The communication process and the adoption of new farming practices : a study of the attitudes of farm operators in Southern Manitoba towards irrigation
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Date
1967
Authors
Segall, Alexander,
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Abstract
The general purpose of this research project was to attempt to evaluate the attitudes of farm operators in the Pembina River Basin of Southern Manitoba, towards the adoption of innovations in farming technique. Through an understanding of the influence exerted by certain sociological and social psychological factors on the adoption of new farming practices in general, it was hoped that a reasonably high degree of reliability could be achieved in predicting the predisposition of farm operators in this area to adopt selected agricultural innovations, such as irrigation... By means of an interview schedule information was obtained in regard to: (1) Innovation Proneness; (b) Recommended Farm Practices Adopted; (c) Exposure to Mass Media; and (d) Primary Group Preference for 85 Mennonite farm operators in the Southern Manitoba farming community. Additional information was also obtained in regard to a number of selected social factors including age, education and socio-economic status... The only significant relationships revealed by the statistical analysis were: (1) the relationship between age and Primary Group Preference; and (2) the relationship between Exposure to Mass Media and Innovation Proneness. The results indicate that the older farm operators feel very strongly bound to the Mennonite farming community. The data also indicate that there is a significant relationship between the number of farm magazines read, the number of farm broadcasts viewed, and the farm operators' willingness to adopt new farming practices... In conclusion, all of the available evidence indicates that the farm operators in the Pembina River Basin of Southern Manitoba are not opposed to the adoption of new farming practices, and would be willing to adopt future agricultural innovations, such as irrigation, if properly promoted.