CURRENT AND PROSPECTIVE ROLE OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION IN THE CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES UNDER GREENHOUSES IN EL- BUSTAN AREA, BEHIRA GOVERNORATE

Abstract

The main objective of this study to identify the current and prospective role of agricultural extension in the field of vegetable cultivation under greenhouse in Al-Noubaria area of Beheira Governorate. Questionnaire through personal interviews was used to collect data from 196 farmers representing research samples. Percentages, arithmetic mean, the frequency tables, standard deviation, simple correlation coefficient (person) and the regression coefficient were used to analyze data. The research results showed that: The most of farmers 81.6% had low and medium level of knowledge related to the main practices of agriculture in Greenhouse 94.9% of farmers had low and medium levels of implementation of the main practices under greenhouse. 74% of farmers were of low and medium awareness of the role of agriculture extension. There is a significant correlation between the knowledge level of the respondents to cultivating vegetables under greenhouses as a dependent variable, and between the educational level, the degree of trend towards export of greenhouse products, the degree of participation in community organizations, the degree of satisfaction with work in greenhouse, the degree of exposure to sources of information on vegetable cultivation under Greenhouse, the degree of openness to the outside world and the role of agricultural extension, respectively as independent variables. There is a significant correlation between the degree of the executive level of the respondents by planting vegetables under greenhouse as a dependent variable and between the educational level of the respondents and the degree of exposure to sources of information on growing vegetables under greenhouse, the trend towards export and the role of agricultural extension provided to the respondents as independent variables. The educational level, the trend towards export, the degree of openness to the outside world, the degree of participation in various societal organizations, the degree of satisfaction with work under greenhouse, the degree of exposure to sources of information on growing vegetables under greenhouse, and the role provided by the agricultural extension to farmers under greenhouse as Variables responsible for the interpretation of 30,2% in the overall variance of the general knowledge level of the respondents cultivating vegetables under greenhouse. The educational level, the trend towards export, the degree of exposure to sources of information about growing vegetables under greenhouse, and the role provided by agricultural extension to vegetable farmers under greenhouse, variables responsible for the interpretation of 26.7% in the overall variation of the executive level of respondents to the practices of growing vegetables under greenhouse. The most important problems faced by farmers investigated in greenhouse cultivation were the high costs of greenhouse construction, the high incidence of fungal diseases, and the difficulty of conducting integrated pest control in greenhouse. The prospective role of the agricultural extension in the field of vegetable cultivation under greenhouse from the viewpoint of the respondents, the presence of adequate and technical support for the agricultural extension in the field of growing vegetables under greenhouse and how to manage greenhouse.

Keywords

• agricultural extension
• greenhouses
• integrated pest control
• current and prospective role