Extension Personnel Research Articles

Perceived Attributes and E-Readiness of Extension Personnel to Use ICTs

ICT has become one of the cornerstones of modern culture. This is the age of the knowledge and communication technologies. Since we all agree that we are living in a digital age, the primary goal of the study is to examine how the Agriculture Coordinator and Kishan Salahkar using ICTs, for carrying out their job effectively and successfully, they must have high level of perception about perceived attributes of ICTs and e-readiness of ICTs. The Study carried out in Samastipur District of Bihar State. The interview schedule was the principal data collection method in the report, meanwhile frequency percentage and corelation coefficient are used as statistical tools for data analysis. On the basis of present study, it can be inferred that the respondent having very low level of e-readiness and also having high level of perceived attributes towards ICT. E-readiness is low because of lack of proper infrastructure facilities and training. To enhance the e-readiness and perceived attributes of ICT tools it is important to provide proper training and proper care and management of the use of ICTs.

Analysing Constraints Faced by Extension Personnel in Executing Kerala's Premier Agricultural Development Initiative, LEADS: A Comprehensive Examination

This research explores the hurdles encountered by extension personnel during the execution of Kerala's primary agricultural development initiative, LEADS (Lead Farmer-Centered Extension Advisory and Delivery Services). Through thorough examination, it investigates several constraints, including insufficient funding, delayed salary distribution, restricted crop coverage, and climate change challenges. Proposed strategies to enhance LEADS' effectiveness involve improving funding mechanisms, streamlining administrative processes, and incorporating innovative technologies and climate-resilient practices. Addressing these challenges has the potential to promote sustainable agricultural development, enhance farmer livelihoods, and bolster food security in Kerala and beyond. The study involved 120 extension personnel across four Kerala districts: Kannur, Kollam, Palakkad, and Wayanad.

38 Assessment of retained ownership extension programming in southeastern beef cattle herds

Abstract Retained ownership is a marketing strategy that involves maintaining ownership of cattle through the feedyard stage. This strategy deviates from the traditional marketing time for many Southeast U.S. cow-calf producers, which is usually centered around weaning. Selected benefits of retained ownership for the producer includes capturing information on improved genetics and being able to take full advantage of health and management programs. Producers are often unaware of how calves perform further down the production line, leaving valuable information on the table as far as management styles and genetic selection goes. Extension programs such as Alabama’s Pasture to Rail and Arkansas’ Grass to Grid were developed to help producers retain ownership on beef calves and learn how their cattle perform in the feedyard phase. These programs provide opportunities for producers to receive feedback about the profitability of the cattle they are producing, learn more about the cattle industry beyond their sector, and investigate the use of other marketing strategies. Once cattle are marketed, producers receive data on their cattle such as average daily gain, estimated feed conversion, detailed carcass data, and health performance metrics. Extension educators can help producers analyze and understand how management and genetic selection affected these outcomes and changes that could be made to their operation. These programs have also been utilized in integrated Extension research. Between the years 2018 and 2023, the Alabama Pasture to Rail Program supported data collection on 667 calves through two different studies. Data collected in these studies are currently being used to update Extension recommendations on management strategies and potential of Alabama feeder calves. Feedback from facilitators and participants in these programs is often favorable for producer implementation but limitations are still faced by Extension personnel. A survey of county agents in Arkansas was recently conducted on programs such as Grass to Grid. Of the 45 agents that responded with active beef cattle programming in their county only 8% indicated that they had active participation in the Grass to Grid Program. An additional 13% of agents did indicate that they thought their county programming and producers would benefit from programming such as Grass to Grid. Limitations to the program were listed as market viability, producer buy in and turn-around results from the feedyard currently being used. Extension programming such as retained ownership programs have a place in helping producers build more sustainable programs. However, it is important to acknowledge the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities that must be addressed for producers and Extension personnel if they are to remain a function and useful tool.

