FARMERS' KNOWLEDGE ON MAIZE CULTIVATION IN FIVE SELECTED VILLAGES OF SHIBALAYA UPAZILA UNDER MANIKGONG DISTRICT

Abstract

The major purpose of this research study was to determine farmers' knowledge on maize cultivation and explore the relationship between selected characteristics of the farmers and their knowledge on maize cultivation. To identify the problems confronted by the maize farmers was another purpose of this study. The study was conducted in five villages of Shibalaya upazila under Manikgonj district. The population of maize farmers in these villages were 550, from where sample of 110 farmers was selected drawn following random sampling techniques. An interview schedule was used for data collection. Knowledge on maize was determined by a rating scale. The data were collected during 17 February to 17 March 2009. Majority (68 percent) of the farmers had high level of knowledge, while 32 percent of them had possessed very high level of knowledge. Only education, annual income and COMM unication exposure of the farmers were positively related while fanners' age, family size, farm size, land cropping intensity, organizational participation and innovativeness were negatively related with their knowledge on maize cultivation practices. High input cost was their major problem.