Analysis of Knowledge, Adoption and Attitude of Participant and Non-Participants towards FFS Programme in Bidar District of Karnataka*
Mr. Mallikarjun 1, Goudappa S.B2. and Reddy B.S3.
1 M Sc (Agri.) student; 2Professor and Head and 3Asst Professor of Agril. Economics, UAS, Raichur
* Research work carried out as a part of the M Sc (Agri.) degree programme by the first author
Corresponding author e-mail ID #:
ABSTRACT
The Present study was conducted to know extent of knowledge Soybean cultivation Practices of Participant and Non-Participant Respondents of FFS Programmes in Bidar District of Karnatakaduring 2014-15. Data was collected by personal interview method from 120 respondents’ viz., 60 Participant and 60 Non-Participant Respondents using pre-tested standardized interview schedule. The collected data was analysed using suitable and appropriate statistical tools. The independent variables viz., Age, Education, Land holding, Annual income, Extension orientation, Mass media participation, Management orientation, Risk orientation, Cosmopoliteness and Innovative pronenesswere considered to know the profile of the respondents. Theoverall knowledge differenceabout Soybean cultivation Practicesexisted between participants and non- participants respondents. Nearly two-third participants belonged to high level of knowledge categories.Further, a large majority of participant respondents (88.33 %) belonged to high to medium level of adoption as compare to non- participant respondents (71.67 %). soybean cultivating farmers who had enrolled as participants in the programme had favorable disposition towards FFS programme to the ten enlisted statements on opinion the attitude scale.The availability of timely labours for farm operations and high cost and spurious inputs expressed as a acute problem by the participant and non-participant respondents
KEY WORDS: Farmers Field School (FFS),Knowledge, Adoption , Attitude,
The Farmers Field School (FFS) is a non-formal learner centered education process. It seeks to empower people to solve their field problems actively by fostering participation, interaction, dialogue, joint decision making, self confidence and self determination. Farmers learn by carrying out for themselves various activities related to selected farming technology and through constant observation of the technology performance in the field. It promotes healthy and quality discussions and decisions. The continuous learning occurs throughout crop season and facilitates farmer to farmer communication. Some of the special features of FFS are, all learning is field based and so it is the primary venue for learning, it is a group activity, with about 30 farmers and farm women who learn constantly during the crop period, learners (participants) work in small sub groups, collect data, analyze data and take decisions based on the results obtained, it promotes healthy discussions and quality decision making and learning continues until a crop season. The study attempts to know the impact of FFS on knowledge and adoption of participant and non-participant among soybean growers of Farmers Field Schools besides identifying the personal, sociopsychological characteristics of respondents. It is expected that the
Findings of the study would be useful to FFS facilitators and collaborators while developing and implementing FFS programme for the benefit of farmers. The findings of the study on knowledge and adoption of participant and non- participant among soybean growers will largely help to compare the knowledge and adoption of participant and non- participant soybean growers of Farmers Field Schools. This in turn helps to transfer the appropriate technologies which are not known to farmers. Thus helping the implementing to plan and execute their programmme more effectively. Keeping in the view above aspects the study was conducted among the participant and non participant soybean growers of the Farmer Field Schools of Bidar district in the year 2014 with the following specific objectives.
- To know the socio-economic profile of the soybean growers
- To assess the impact of FFS on knowledge and Adoption of soybean growers about soybean cultivation practices
- To ascertain the changes in attitude and other economic aspects of the farmer
- To elicit the constraints and suggestions as perceived by the soybean growers for FFS programme
Methodology
The present investigation was carried out in Bidar district of Karnataka state with Ex-post-facto-research design. This design was considered appropriate because the phenomenon has already occurred.Bidar district of Karnataka is purposely selected as more number of FFSs organized in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region. The talukas which had organized highest number of FFS (crop based) were drawn as talukas for the study. The following table indicates the organization of crop based FFS in the district. Three talukas namely Bidar, Aurad and Bhalki drawn for the study (Table 1). Two villages from the each selected talukas i.e., six villages namely Chavali and Chondi (Bidar Tq.), Mandarkunnta and Dabka (Aurad Tq.) and Nelgi and Ganeshwadi (Bhalki Tq.) drawn as study villages. The list of farmers who have participated in soybean FFS in each selected villages were prepared in consultation of the officials of the Department of Agriculture from the selected six villages and arranged the names alphabetically, 10 farmers from each village were drawn as participant respondents by following simple random sampling procedure. A separate list of soybean growing farmers who have not enrolled in the FFS programme in the respective villages were prepared and by following the simple random sampling procedure 10 farmers of each villages comprising of sixty farmers represented as non-participant respondents. The independent variables viz., Age, Education, Land holding, Annual income , Extension orientation, Mass media participation , Management orientation, Risk orientation, Cosmopoliteness and Innovative proneness were considered in the study. In order to ascertain the knowledge of the respondents the “Teacher made test” suggested by Anastasi (1961) with little modification were employed.The selected operations of soybean cultivation were listed separately in consultation with the Agricultural Experts and edited the questions carefully by referring to the package of practices of the University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur. The answers elicited from the farmers were quantified by giving ‘1’ score to correct and ‘0’ to wrong answers. Based on the response obtained, the knowledge level was quantified by using frequency and percentage.Further, the adoption of recommended and selected twelve Soybean cultivation practices were selected based on the advice of the juries who comprises of Agricultural officers, Extension officers of UAS, Raichur and other Progressive Farmers. The response for each items were obtained and was quantified by ‘2’ score to full adoption,’1’score to partial adoption and ‘0’score to no adoption. Based on the responses obtained, the adoption level was quantified by using frequency and percentage.To ascertain the attitude of the respondents towards FFS programme, a scale developed by Adissa and Adeloye (2012) were used with light modification in the present study. Further, attitude statements in the present context restated with the consultation of experts and resource persons working in the Department of Agriculture and University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur. The total statements were 10, the response to these statements obtained by asking the respondents to indicate theirview using 10 declarative sentences consisting of both positive and negative items on a 5-point scale as Strongly Agreed (5), Agree (4), Undecided (3), Disagree (2) and Strongly Disagree (1).Data were collected by using a detailed interview schedule designed for the purpose employing personal interview method. The responses were scored, quantified, categorized and tabulated using statistical methods like percentage, mean and standard deviation and frequencies.
