SOME FACTORS AFFECTING FARMER'S KNOWLEDGE RELATED TO THE CAUSES OF THE DETERIORATION OF AGRICULTURAL LAND IN SIWA OASIS - MATROUH GOVERNORATE

Abstract

The research was done to estimate the respondent farmers' knowledge that is related to the causes of the deterioration of agricultural land in Matrouh Governorate, determine the relationship between the degree of knowledge as a dependent variable and the studied independent variables, to identify the obstacles that face respondents in terms of protecting the agricultural environment at the research area and thier ideas to solve such problems from their point of view. The research was carried out at Abu Stael village, Sidi Barany district, Matrouh Governorate on a systematic random sample of 170 respondents representing around 5% of the total farmers at the research area. Data were collected using a questionnaire form by the interview during the period from March to April 2017. The study results show that 54.1% of the total sample fell under the high category of the indicator of farmers' degree of knowledge that is related to the causes of the deterioration of agricultural land at the study area, around 31.8% came under the medium category and about 14.1% came under the low category of the total research sample. The results revealed by using step-wise regression analysis that ten variables affecting the knowledge degree of the research sample that are related to causes of the deterioration of agricultural land as a dependent variable explained about 53.9% of the total variance in the depended variable. Those variables were: Bedouin leadership, innovation degree, respondent's occupation, average of son's education, degree of conventionality and Bedouin traditions, degree of affiliation to Bedouin community, number of farm animals, readiness to change, finally respondent's experience of agricultural work.