Abstract:
Commercial shrimp culture has become to the mainstay of the coastal economy of India. The present
study was undertaken among 120 shrimp farmers from the two predominant shrimp farming districts
of the country. The aim of the study was to find out the various stages of diffusion of scientific shrimp
farming through various stages of the adoption from 1997-2003, as well as to study the present adoption
behavior of the shrimp farmers. Using a structured interview schedule each of the respondent was interviewed to know his stage of adoption of scientific shrimp farming in each of the year ranging from 1997 to
2003. The number of respondents in each stage of adoption in each of these years was worked out and expressed as percentages. The present adoption behaviour of the shrimp farmers was studied using the adoption quotient formula. The study revealed that the symbolic adoption and use adoption was high in the
years 2002 and 2003 when more of the critical technologies of health and water management were developed and transferred to the target population. Practice wise adoption of the technologies revealed that the
adoption behaviour was high in harvesting, pond bottom conditioning, pond bottom sterilization, liming of
pond and feed management.
