Relationships between characteristics of cotton producers, their production operations and their use of management practices and the number of contacts they had with extension

Author

John Franks Bradley

Date of Award

6-1980

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Agricultural Extension

Major Professor

Cecil E. Carter

Committee Members

Robert S. Dotson, Paulus Shelby

Abstract

The major purpose of this survey study was to determine the relationship between characteristics of cotton producers, their production operation, their use of recommended cotton production practices and the number of contacts they had with the Agricultural Extension Service in the major cotton producing counties of Tennessee. Data were obtained from 261 randomly selected cotton producers in 16 counties which produce at least 1,000 acres of cotton annually. The interview schedule was developed by The University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Cotton Specialist and mailed to County Extension Leaders in the fall of 1978. Ten personal interviews were conducted by extension personnel with producers in counties which producedless than 5,000 acres of cotton in 1978 and 20 producers were interviewed in counties producing 5,000 acres and over. The "nth" number method of sampling was used to select the producers to be interviewed. Information was obtained about the general production characteristics of the cotton producers, their use of recommended cotton production practices and the number of contacts they had with Extension Agents over a 12-month period.

The data were coded and punched on computer cards and computation were made by The University of Tennessee Computing Center. The analysis of variance F test was used to determine the strength of relationship between the dependent and independent variables. Fvalues which achieved the .05 probability level were accepted as significant.

Major findings included the following:

1. The average interviewee produced cotton by a combination of tenure status (i.e., owner, renter, share of crop, or partner), planted iii 161 acres, harvested 147 acres and had a yield of 512 pounds of lint per acre.

2. The majority of the cotton producers were planting between April 20 and May 10, planting a recommended variety, planting the recommended rate of seed, treating planting seeds, using a soil fungicide and controlling weeds.

3. The practice of fertilizing according to soil test recommendations, controlling insects and applying defoliants were significantly related to the producers yield.

4. Cotton producers used an average of 5.7 of the nine recommended production practices. The number of practices used was significantly related to their cotton yield.

5. Planting recommended varieties was significantly related to the number of Extension and cotton meetings attended by cotton producers.

6. Planting the recommended rate of seed was significantly related to the number of office visits producers made to the Extension office.

7. The use of a soil fungicide to control disease was significantly related to all types of Extension contacts except the number of cotton meetings producers attended.

8. Cotton producers who fertilized according to soil test recommendations had more contacts with Extension.

9. Weed control was significantly related to the number of meetings attended by cotton producers.

10. Insect control was significantly related to all types of Extension contacts except the number of Extension meetings attended by cotton producers.

11. The practice of applying defoliants was significantly related to the number of Extension meetings attended by cotton producers.

12. There was a significant relationship between cotton producers receiving the kind of help they wanted and the number of contacts they had with Extension (i.e.. Extension meetings, office visits, telephone calls, farm visits, and total Extension contacts).

13. There was a significant relationship between cotton producers receiving the amount and quality of help wanted and the number of contacts they had with Extension (i.e.. Extension meetings, cotton meetings, office visits, telephone calls, farm visits, and total Extension contacts).

14. Cotton yield was significantly related to the number of Extension meetings attended during the year.

Recommended Citation

Bradley, John Franks, "Relationships between characteristics of cotton producers, their production operations and their use of management practices and the number of contacts they had with extension. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 1980.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/7769