34 A survey of the Oklahoma State University Cowculator user preferences

Abstract The Oklahoma State University Cowculator is a free, easy to use model designed to assist cattle producers in making informed decisions regarding the nutrition of their herd. The Cowculator operates as a spreadsheet-based model, which collects information from the 2016 National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s Nutrient Requirements for Beef Cattle, previous editions of the book, and previous research data. Producers have the option to adjust animal characteristics, feed and forage values, and diet composition to fit certain production objectives. In 2022, a Qualtrics survey was developed to determine perception of users of the program and their likes and dislikes. When users download the program, they are required to enter their name, email address, and zip code. A link to the survey was emailed to each address registered within the Cowculator database, with an email reminder sent out 30 days later. The survey yielded 233 responses. According to user download data, in 2022 the Cowculator was downloaded 2,090 times from 41 states and 53 countries. Based on email addresses ending in “.edu” the program was downloaded by faculty or students from 135 different universities, colleges, or other technical institutions. Of the respondents, 60% identified as beef cattle producers, 16% as industry professionals (e.g., consultants, veterinarians), 11% as extension personnel, 7% as research or teaching faculty, and 6% as students. Regarding the type of enterprise which the program was used for, 52% responded with cow/calf, 33% growing or stocker cattle, and 15% finishing cattle. The survey indicated that 88% of respondents were able to utilize the program effectively to evaluate or modify their nutrition program, while 16% indicated they were not successful in using the program. The survey asked respondents to give their opinion on the accuracy of the program. 69% indicated that it yielded “mostly accurate” projections, 23% responded with “very accurate”, and 5% perceived the program to be inaccurate or marginally accurate. Users of the program estimated the average annual benefit of the program to be $1,500. The respondents were asked to select what they liked about the program and what they felt needed improvement. It was indicated that the most liked features were that the program was free and that it was easy to use. The features that were indicated as needing improvement where the limited pre-added list of feedstuffs and the lack of availability of a simplified app version of the program. The results of this survey provide valuable insights regarding user demographics, as well as what can further be adjusted within the Cowculator to best fit the needs of the users.

Job satisfaction of extension personnel of Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh

Job satisfaction of extension personnel of Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh

Relationship between profile and extent of use of extension teaching methods by extension personnel of Department of Agriculture

Relationship between profile and extent of use of extension teaching methods by extension personnel of Department of Agriculture

Development of Scheduled Caste Farmers through Integrated Farming System in Bangalore Rural District, India

The study was conducted in Bengaluru Rural district of Karnataka State, a total sample of 275 respondents was selected for the study and the data was collected by using pretested structured interview schedule and analyzed using appropriate statistical tools. It was observed that, the livelihood security of the respondents under ‘highly satisfied’ category was improved from 23.64 per cent from the bench mark data to 38.18 per cent. In ‘less satisfied’ category it was decreased to 32.73 per cent from 41.82 per cent after implementation of the project. Out of seven dimensions of livelihood security, maximum increase was noticed in employment security (69.84%) followed by ecological security (60.96%), living amenities (52.39%), economic efficiency (51.76 %), coping strategies against stress (45.35%), assets (37.13 %) and social equitability (28.03%) and overall livelihood security increased by 48.17 per cent after implementation of the project. The personal, socio-economic and psychological characteristics of the beneficiaries; land holding, cropping pattern, livestock possession, innovativeness, mass media exposure, management orientation, level of aspiration, training undergone, participation in development programme, access to extension personnel and access to resources exhibited positive and significant relationship with livelihood security.The R2 value of 0.324 indicated that all 18 variables had contributed to the tune of 32.40 per cent of variation in Livelihood Security of respondents. Hence, the concerned development departments should promote and strengthen the IFS activities to enhance the livelihood security of resource poor framers. The positive and significantly related characteristics needs to be considered while selecting the farmers for IFS programs to enhance their livelihood security.

