COGNITIVE EXTENSION KNOWLEDGE NEEDS OF AGRICULTURAL STAFF IN ASPECT OF CONSERVATIVE AGRICULTURE IN NINEVEH GOVERNORATE2020

Abstract

The study aimed to determine Cognitive Extension knowledge needs of agricultural employees in the Nineveh Agricultural Directorate in aspect of conservative agriculture in general. Then determine the level of indicative knowledge needs in each of the following areas (no-tillage, soil surface coverage, agricultural cycles, and comparative advantage). Then define the correlation between the level of cognitive needs and variables (academic achievement, duration of employment, agricultural information sources, attitude toward Conservative agriculture) and identifying the most important problems facing agricultural staff in Nineveh Governorate in the field of conservative agriculture. Nineveh Governorate was chosen as a region to conduct the research, and the research sample included 164 respondents from Nineveh Agricultural Directorate employees who were chosen in a proportional, random manner, such as 36% of the society B. W, the data was obtained through a personal interview by means of a questionnaire that was validated by presenting it to the experts, while the coefficients of the measure reliability and its value was 0.931. Several statistical methods were used to analyze the study data, including (range, arithmetic mean and standard deviation). The results of the study showed Almost 89% of the agricultural employees fall into the large and medium needs category. The study also showed that the highest level of cognitive needs was in the field of non-tillage and then cover the surface of the soil and agricultural cycles, while the comparative advantage came in the last place, and the study also showed a negative correlation between the needs of employees and the following factors (academic achievement, duration of job service, Agricultural information sources, the trend towards conservative agriculture) The study also showed that the most important problems facing agricultural employees in Nineveh Governorate in the field of conservative agriculture are the lack of seeds for conservative agriculture, followed by the problem of the difficulty of persuading some farmers to use the method Preservative agriculture. The study recommended preparing training courses for agricultural employees in Nineveh governorate in the field of conservative agriculture, so that they will increase their knowledge and expertise. The study recommended the preparation of training courses on conservation agriculture, and the agricultural extension apparatus should have a major role in the dissemination and transmission of conservation agriculture.