Effect of Extension Programs on Adoption of Improved Farm Practices by Farmers in Adana, Southern Turkey

Abstract

This study was undertaken to ascertain the effect of extension training on adoption of improved farm practices by farmers in Adana, Southern Turkey. It was discovered that most (72.5%) of the farmers were women and were educated. Most of them were also married. Generally, the farmers received training on crops such as wheat, sugar beet, maize, barley, cotton and water melons improved farming practices. The medium of training included farm/home visits, farmers’ meeting, and radio. Others were television, newspapers and agricultural exhibitions. The methods mostly used to train the farmers were individual contact method, group and result demonstrations, audio and film shows. Improved practices adopted by farmers were improved varieties of arable crops, spacing, row planting, tillage practices, and fertilizer application, weed control, and disease and pest control. The trainings on all the arable crops were very timely and apart from yam seeds, other crop inputs were readily available. Adoption of improved crop practices/technologies correlated significantly and positively with timeliness of training (r=0.91) and method of training (r=0.79). Timeliness of training correlated significantly with method of training (r=0.95). Number of media used correlated significantly with adoption of improved crop technologies (r=0.46) also availability of inputs correlated with timeliness of training (r=0.47) at 5% level of significance. It is, therefore, recommended that training of farmers be intensified to enhance adoption of other crops improved farm practices; more extension agents should be employed to increase the use of home visits and demonstration.

Keywords: extension training, farmers, adoption, improved farm practices