Beal, George M. (author), Rogers, Everett M. (author), and Professor, Department of Economics and Sociology, Iowa State College, Ames, IA; Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
1959
Published:
USA
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 41 Document Number: B04715
Spurk, Christoph (author), Asule, Pamellah (author), Ofori-Baah, Rebecca (author), Chikopela, Louis (author), Diarra, Boubacar (author), Koch, Carmen (author), and Wageningen University
Format:
Online journal article
Publication Date:
2019-08-21
Published:
Netherlands: Taylor & Francis
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 108 Document Number: D10944
22 pages, via online journal article, Purpose: Soil fertility is decreasing in many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. To mitigate this trend, various agricultural technologies are available, but their uptake by farmers has been low. Perception of the problem, information exposure, and knowledge play a major role in adoption of technologies. This study assessed empirically the levels of perception, knowledge and information exposure among African farmers as an indicator for potential adoption of soil fertility technologies.
Design/Methodology/approach: The study used survey data of more than 2,400 small-scale farmers selected through random sampling from Ghana, Kenya, Mali and Zambia. The survey investigated socio-economic factors, exposure to media, perception and knowledge of soil fertility and other information.
Findings: Many farmers did not perceive soil fertility as a major challenge, except in Mali; farmers were hardly receiving information on soil fertility from professional agricultural sources, and they often lacked accurate knowledge about soil fertility technologies. Radio was by far the most used information source for farmers.
Practical implications: The study has exposed the need for interventions to increase awareness, information exposure, and knowledge about soil fertility among farmers to strengthen the adoption of soil fertility technologies. It also calls for innovative ways of strengthening extension services through links with radio.
Theoretical implications: The role of communication in the uptake of agricultural innovations is still under-researched, and hence this study exposes the need to investigate in-depth knowledge, perception levels, and quality and frequency of information exposure on various channels of soil fertility management.
Originality: This is one of the few studies empirically measuring perception, information frequency on various channels, and knowledge of soil fertility among small-scale farmers in African countries.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 170 Document Number: C28590
Notes:
Via online site. 17 pages of the report retrieved., Section about "Health and Education" includes 11-country analysis of the influence of radio and television programming on health knowledge and behavior in rural households.
Summarizes presentation by Luther Tweeten, "Agricultural technology - the potential socio-economic impact," to the Oklahoma Network for Continuing Higher Education Leadership Development Seminar, Stillwater, Oklahoma, October 2, 1986.
USA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 201 Document Number: D11770
Notes:
Online via AgriMarketing Weekly. 1 page., U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that more than 90 percent of corn, soybean, and cotton acreage involves herbicide-resistant varieties. Currently, 92 percent of U.S. cotton acres are planted with genetically-engineered, insect-resistant seeds and 83 percent of U.S. corn acres.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: KerryByrnes2 Document Number: D01196
Notes:
Kerry J. Byrnes Collection, Academy for Educational Development, Offices of rural development,agriculture, bureau for science and technology, agency for international development. 52 pages., A key objective of the communication for technology transfer in agriculture (CTTA) project is to develop, demonstrate, and disseminate an effective methodology for using communication to support agricultural technology transfer to small farmers in developing countries.
In an issue located in a chronological file entitled "INTERPAKS - Newsletter" from the International Programs records of the Agricultural Communications Program, University of Illinois., From the International Programs records of the Agricultural Communications Program, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign., Review of articles by Robert Rodale, Robert E. Wagner, Dennis Keeney, and Peter E. Hildebrand in the July-September 1990 issue Journal of Production Agriculture. Authors send messages to "many former outsiders" in the "agricultural road:" inventors, consumers, lobbyists, politicians, environmentalists, input suppliers, and scientists. "...they must now share their power to transform agriculture."