Adoption of Improved Varieties among Rice Farmers in the Kindia Region of Guinea

This study investigated the adoption characteristics of improved rice variety among rice farmers in the Kindia region of Guinea. A Multistage sampling procedure was used to select 180 rice farmers and a well-structured interview guide was used to elicit information from the respondents. Data were analysed using percentages, mean statistics, standard deviation and Chi-square. The most adopted rice variety was CK 90 (86.6%). Factors influencing the adoption of improved rice varieties were market channels (84.9%), membership of associations (91.7%) and contact with extension personnel (85.5%). Most (97.2%) rice farmers knew about growing improved rice varieties. Most (66.1%) of the respondents had a favourable attitude towards growing improved rice variety but faced constraints like insufficient loan ( = 2.89), weed infestation ( = 2.37), storage losses ( = 2.19) and low extension activities ( = 2.11). The adoption characteristics of respondents were good (88.3%) with economic characteristics having the highest mean ( =2.71). Educational qualification was significantly related (χ2 =1.149) to the adoption characteristics of improved variety. Efforts should be made by research institutes to ensure increased access of rice farmers to improved seed varieties with attractive characteristics which could aid its adoption and ensure food security in Guinea.

Constraints faced by the extension personnel with the existing transfer of technology system of state department of agriculture

Constraints faced by the extension personnel with the existing transfer of technology system of state department of agriculture

Analysis of the Digital Skill Gap of Agricultural Extension Personnel in South-East, Nigeria

Analysis of the Digital Skill Gap of Agricultural Extension Personnel in South-East, Nigeria

Comparative Study of the Socioeconomic Characteristics and Digital Literacy Level of Agricultural Extension Personnel in Imo and Ebonyi States, South-East, Nigeria

Comparative Study of the Socioeconomic Characteristics and Digital Literacy Level of Agricultural Extension Personnel in Imo and Ebonyi States, South-East, Nigeria

Professional Insights Provided by Women Extension Personnel in Odisha

Professional Insights Provided by Women Extension Personnel in Odisha

Factors Affecting Training Effectiveness of Extension Personnel in PAMETI, Punjab

This study was executed for identifying the key factors that impact the effectiveness of training programs under the aegis of ex-post facto research design in 2023-24 timeline. The sample comprised trainees participating in a range of competency development training programs organized by the “Punjab Agricultural Management and Extension Training Institute” (PAMETI) during 2017–2018. Five training programs were selected in total with 24 trainees from each program chosen through random sampling constituting the sample of 120 respondents. Majority of trainees were predominantly perceived to fall within the moderate category regarding training effectiveness. Factors accounted for 64.38 per cent of the variation in training effectiveness among the trainees. Achievement motivation, job performance and satisfaction, self-attitude and mass media exposure of trainees were found to substantially influence the variation in training effectiveness.

Critical issues facing Georgia residents: An application of the Delphi technique and community capitals framework

The 21st century has brought with it unforeseen challenges and influential trends that will have significant impact of the livelihood and wellbeing of Georgia residents. Extension personnel within Georgia can extend their mandate by identifying issues that represent present and near-present threats and use these issues to inform programming and direct resource allocation. The conceptual basis for this study relied upon the community capitals framework and the consensus-building theory. Data were collected using a three-round Delphi process, with an expert panel comprised of 19 Extension leadership and administrative personnel. Descriptive statistics, including mean importance scores and absolute frequency counts, were computed. A final list of 21 unique issues resulted from the Delphi process and was analyzed thematically using the constant comparative method. Five heuristic themes resulted from this analysis: 1) Investment in Youth and Adults, 2) Agricultural and Rural Economic Development, 3) Agriculture and Food Safety Information, 4) Resource Access and Availability, 5) Social and Personal Economic Concerns. Comparison with the community capitals framework revealed that multiple capitals interacted within each of the resulting themes. Utilizing the Delphi technique in conjunction with the community capitals framework enables extension professionals to compare community resources and strengths and may allow for greater efficiency in addressing critical issues. The immediate efforts of extension personnel should be directed towards addressing issues within the Investment in Youth and Adults and Resource Access and Availability themes. We recommend using the associated community capitals as strategic entry points for further discussion and program development.