Table 1:Crop wise FFS organized in Bidar district (2013-14)
Year and taluka / Soybean / Sugarcane / Blacklgram / Greengram / Redgram / Rabi SorghumBidar / 15 / 10 / 10 / 10 / 11 / 12
Aurad / 13 / 8 / 10 / 10 / 8 / 9
Basavakalyan / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 10 / 8
Bhalki / 14 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 12 / 10
Humnabad / 10 / 8 / 8 / 11 / 10 / 10
Total / 61 / 44 / 48 / 53 / 51 / 49
Results and Discussion
Personal socio-economic profile of the of participants and non- participants soybean growers of FFS programme
The data regarding personal and social-psychological characteristics of participant and non-participant respondents have revealed certain important finding in the present study.
Age: Nearly sixty two per centof participants were belonged to middle age group followed by old age (21.67 %) and young age (16.67 %). In case of non-participants (43.33 %) were old age group followed by middle (41.67 %) and young (15.00 %) age group. It is evident from the experience that middle age farmers are enthusiastic and interested to know more and practice on their field with higher work efficiency than old and young group. The result was in line with the finding of Krishnamurthy (1999).
Education: It was found that, majority (33.33 % and 43.33 %) of the participants and non participants were illiterates this could be due to the rural people who have still traditional base, they generally do not prefer to send their children for higher schooling. Further, they expect their children to assist in farm and household activities. The long distance between the villages and schools and lack of transport facilities might have hindrances for above results. In general one fourth (25.00 % and 23.33 %) of the respondents were educated up to primary school and believes that education as a social process by which an individual learns the things necessary to fit him with the life of his society.In nutshell, more than half (66.67 % and 56.67 %) of the participants and non participants had schooling, this could be due to need for education being slowly felt by respondents in the area and also their awareness of educational efforts of the developmental departments for other benefits in the society. The results are in line with the finding of Rajashekhar (2009).
Land holding: The findings revealed that, one thirdof the participants (36.67 %) and non- participants (33.33 %) had medium to small size of land holding. This could be due to the transfer of ancestral land holding from generation to generation, interest of farmers to continue in the farming occupation as the source of income, hence the result. Results are in conformity with the findings of Karpagam (2000)
Annual income:The data presented in Table 2 indicated that, half of the participants (50.00 %) and non participants (46.67 %) belonged to medium annual income (Rs. 40,000- 80,000) category. The possible reason could be due to medium size of land holdings and enthusiasm for growing of soybean as a new crop venture and considerably showing as profitable crop so as to ensures better prices in the market against their traditional crops such as red gram.
Extension orientation: A glance of Table 2 shows that, nearly eighty six per cent of the participant soybean growers belonged to high and medium extension orientation category as compared to non participant’s medium to low extension orientation category. The probable reason might be high eagerness and enthusiasm to see their social image as progressive farmer and to solve their own problems with extension functionaries on timely basis according to different crop stages. And also assist their fellow farmers. Further, they have undergone various capacity building programme right from land preparation to harvesting and marketing of farm produce might have contributed for the result.The results were in line with the research findings reported by Venkataramalu (2003).
Mass media participation: It is clear from the Table 2 that, more eighty three per cent of the participant respondents had high and medium level of mass media participation to seek information on scientific farming. It might be due to the reason that majority of the respondents possessed television and subscribed news papers and agricultural periodicals coupled with medium educational level and better purchasing power might have resulted higher mass media participation. In non- participant respondents, nearly one third (36.67 %) of them had medium level of mass media participation. The reason may be due to medium level of education as revealed in the study and also minimum interest in updating the technical know-how on many crops andnew techniques. This finding was in line with the findings of Thangavel et al. (1996).
