The Role of Extension Services on Farmers' Awareness and Knowledge about Conservation Agriculture Practices (Plant, Soil and Water Conservation)

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the role of extension services on farmers' awareness and knowledge about conservation agriculture in Karaj county of Iran. From the statistical population of the study which consisted of wheat growers of Karaj county the number of 97 farmers were calculated as a sample size according to Krejcie and Morgan table and selected by stratified proportional random sampling. Data were collected by a questionnaire, and its validity was confirmed by opinions of Jihad-e-Agriculture experts and faculty members of agricultural extension and education department. The reliability of the questionnaire also was calculated and confirmed through Coronbach's Alpha coefficient which was more than 0.70. The results of study showed that farmers apply relatively high levels of water conservation, soil and plant conservation. The mean results, however, indicate that water conservation practices are used less in relation to soil and plant conservation practices. The results also showed that wheat growers who participated in extension education courses, FFS programmes, educational workshops, and farm advisory courses of plant clinic had a higher level awareness and knowledge about agricultural conservation compared to those who had not participated in these classes.