Masters Theses

Date of Award

3-1985

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Agricultural Extension

Major Professor

Cecil E. Carter Jr

Committee Members

Robert S. Dotson, John Reynolds

Abstract

The major purpose of this survey was to determine the relationships between the characteristics of wheat producers, their farm operation, their use of recommended wheat practices and the number of contacts they had with the Agricultural Extension Service in the major wheat producing counties. Data were obtained from 722 randomly selected wheat producers in 37 counties which produced at least 5000 or more acres of wheat in 1981. Twenty producers per county who planted 25 or more acres of wheat for grain were randomly selected. The "nth" number method of sampling was used to select the producers to be surveyed. Information was obtained about the general production characteristics of wheat producers, their use of recommended wheat production practices and the number of contacts they had with Extension Agents over a 12-month period.

The data were coded and computations were made by the University of Tennessee Computing Center. The analysis of variance F test was used to determine the strength of the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. F values which achieved the .05 level of probability were accepted as being statistically significant.

Major findings include the following:

1. Sixty-seven percent of the wheat producers seeded during recommended seeding dates of October 1 to November 1.

2. About 75 percent of the producers surveyed received 1 to 8 farm visits from Extension Agents in 1982.

3. Soil testing was significantly related to yield. Those producers who tested reported higher mean yields of wheat per acre than those who did not.

4. Number of Extension meetings attended by wheat producers was not significantly related to mean yield. However, number of visits made to the Extension office and number of farm visits received were significantly related.

5. There was a significant difference in seeding rate in bushels per acre as it related to size of farm operation. Seeding rate tended to increase with increase in size of operation.

6. Winterkill was significantly related to mean yield. Those producers who reported no problem reported a mean yield of 6 or more bushels per acre more than those who had a winterkill problem.

7. The largest producers who harvested an average of 250 acres of wheat for grain used the McNair 1003 variety and reported the highest yield of 41.5 bushels per acre.

8. The larger producers used the no-till method of seedbed preparation and there was a significant difference as it related to size of wheat operation for grain.

9. The larger producers used crop rotation with all or part of their wheat crop and there was a significant relationship as it related to size of operation.

10. Disease control and weed control were used more often by larger producers and the difference in size of operation for grain was significantly related to these practices.

11. There was a significant difference in number of each type of Extension contact as it related to size of farm operation. Again, the larger producers on the average attended more meetings, made more office visits and received more farm visits.

12. Three hundred seventy-six producers who used the recommended method of seeding, which was drilling, received more farm visits from agents than any other group.

13. Soil test was significantly related to each type of Extension contact. Those producers who tested all their wheat acreage reported the largest number of Extension contacts.

14. Acres of wheat harvested for grain was significantly related to all the methods of Extension contacts. Larger producers who harvested 500 acres or more reported the largest number of contacts.

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