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2. Department of agricultural journalism University of Wisconsin-Madison: Faculty and graduate student research, 1990
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Format:
- Research report
- Publication Date:
- 1990
- Published:
- USA
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 199 Document Number: D09924
- Notes:
- NCR-90 Collection, Prepared for the NCR-90 meeting. Iowa State University, Oct. 24-26, 1990. 13 pages.
3. Exploring the role of agricultural extension in promoting biodiversity conservation in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Abdu-Raheem, Kamal Adekunle (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2014
- Published:
- Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 16 Document Number: D10465
- Journal Title:
- Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems
- Journal Title Details:
- 38(9): 1015-1032
- Notes:
- 19 pages., ISSN: 2168-3565 (Print) 2168-3573 (Online), Via online journal, Biodiversity conservation outside designated protected areas remains challenging in South Africa, where 80% of the biodiversity resources occur on private and communal lands. This applies to the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) province, which is the focus of this study. Landholders logically choose agricultural production ahead of conservation, which they often perform using non-ecological methods. Extension is well positioned to promote ecological agriculture, but its current contribution is unknown. This study examined the role of extension in ecological agriculture in KZN by investigating extension’s promotion of ecological agriculture among smallholder farmers and the factors impacting their employment of ecologically compatible practices. Data was collected through semistructured interviews with 44 respondents, comprising 5 provincial biodiversity conservation practitioners, 1 national biodiversity conservation manager, and 1 national and 4 provincial agricultural extension managers, selected by purposive sampling; as well as 25 extension officers and 8 farmers, selected by convenience sampling. The study found that extension mainly engages in technology transfer and distribution of production inputs, which poses challenges to biodiversity conservation. Extension shows little concern for biodiversity, and effectively promotes its degradation. Four sets of factors impacting extension’s capacity to promote ecological agriculture emerged: household/community-level, governmental, extension management, and ecological factors. Key among these were inadequate involvement of youth and men in agriculture; inadequate household production resources; poor collaboration and coordination between extension and biodiversity conservation institutions; top-down extension intervention; poor extension management and delivery capacities; and irregular and inadequate rainfall, as well as droughts and flooding. The study concluded that there is a need for a clearly articulated extension and biodiversity conservation policy supporting appropriate linkages and better coordination and integration of services among extension and biodiversity agencies within the National and Provincial Departments of Agriculture and with farmers; more effective agricultural education in schools; strengthening extension support systems; and creating conducive atmospheres for effective extension.
4. Resistance to change: fact or fiction?
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Byrnes, Francis C. (author / International Rice Research Institute)
- Format:
- Paper
- Publication Date:
- 1964-11-06
- Published:
- International
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: Byrnes2 Document Number: C12233
- Notes:
- Francis C. Byrnes Collection, Presentation at the Weekly Forum, U.S. Agency for International Development, Manila, Philippines. 14 p.
5. Seed fairs and the case of Marambo village, Nachingwea district, Tanzania: implications of local informal seed supply and variety development for research and extension
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Nathanials, Nicolas Q. R. (author) and Mwijage, Amos (author)
- Format:
- Paper
- Publication Date:
- 2000
- Published:
- Tanzania: Overseas Development Institute, Agricultural Research and Extension Network
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 132 Document Number: C20001
- Notes:
- Burton Swanson Collection, 7 pages; Network paper no. 101
6. Usability attributes influencing the adoption and use of mobile apps for dissemination of agricultural information
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Kandagor, Jonathan C. (author), Githeko, Jason M. (author), and Opiyo, Arnold M. (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2018-01-01
- Published:
- eSci Journals Publishing
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 123 Document Number: D11160
- Journal Title:
- International Journal of Agricultural Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 6(1)
- Notes:
- 9 pages., via online journal., Mobile apps such as social media have friendly attributes and unbiased usage across gender and age; and have become one of the most promising channels for dissemination of agricultural information. The current sources of agricultural information available to farmers do not allow a two-way flow of information and instant feedback. The information disseminated using such channels are generally not customized to specific farmers’ needs. Despite the availability of various mobile apps providing agricultural information, the adoption rate is too minimal. The aim of this study was to determine the usability attributes of social media influencing its adoption and use. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 149 respondents. The respondents were selected through purposive sampling technique from a population comprising of farmers, extension staff, lecturers and students enrolled in agricultural courses participating in the Farm Attachment Program of Egerton University. Data collected was analysed using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) and probit regression was used to analyse expected probability of social media adoption. The findings indicate that the main usability attributes of social media are Ease of use, usefulness, credibility, flexibility and Internet availability. Mobile apps being used to disseminate agricultural information should incorporate some of the usability attributes that have significantly influenced the adoption and use of social media to enhance its uptake and use.