KNOWLEDGE OF EXTENSION TEACHING METHODS AMONG EXTENSION PERSONNEL IN DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

The study was conducted in Dharwad and Gadag districts of Karnataka. Ex-post facto research design was employed for study. Agriculture Officers and Assistant Agriculture Officers working in Department of Agriculture were selected as the respondents for the present investigation. The total sample size for the study constitute 90 extension personnel. Findings of the study revealed that more than three fourth of the extension personnel had good knowledge regarding the purpose of all selected extension teaching methods. Majority of extension personnel (51.11 %) had high knowledge about the selected extension teaching whereas, 32.22 per cent had medium knowledge level and 16.67 per cent had low knowledge level. Out of eleven independent variables studied, two variables namely, educational qualification and achievement motivation were positively and significantly correlated with the knowledge of extension teaching methods by extension personnel at one per cent level of significance while, years of experience, job involvement and job satisfaction were positively and significantly correlated at five per cent significant level. Other independent variables including age, gender, participation in training, perceived workload and self confidence did not show any significant relationship with knowledge of extension teaching methods by extension personnel.

Capability Enhancement of Agricultural Extension Personnel through ICT Interventions and its Economic Impact in Bangladesh

"In this paper, we evaluated the performance of various ICT interventions to empower agricultural extension personnel, especially the Sub Assistant Agriculture Officer (SAAO) and Upazila Agriculture Officer (UAO), the major stakeholders in Bangladesh’s existing agricultural extension system. It is usually challenging for extension staff to keep track of their services and get up-to-date agricultural knowledge in developing nations due to the enormous geographical area and quantity of farmers and insufficient training and monitoring. Different ICT applications and tools, such as online and offline agricultural consultation services applications, a digital diary for recording the daily activities of the SAAOs, a monitoring system for the UAOs, and audiovisual materials have been developed to support the extension people. The evaluation was done after collecting data from Focus Group Discussions (FGD), Key Informant Interviews (KII), surveys, and server-side data processing. This study revealed that ICT applications have increased the knowledge base, efficiency, confidence level, and acceptance of the SAAOs and improved the financial aspects of the agriculture extension services. Thanks to ICT interventions, farmers receive timely and quality services from SAAO, leading to increased crop production and a better lifestyle for farmers."

Perception of agricultural extension personnel of their extension tasks in the governorates of Upper Egypt

Perception of agricultural extension personnel of their extension tasks in the governorates of Upper Egypt

A Study on Communication Behaviour of Wheat Growers in Reasi Distt. of Jammu & Kashmir, India

