Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-1978

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Agricultural Extension

Major Professor

Cecil E. Carter Jr.

Committee Members

Robert S. Dotson, David Craig

Abstract

The major purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the adoption of recommended corn production practices and the frequency of contacts that corn producers had with Extension Agents. Five contact methods and eight recommended corn production practices were analyzed. Influence of practice use upon corn yield for grain and for silage also were studied as well as the influences of size of operation upon Extension contact and upon corn yield. Commercial corn producers provided the data from 61 corn producing counties of Tennessee. Corn producers were randomly selected in each county from a list of names using the Nth. number technique. Interview schedules were developed by Extension Agronomy Specialists at the Univer-sity of Tennessee. County Extension Agents conducted personal interviews with 2,116 corn producers in the winter of 1970 and 961 producers in the winter of 1975. Interview schedules were coded and data were punched on computer cards. Computations were done by the University of Tennessee Computer Center. Frequencies and percents were used to describe the population. Pearason correlation coefficient and one-way Analysis of Variance F-test statis-tics were used to determine relationship between dependent and independent variables. The .05 probability level was selected as being statistically significant. Two major dependent variables (i.e., number of recommended corn production practices adopted and the number of contacts corn producers had with Extension Agents over a specified 12- month period) were used in the analysis. Findings indicated that corn producers who used more recommended practices harvested significantly more acres of corn for grain and corn for silage during both time periods (i.e., 1970 and 1975). Larger producers used a larger number of the eight recommended practices and subsequently realized significantly higher yields (i.e., grain and silage) than those who used fewer of the practices. Of the eight recommended practices studied, planting a recommended stand of plants per acre, liming and fertilizing according to soil test recommendations, and controlling weeds according to recommendations were the practices most highly related to yield of corn for grain and corn for silage. Producers who used the recommended corn production practices contacted Extension more frequently than those who were not using the practices. All Extension contact methods (i.e.. Extension meetings. Extension corn production meetings, office visits, telephone calls and farm visits) were significantly related to the number of recommended corn production practices used by the corn producers. Larger corn producers attended more Extension meetings, and more Extension corn production meetings, made more telephone calls, and received more farm visits from Extension Agents Implications and recommendations also were included.

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