FARMERS’ AWARENESS ON THE USE OF INDIGENOUS TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE (ITK) OF SADAR UPAZILLA UNDER JAMALPUR DISTRICT

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to ascertain farmers’ awareness of the use of Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITKs) for sustainable agricultural development. The study also explored the relationships between farmers’ selected characteristics and their awareness of use of ITK for sustainable agricultural development. The study was conducted in six villages of Sadar upazila under Jamalpur district. Data were collected from a sample of randomly selected 124 farmers out of a total population of 1248. The data were collected through personal interviewing by using an interview schedule during the period from 12 January to 10 February, 2020. Appropriate scales were developed in order to measure the variables. Farmers’ awareness of the ITKs for sustainable agricultural development was the dependent variable and twelve selected characteristics of the respondents constituted the independent variables. The selected characteristics were age, education, family size, farm size, annual income, cosmopoliteness, organizational participation, training on ITKs, extension media contact, knowledge on ITKs, innovativeness and input Availability. Pearson's Product Moment Correlation Co-efficient (r) was computed to examine the relationship between the concerned variables. Finding revealed that 20.9 percent of the farmers had fully aware of use of ITKs for sustainable agricultural development compared to 77.8 percent partial and 7.2 percent not aware on use of ITKs for sustainable agricultural development. Correlation analysis indicated that five characteristics of farmers, namely age, education, family size, farm size and organizational participation had no significant relationship with their awareness of use of ITKs. Annual family income, cosmopoliteness, Training on ITKs, extension media contact and knowledge on ITKs, Innovativeness and Input Availability ITKs were significant positive relationships with their awareness of use of ITKs for sustainable agricultural development.