International Journal of Agricultural Science Research and Technology in Extension and Education Systems
Volume:5 Issue: 2, Jun 2015

The purpose of this study is to assess Farmers’ attitude toward the soil conservation practices in the Kushk-Abad catchment basins in the province of Khorasan Razavi. A sample of 200 farmers was randomly selected from 1200 farmers living in Kardeh catchment basin. Data collection was done through a questionnaire that was administered in 2014. Validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by a panel of experts. To assess the reliability of the questionnaire, Cronbach’s alpha was used. This coefficient for adoption level of sustainble soil conservation practices was 0.84. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as extent of mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, correlation analysis. The results showed a medium level of soil conservation use by most farmers. It was also found that there is a significant positive correlation between the amount of communication channels, information resources, and access to the IT infrastructures use with our dependent variable i.e. soil conservation implementation. The hierarchical regression analysis was applied in two steps to determine the predictive variables of soil conservation practices which, at the first step, the variables pertaining to the amount of communication channels and information resources were entered followed by variables of access to the ICT infrastructures on the second step as the independent variable.

This study examined the effect of urbanization on agricultural production in Abia State. Specifically, it categorized the land tenancy status of the farmers, analyzed the effect of urbanization on agricultural productivity and identified the constraints to agricultural productivity. Multistage random sampling technique was used to select the respondents. Primary data collected using structured questionnaire and interview schedules were analyzed using frequency counts, means, and percentages and regression analysis. Results showed that majority (81.7%) of the respondents cultivated both on owned and rented farms. Only 10% and 8.3% of the respondents cultivating solely on owned and rented farm lands respectively. The regression result of the effect of urbanization and other factors on agricultural productivity showed that the significant variables influencing productivity were farm size, urbanization, fertilizer/ agrochemical, land tenure system, duration of land use and cost of farm land. The major constraints to increased productivity as noted by the respondents based on their degree of effect were lack of capital for agricultural investment, lack of improved farm inputs, high cost of land, land fragmentation, high population and high cost of planting materials. The study therefore recommend that specific areas should be earmarked for agricultural use only and protected from encroachment and other competing uses through appropriate legislations and policies.

The main purpose of the present study was to investigate effective factors of the market development of aquatics and products processed from them. The present research was applied research. Also, it was quantity research and in terms of the method of collecting data was a survey research. The Statistical population of this study consisted of experts of Agricultural Jihad Organization, experts of Agricultural Bank, fish growers and fish sellers of Sarpolzahab township  which all of them were studied by using census method (N=221). The main data collection instrument was a researcher made questionnaire. The face and content validity has been confirmed by a panel of experts consisting of faculty member of agricultural extension at Islamic Azad University of Ilam Branch. Also the Reliability has been determined by Using the Coronbach,s alpha formula (0.94).  For data analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics were used. The results of the exploratory factor analysis of research indicated that technical and professional, political, educational – administrative, production, supportive, marketing, export, type of product and geographical factors have been able to explain in total 73.087% of total variance of development of the market of aquatics and products processed from them.

The purpose of this research was identified barriers to the successof water users' cooperatives in Dashte Azadegan and Hoveyzeh Townships, Khuzestan Province, Iran. This research was an applied study and the research method was descriptive. Members of water users' cooperatives considered as statistical population. The sample size was 256 farmers based on Krejcie & Morgan table. After designing and validating the questionnaire, the questionnaire was pre-tested among 30 people and Cronbach alpha was determined between 0.711 to 0.851. The main tool was a questionnaire. All data processing and statistical analysis was performed using the software SPSS20. Based on the results of factor analysis the factors were categorized into four main components, which have been named infrastructure, economical, managerial and organizational, cultural and social factors. The obtained results from th

The study comparatively identified the benefits of mobile telephone to users in selected rural and urban locations in Obio/Akpor local government area of Rivers State, Nigeria. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were used in selecting 60 rural and 60 urban phone users to have a total sample size of 120 respondents. Structured questionnaire was used to generate data that were analyzed descriptively. T-test was used for hypothesis testing. Socio-economic characteristics revealed that 53.33% and 50.33% of the respondents were females in rural and urban locations respectively. Majority (90.00%) of the urban respondents made use of MTN service provider than 83.33% of the rural respondents. Also, more (88.33%) of the rural than the urban (85.00%) respondents used Nokia mobile phones as the highest. The highest benefit with 100.00% in both rural and urban locations was to socialize with friends and relations. The mean of the benefit of the use of mobile telephone was more in the rural location with 51.19% than the urban location with 46.86%. The t-test result to show the difference in the benefits of mobile phone between rural and urban location users was significant at 0.05 level of significance (p-value = 0.022 0.05). Accessing agricultural extension information was the least benefit in the use of mobile phone as shown by 5.00% of rural users and 3.33% of urban users. Improvement of communication between the extension agents and farmers with the use of mobile telephone is recommended in the study area.

The study investigated the constraints to farmers’ intention to pay for private irrigation in Nandom District, Ghana. Using a key informant interviews and semi-structured questionnaires, the study collected data from 236 farmers. Data was analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Kendall coefficient of concordance was used to determine the level of agreement among farmers in ranking of constraints. The study found financial constraint (low income) as the most important constraints to farmers’ readiness to pay for private irrigation. Other important constraints were lack of ready market for output, crop pest and diseases, unstable output price, costly private services, inadequate supply of complementary inputs and lack of credit services. We concluded that lack of ready market, unstable price for farm produce and lack of credit services jointly worsen farmer's finances and consequently constraint their ability to pay even under condition of perfect knowledge of the benefits that could accrue from the technology. This study recommends the implementation of the proposed private irrigation service but management of the service should incorporate an efficient value chain in the management of the service.

Intergenerational succession aims at the renewal of family farm and addresses the problem of increasing aged population of principal farm owners. This study assessed poultry farm characteristics and poultry farmers’ perception of farm succession planning in southwest Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used in selecting poultry farmers in Oyo and Osun states.  Data were analyzed using descriptive and differential statistics. Results revealed that the poultry farmers are predominantly small and medium scale farmers. They were mostly sole proprietors (72.5%), and family farm owners (11.9%).  Most (73.4%) farmers operated on full time basis, while others were either part–time or occasional farmers.  Majority (95.9%) of the farmers had favourable perception towards farm succession planning, 30.3% had complete succession plan and 22.9% had commenced successor participation. There were no significant associations between farm ownership structure, but significant associations existed with farming status, total farm debt, and succession planning among the poultry farmers (p< 0.05). The study concluded that succession planning is new in the study area and must be further investigated in order to provide a data base for policy decision with regards to livestock (especially poultry) farming, aging proprietorship and encourage its practice.

Organic agriculture, sometimes called biological or ecological agriculture, combines traditional conservation-minded farming methods with modern farming technologies .The purpose of this research was to identify management skills in development of Organic Agriculture in West Azerbaijan Province (Iran) farms. The target population of this research included all agricultural experts who work in West Azerbaijan Province. By using a Cochran formula a number of 200 agricultural experts selected as statistical sample. The research instrument was a structural questionnaire including close-ended questions which its validity was confirmed by using expert panel and reliability by Cranach’s alpha test (α= 0.89). According to the results of the factor analysis finding shows that six factors included the skills of using methods and technologies of organic agriculture, informing skills, farming skills, and production skills involved 51.46 % of the total variance and played crucial roles in in development of organic agriculture in the West Azerbaijan Province farms. Among these factors, the factor of using methods and technologies of organic agriculture involved 12.44% of the total variance and played a more important role in using the management skills in development of organic agriculture in West Azerbaijan province Farms.