Introduction of latest interactive communication technology among the rural population has opened a new vista of researchers to find out viability, acquaintance, accessibility, satisfaction, constraints and many more issues of the launched electronic communication technology and systems. There exists a gap between the information available and its dissemination. There is a need to find out better and faster means of communication which will bridge the gap between the researches and their applicability. The information technology revolution has provided huge opportunities to make easy access to information with interactive distance learning. The mechanism of internet and T.V. aided information technology help to reach the unreach.
 Wheat is an important crop grown in hilly Distt. Reasi of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir where different varieties of wheat are grown. Keeping in mind the importance of communication behaviour in the transfer of wheat production technology, a study on “Communication Behaviour of Wheat Growers in Reasidistt. Reasi of Jammu &Kashmir, India” was conducted in hilly District Reasi of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir which was selected purposively. Out of 12 C.D. Blocks 4C.D.Blocks namely Reasi, Pouni, Katra and Thuroo were selected randomly. A sample of 20 per cent villages was selected randomly from selected Gram Panchayats. A sample of 20 per cent Gram Panchayats from each selected block was selected randomly. A sample of 20 per cent villages from the selected Gram Panchayats was selected randomly. A sample of 20 per cent (150) wheat growers was selected randomly from selected villages. Hence, a total of 150 respondents were finally selected for recording their responses for study purpose. Communication behaviour of wheat growers has been operationalised as information input, information processing and information output behaviour of the respondents. An index was prepared for studying the communication behaviour of wheat growers, wherein information input was studied in terms of sources of information, processing of information was studied in terms of evaluation, storage and transfer of information and information output was studied in terms of dissemination of information.
 It was found that the majority of respondents were using Extension Personnel of KVK, Extension Personnel of Departments of Agriculture, progressive farmers, television, relatives and friends and radio as arranged rank wise 1, 2, 3,4, 5 and 6respectively as the main sources of information on wheat production technologies referred as the information input behaviour of the vegetables growers.
 A large number of farmers used to evaluate (processing) the information by discussing with the elder family members, progressive farmers, neighbourers and local leaders/key communicators as arranged rankwise 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively. Majority of wheat growers stored the information by memorization and writing in general notebooks as arranged rankwise 1 and 2 respectively. A large number of wheat growers transformed the information by rearranging the important information as per their needs and rearranging the information in local dialect. Majority of wheat growers disseminated the information (information output) to their family members, neighbourers and those who cultivate in their lands as arranged rank wise 1, 2 and 3 respectively. It was found that majority of wheat growers had medium communication behaviour towards different wheat production information sources.

A Study on Utilisation Pattern of E-tools (ICT-tools) by Extension Personnel Working in Developmental Departments in Vijayapur District, Karnataka, India

The use of Internet and mobile by extension personnel is now very common in India. Extension personnel use the Internet for social, research and educational purposes. This study focused on exploring the utilisation pattern of extension personnel about e-tools. The data were collected from 135 extension personnel through pre-tested interview schedule, where the questions were designed to generate information on, e-tools (ICT-tools) usage, information needs and the actual use of e-tools. The results identified overall utilization about e-tools; it was found that, 35.56 per cent of the extension personnel belonged to high utilization category of e-tools. Further, it indicated the extent of utilisation of e-tools in the order of priority were;’Whats App group’ (82.96 %), followed by ‘Krishi Marata Vahini’ (22.96 %), ‘Raitamitra’ (20.74 %), ‘Video conference’ (10.37 %), ‘KMAS’ (8.89 %), ‘Information kiosk’ (8.89 %) and ‘Agromet advisory Service’ (2.22 %). While coming to the purpose of utilisation of e-tools, ’Whats App group’, ‘krishi marata vahini’ and ‘Raitamitra’, are most commonly used for their personal and professional work. While the extension personnel had low utilization of e-tools like can be increased only through the education and training. It can be overwhelmed with more research, experience and training programe. Extension personnel should be made aware about e-tools and need to be trained on use of e-tools.

Constraints to Livestock Production among Rural Households in Southwest Nigeria

The potential of livestock production as a veritable means of livelihood especially in rural areas is constrained by the array of challenges. This study ascertained constraints limiting livestock production potentials among rural households in southwest Nigeria. Simple random sampling was used to select 131 and 116 rural households from Ondo and Osun, respectively. Data were analysed using mean, percentages, Pearson product-moment correlation and t-test. Respondents reared goats and sheep, poultry, and pig purposely for household use (91.9%) and sales (85.0%). Management system mostly practised was semi-intensive (71.7%). Radio ranked highest among information sources. Inadequate capital ( =2.01) limits goat/sheep production, poultry production was constrained by predators ( =1.98), while the high cost of livestock input ( =1.93) limits pig production. Poultry production constraints were significantly higher in Ondo (26.77±9.11) relative to Osun (22.72±11.38). Information sources significantly influenced constraints on livestock production (r=0.309). Household size (r=0.170) and years of experience (r=0.179) significantly relate to constraints to livestock production. The study recommends community and rural banking to facilitate easy access to loans and credit facilities; improved veterinary services and an increase in livestock extension personnel.