Nantana Apiwattanakul. Farmers' behavior on soil and water conservation in Nakhon Pathom provincial land reform areas . Master's Degree(Environmental Education). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2003.
Farmers' behavior on soil and water conservation in Nakhon Pathom provincial land reform areas
Abstract:
This research was to investigate farmers’ behavior with regard to soil and
water conservation in Nakhon Pathom provincial land reform areas and to investigate
the predisposing factors, the enabling factors and the reinforcing factors relating
farmers’ behavior with regard to soil and water conservation in Nakhon Pathom
provincial land reform areas. Also, the study examined related factors to predict
farmers’ behavior with regard to soil and water conservation in Nakhon Pathom
provincial land reform areas in association with investigating problems and
limitations of soil and water conservation in Nakhon Pathom provincial land reform
areas. The sample was 233 farmers in Nakhon Pathom provincial land reform areas.
Percentage, Mean, Standard Deviation, Pearson’s Correlation, and Multiple
Regression Analysis were statistical applications used in analysis.
It was found out that 55.8 percent of farmers in Nakhon Pathom provincial
land reform areas showed negative behavior with regard to soil and water
conservation. Variables, which had a statistically significant relationship to soil and
water conservation at 0.001,0.01, and 0.05 level were the number of family
members, income from cropping, knowledge of soil and water conservation,
awareness of soil and water conservation, amount of land holding, duration of land
rights, sources of information on soil and water conservation, advice from
agricultural neighbors, and advice from state agricultural officers. Variables, which
had no statistically significant relationship with behavior with regard to soil and
water conservation, were gender, age, education, participation in an agricultural
seminar related to soil and water conservation, study tour related to soil and water
conservation in agriculture, and advice from private agricultural staff. Variables,
which could predict soil and water conservation behavior , were awareness of soil
and water conservation, sources of information on soil and water conservation,
advice from state agricultural officers, the number of family members, and duration
of land rights, all of which were co-predictive of soil and water conservation
behavior at 47.5 percent, and statistically significant at the 0.001 level. Further, the
problems and limitations of soil and water conservation in Nakhon Pathom
provincial land reform areas were 94.9 percent arthropod epidemic and plant
attackers, and low products, 87.5 percent were soil problem such as acid soil, and
85.4 percent were low soil fertility