FARMERS’ KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE REGARDING WATERMELON CULTIVATION

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of knowledge, attitude and practices of the farmers regarding watermelon cultivation, explore the relationships between each of that ten characteristics of the watermelon farmers with their knowledge, attitude and practices regarding watermelon cultivation and the inter-correlation among knowledge, attitude and practice regarding watermelon cultivation. The selected characteristics were age, level of education, watermelon cultivation experience, watermelon cultivation area, annual family income, income from watermelon cultivation, credit received, training exposure, extension contact, and problem faced in watermelon cultivation. Data were collected from 87 watermelon farmers from three villages of Kalabari union of Kotalipara upazila under Gopalganj district by using an interview schedule. Data were collected from 15 March to 05 April, 2017. Descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, range and percentage were used to describe the variables under consideration. Pearson product moment correlation coefficient was used to explore the relationship. Watermelon farmers’ “knowledge” was measured on the basis of six levels of cognitive domain as postulated by Bloom (1956) and revised by Anderson and Karthwhol (2001). Eighteen questions under six dimensions such as remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, creating and evaluation were developed in accordance with the requirements. Majority (64.3 %) of the farmers possessed ‘medium knowledge’ while 20.7 and 15.0 percent of the farmers possessed ‘low’ to ‘high knowledge’ respectively in watermelon cultivation. Farmers’ level of education, watermelon cultivation area, annual family income, income from watermelon cultivation, training exposure, extension contact had significant positive relationship with their knowledge on watermelon cultivation. The majority (62.1 %) of the watermelon farmers had favorable attitude towards watermelon cultivation compared to 31 percent having unfavorable and only 9.2 percent had unfavorable attitude. Farmers’ watermelon cultivation area, annual family income, income from watermelon cultivation, credit received, training exposure, and extension contact had significant positive relationship with their attitude towards watermelon cultivation. Majority (71.3 %) of the watermelon farmers had ‘medium improved practice’, while 16.1 percent farmers had ‘high practice’ and 12.6 percent farmers had ‘low practice’ of watermelon cultivation. Farmers’ watermelon cultivation area, annual family income, income from watermelon cultivation, credit received, training exposure, and extension contact had significant positive relationship with their practice of watermelon cultivation. Age, education and watermelon cultivation experience, had no significant relationship with their knowledge, attitude and practices in watermelon cultivation. Problem faced by the farmers had negative significant relationship with their knowledge, attitude and practice regarding watermelon cultivation. It is therefore, recommended that concerned authorities should give attention to solve the problems faced by the watermelon farmers by providing training and loan at cultivation season and making more contact with farmers, so that they could get more knowledge, form favorable attitude and more use of improved practices of watermelon cultivation.