Management orientation: It could be observed from Table 2 that, majority of the participants belonged to high management orientation category. The probable reason may be due to the fact that FFS programme of Department of Agriculture (DoA) and various private field extension functionaries might have helped them to re-orient their farm management outlook. The exposure visits to various extension activities viz., krishi mela, field days, interaction meetings, exposure visit, etc. might have contributed to have high management orientation towards overall efficiency of farm management. Three fourth of the non participant respondents had medium to low level of management orientation. The reason may be due to non participation in FFS programme, less participation in other extension activities organized at various levels viz., krishi mela, field days, interaction meetings, exposure visit, etc, and lack of timely technical guidelines might have contributed to medium to low level of management orientation in non-participant respondents.
Risk orientation: A large majority of the participant soybean growers had high to medium level of risk orientation towards soybean cultivation includes both production and marketing risk because of erratic rainfall pattern, assured remunerative price for the produce at various markets and high scientific orientation towards farming leads for the result. With regards to non participants, majority (45.00 %) of them had low level of risk orientationmay be due to that the individuals will be very critical and cautious in understanding different aspect of technologies. There is a tendency in farmers to take risk based on their education, land holding, age and farming experience. Risk taking ability varies with socio-economic status of the respondents. The possible reason may be less farming experience and small and scattered land holding.
Cosmopoliteness: More than half (51.67 %) of the participant respondents had high degree of cosmopoliteness followed by medium (38.33 %) and low (10.00 %). It is crystal clear from the past research studies that the more cosmopolite of individual will have greater contact with the outside world. This might influence the farmer to acquire the knowledge and accept new ideas and practice on a realistic basis regarding various aspects of production recommendation of different crops.Where as in case of non- participants, nearly half (48.33 %) of the respondents had medium degree of cosmopoliteness since such farmers are required to be involved in marketing and to acquire the required knowledge in addition to obtain required agro-inputs to reap the farm income at a greater extent.
Innovative proneness: The data presented in Table 2 noticed that, a large majority (76.67 %) of the participant respondents were exhibited high to medium innovativeness as against non- participant respondents (53.33 %). The reason might be that since majority of soybean FFS participants belonged to ‘high extension participation’ category with ‘middle age’ group, such of the characteristics naturally might have influenced to accept the innovations quite earlier than those non-participant respondents who are of low level of innovative proneness (46.67 %).
Overall knowledge of Soybean cultivation practices by the participant and non-participant respondents of FFS programme
Table–3 reveals that overall knowledge of soybean cultivation difference existed between participants and non- participants respondents. A large majority (71.67 %) of participants belonged to high level of knowledge categories as compared to non-participant respondents (10.00%). The probable reasons for this trend may be the soybean FFS participants were properly educated and exposed the various cultivation techniques used in crop production coupled with high participation in various extension activities organized by the Agriculture Department might have helped to gain higher knowledge. Further, organization of 7-10 FFS class sessions during the Soybean cropping period might have paid an ample opportunity for the participant respondents to understand and observe crop growth critically i.e., plant height, plant health, insect pests, predators, soil condition etcand production pattern and also market trends of soybean and capacity building on agro-ecosystem analysis. Then present this to the larger group and after discussing each group’s findings and recommendations a consensus is reached on what action to take during FFS. Further, the personal and psychological traits of the participants of soybean FFS revealed that their education level was fairly good with high farming experience. This might have helped the respondents to gain high knowledge on ICM practices as compare to non participant farmers.Half of the non- participant respondents were belonged to medium level of knowledge (53.33 %). This might be due to of their low exposure to new technologies and extension contact in general and participation in FFS training programmes in particular coupled with low mass media exposure. The findings are in agreement with findings of Govind (2001) and Godtland et al. (2003).
Overall adoption of the soybean cultivation practices by the participant and non-participant soybean growers
There was a significant difference in the overall adoption level of participant and non-participant respondents. A large majority of participant respondents (78.33 %) belonged to high to medium level of adoption as compare to non- participant respondents (71.66 %). The possible reason as they possess high to medium level of knowledge on soybean cultivation practices apart them participation in various extension activities organized by different development departments such as Agriculture, Horticulture, KVKs etc. Whereas, a majority of the non-participants belonged to medium to low level of adoption category might be due to their medium to low level of knowledge and poor acceptability to new ideas and cultivation practices. Since possession of complete and correct knowledge of recommended technology is essential and pre-requisite for its full adoption. In this case it can be said that majority of participants had high level of knowledge so most of them belonged to high adoption category and most of the non- participants had medium level of knowledge, therefore most of them belongs to medium adoption category. The findings of the study are in line with Shivakumar (1997) and Saikrishna (1998).