fertilizer nlixturs and to assess ilre iirfiueiloe of'attitudes tovrards the
recommendatiotrs on ihe selec.tion trf fbrtiiizer Lry the pianters. Data
collection in the study ra,as by survey researcir tirrough personai ir-rtervicu,s
using a structureri quesiionnaire. Inf'omation related to tea cultivation
and f'ertilizer usage, lanrJ and crop infbmriil-ion. attiti:de of the respondents
towards plant nutriticn, inibni-latioti sour':cs, credibility oiinf'ormiition
sources u'ere gathered tl-orn a grollp of 45 tea small tiolders selected
randornly in thc N{aiara district.
Many of tlie re spondents (78 iiercenl) had rriedium attitude towards the
practical aspects of the new fbrtilizcr rnixturr: nnd 55.6 percent of the
respondents had hig,h attitr.ldes torvards 'lr,* econo::iic aspects of the
new fertilizer mixtures'fire ;lrrlst impoft:ut roasorls for tlre lolr adoption
were low practieabiiit-"* iuflucnces. arid the attitude towards the new
recomniendation and the monopoly and interference of tea factory in
distribution of 'IRi ferlitizer. ii can be conclucled that ths knowledge
and adopticn of the ner.r' ferrilizer recoffirnendation were iow. The
extension officers of l-Si-{ilA cr:uic! target all land size holders and
younger larmers to increase the adr:ptiorr ol new TRI fertilizer
recommendation and improve tea procluerivity.
