KNOWLEDGE OF THE FARMERS TOWARDS IMPROVED SUGARCANE CULTIVATION PRACTICES IN ADDATHEEGALA BLOCK OF EAST GODAVARI DISTRICT OF ANDHRA PRADESH

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is an important commercial crop of India. Sugarcane and sugar beet are used for large scale production of sugar in the world. Amongst the sugar producing plants, sugarcane is responsible for about 60.00 per cent of world's sugar production. Sugarcane is cultivated mainly in the tropics, though in India it is also grown in sub-tropical areas. Sugarcane is the main source of sugar in Asia and Europe. Sugarcane is grown primarily in the tropical and sub-tropical zones of the southern hemisphere. Sugarcane is the raw material for the production of white sugar, jiggery (Gur) and khandsari. It is also used for chewing and extraction of juice for beverage purpose. Kumar (2019). The study was based on both primary and secondary data. The study was conducted in few selected villages of Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh it was concluded that majority of the respondents belongs to the medium level of knowledge. Nearly 44.16 per cent of respondents were having the knowledge towards sugarcane cultivation practices.