Abstract:
The investigation was undertaken in Trichur district, Kerala, to study the impact of National Demonstration Programme in paddy cultivation among the farmers neighbouring to the demonstration plots. The objective of the investigation were to study.
1. The level of knowledge of farmers neighbouring to the demonstration plots on the selected practices of paddy demonstrated under the programme.
2. The attitude of farmers neighbouring to the demonstration plots towards the selected practices of paddy demonstrated under the programme.
3. The extent of adoption of the selected demonstrated practices of paddy by the farmers neighbouring to the demostration plots.
4. The relatinship between the characteristics of farmers and level of knowledge , attitude and extent of adoption.
The study revealed that the neighbour farmers were superior to the control farmers in respect of their level of knowledge on the demonstrated cultivation practices of paddy. Out of the eleven independent variables selected , education, social participation, contact with extensionagencies, information source utilisation, scientific orientation , risk preference and management orientation had positive and significant relationship with level of knowledge.
