FERTILIZER USE GAP BETWEEN RECOMMENDED AND FARMER'S PRACTICES IN RICE PRODUCTION

Abstract

The objectives of the study were to assess the extent of fertilizer use gap between recommended and farmer's practices in rice production and to explore the contribution of the selected characteristics of the farmers to their fertilizer use gap between recommended and farmer's practices. The study was conducted in two villages of the Ashujia union of Kendua upazila under Netrokona district. Data for this study were collected from 103 farmers by using an interview schedule from 2 January, 2019 to 5 February, 2019. Descriptive statistics and stepwise multiple regression were used for analysis of the data. These five variables combined explained 36.8 percent of the total variation to the fertilizer use gap between recommended and farmer's practices. Training on fertilizer application alone contribute 21.8 percent where time spent (6.9%), extension contact (5.0%), and farming experience (3.1%) had rest of variation to the fertilizer use gap between recommended and farmer's practices in rice production. Training and Time spent in farming on fertilizer application of the farmers had influenced in decreasing the fertilizer use gap between recommended and farmer’s practices. Extension contact and Farming experience had negative significant effect to the fertilizer use gap between the recommended and farmer’s practices. Farmers should gain more farming experience, training and extension contact that should encourage the farmers in farming on fertilizer application that could help the farmers to make more fertilizer use gap between the recommended and farmer’s dose practices.