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Adoption of Integrated Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management Approach: Farmers` Preferences for Extension Teaching Methods in Bangladesh

M. G. Farouque
Laboratory of Socioeconomic Science of Food Production, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya-shi, 464-8601, Japan.

H. Takeya
Laboratory of Socioeconomic Science of Food Production, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya-shi, 464-8601, Japan.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The major purpose of the study was to determine the extent of preferences of different categories of farmers for effective extension teaching methods aimed at encouraging adoption of the Integrated Soil Fertility (ISF) and Nutrient Management (NM) approach. Data were collected from 120 farmers from eight villages in four districts, namely, Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Sherpur and Netrokona of Bangladesh between December 2007 and January 2008. Of these farmers, 39 were landless, 34 marginal, 19 small, 20 medium and 8 large farmers. A four-point rating scale was used to analyze the preferences: strongly resist, mildly resist, mildly prefer and strongly prefer corresponded to scores of 0, 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The majority of the landless, marginal and small farmers preferred individual extension teaching methods; on the other hand, the largest segment of medium and large farmers preferred group and mass extension teaching methods. Inadequate education, poor training and low income were the major reasons for the landless, marginal and small farmers- relatively higher preferences for individual teaching methods. The channel of transfer of crop production technology showed that extension service providers had very little involvement in pre-extension activities. Conversely, farmers and farmers` representatives played very little role in planning, implementing, evaluating and verification of trials undertaken by the extension department.Different farmers` groups require different types of extension teaching methods in order to adopt the ISF and NM approach.

Keywords: Technology adoption, Integrated soil fertility, Nutrient management ,Extension methods, Farmers preference

Location: Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Sherpur and Netrokona

Start Date: 00-12-2007

End Date: 00-01-2008

Program Area: Knowledge Management

Commodity: Soil fertility

Objectives:

To assess the extent of preferences by different categories of farmers on effective extension teaching methods
To assist in the adoption of Integrated Soil Fertility (ISF) and Nutrient Management (NM) approach.

Methodology:

Eight villages, two from each of the districts of Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Sherpur and Netrokona of Bangladesh were selected for this research. These areas were selected due to the stagnation/reduction of crop yields in recent years and the gradual decline of soil fertility. A total of 598 farmers, ages 17-55, were selected from 494 families in the eight villages. About 20% of the total population, i.e. 120 farmers (39 landless, 34 marginal, 19 small, 20 medium and 8 large), were randomly sampled by ensuring that not more than one farmer was selected from the same family. To measure farmers` preference for the different extension teaching methods (individual, group and mass methods), a four-point rating scale was used: the responses â€˜strongly resist`, mildly resist, mildly prefer and strongly prefer corresponded to scores of 0, 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Farmers were asked to indicate their level of preference for each method as well as all events of each method. Their preference for teaching methods was measured by frequency distribution in different categories of farmers, while their preferences for various events of each method were measured by preference index. The following formula was used to calculate the preference index that helped arrange the various events in rank order. The Preference Index (PI) of any event could range from 0 to 300. A value of 0 indicates strongly resist while a value of 300 indicates strongly prefer. Data were collected from the 120 sample farmers; 39 landless (up to 0.2 ha), 34 marginal (0.21-0.6 ha), 19 small (0.61-1.0 ha), 20 medium (1.1 ha-3.0) and 8 large (>3.0 ha) categories, through face-to-face interviews using a structured survey questionnaire, during the period from December 2007 to January 2008. Data were also, collected from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, as well as reports on agriculture and rural development of the areas under study. The collected data was grouped, summarized and presented, mainly in tabular form. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the data, using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).

Source of Information: International Journal of Agricultural Research, 4(1): 29-37, 2009, ISSN 1816-4897.

Article Link (Online Journal): DOI: 10.3923/ijar.2009.29.37; URL: http://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=ijar.2009.29.37

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Different categories of farmers require different types of extension teaching methods. The landless, marginal and small farmers might be taken as a single category, since their preferences are more or less similar and the medium and large farmers might be considered as another category based on the same consideration. The agricultural policy planners and rural development organizations may consider these findings when seeking ways to motivate farmers to adopt the ISF and NM approach and thereby preserve soil fertility and increase crop yields in Bangladesh in a sustainable manner.

Knowledge Management: Journal