EFFECTS OF AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION TEACHING METHODS ON THE ADOPTION OF IMPROVED RICE PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA.

The effectiveness of agricultural extension services is often hindered by traditional teaching methods that do not cater to the learning preferences of farmers. This study investigates the effects of agricultural extension teaching methods on the adoption of improved rice production technologies in Ekiti State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used in selecting 150 respondents for the study. Primary data were collected with the aid of a well-structured interview schedule. Descriptive statistical tools employed include; frequency counts, percentages, and weighted mean score (WMS) while Pearson product moment correlation (PPMC) was used to test the study hypothesis. The findings revealed that the rice farmers’ mean age is 44 years, having an average household size of 4person and 14 years as the mean number of years spent in formal school. The mean farm size of respondents is 2.9 hectares, with a mean annual income of #595,420. The finding further revealed that demonstration plots, farmer field schools (FFS), workshops and training sessions and peer learning and farmer-to-farmer extension were the utilized extension teaching methods for disseminating improved rice production technologies in the study area. Findings indicate a high level of effect of extension teaching methods on the adoption of improved rice production technologies. Increased yields, resource-use efficiency, enhanced quality of produce and pest and disease resistance were the benefits derived by the respondents in adopting improved rice production technologies. Also, economic constraints, knowledge and information gaps, inadequate infrastructure and cultural and social resistance were the constraints encountered by the respondents in adopting improved rice production technologies. Significant relationship exist between respondents’ age, household size, years spent in formal school, years of experience in rice farming, size of rice farm and annual income and effects of agricultural extension teaching methods on the adoption of improved rice production technologies. In conclusion, the findings of this study underscore the effects of agricultural extension teaching methods on the adoption of improved rice production technologies among farmers. It was recommended that there should be the development of targeted training programs that cater to the specific needs of farmers, focusing on practical applications of improved rice production technologies.