CONTRIBUTION OF FIELD SCHOOLS ON FARMERS' KNOWLEDGE AND IMPLEMENTATION OF SOME RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO CITRUS PRODUCTION IN BEN I SWAIF GOVERNORATE

The main objective of this research was to identify knowledge and
implementation scores of farmers (affiliated and non-affiliated with field
schools) to different technical recommendations related to citrus crop
production as a way to determine impact of field schools on farmers'
knowledge ad implementation to those concerned recommendations.
The research was conducted in four villages located in Beni Swaif
governorate (Kumn AI-Arous, and AI-Mimouna/EI Wasta district; and Brawa
EI Wukf, and Kui/Ahnassia District). Field schools approach was applied in
the two studies villages of Kuhn EI Arousal and AI Immune, while it was not
applied in the studied two villages of Braw EI Waif and Chui.
A random sample, of 75 farmers participated in field schools, was
drawn similarly a random sample of 75 farmers not affiliated with field
schools, was drawn. The research data were collected during the period
June-July, 2004. A pre-tested written questionnaire and interpersonal
interviews were used in collecting the research data. Frequency tables,
Arithmetic means, percentage, and t-test were used in analyzing in obtained
research data.
The main research findings were as follows:
       (1)    Average knowledge scores to those studied farmers affiliated with the
field schools concerning technical recommendations related to citrus
crop was 29.75 and with a standard deviation of 5.59. For those
farmers who were not affiliated with field schools, mean of technical
recommendation knowledge score was 11.88 and with a standard
deviation of 2.56.
       (2)    For those studied farmers affiliated with field schools, mean of their
implementation of technical recommendations regarding citrus crop
was 11. 88 and with a standard deviation of 2.79. On the other hand,
mean of implementation to non-affiliated field schools farmers
regarding citrus crop technical recommendations was 3.84 and with a
standard deviation of 1.50.
       (3)    There was a significant difference (at 0.01 significance level) between
the two studied groups (affiliated and non-affiliated with field schools)
concerning citrus crop technical recommendations knowledge, in
favour of the affiliated studied group.
       (4)    There was a significant difference (0.01 significance level) between two
studied groups affiliated and non affiliated with field schools) regarding
citrus technical recommendation' implementation scores, in favour of
the affiliated studied group.