ADOPTION OF IMPROVED FARM PRACTICES IN RICE CULTIVATION BY THE FARMERS

Abstract

The main focus of the present study was to determine the adoption of improved farm practices by the farmers in rice cultivation and to explore the relationships between the adoption of improved farm practices and the nine selected characteristics of the farmers. The study was conducted at Durgapur, Garanata and Bishramgaci villages of Mohadipur Union of Palashbari Upazila under Gaibandha District. The researcher himself collected data through personal contact with a well structured pretested interview schedule. An update list of 1453 rice farmers was prepared with the help of Sub-Assistant Agricultural Officers of the study area. Out of these 1453 rice farmers' 116 farmers were proportionate randomly selected as the sample of the study and data were collected from them. The highest proportion (62.93 percent) of the respondents had medium adoption of improved farm practices. while 20.69 percent had low adoption and the rest 16.38 percent had high adoption of improved farm practices in their rice cultivation. Pearson's Product Moment Correlation co-efficient (r) was also computed to explore the relationships between the dependent and independent variables. The correlation analysis found that, education, training exposure, organizational participation, extension media contact and cosmopoliteness had significant positive relationship with the adoption of improved farm practices. Family size, farm size and annual income had no significant positive relationship with the adoption of improved farm practices. On the other hand, age had no significant negative relationship with the adoption of improved farm practices.