Agricultural Extension Messages Using Video on Portable Devices Increased Knowledge about Seed Selection, Storage and Handling among Smallholder Potato Farmers in Southwestern Uganda

To feed a growing population, agricultural productivity needs to increase dramatically. Agricultural extension information, with its public, non-rival nature, is generally undersupplied, and public provision remains challenging. In this study, simple agricultural extension video messages, delivered...

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Published inPloS one Vol. 12; no. 1; p. e0169557
Main Authors Van Campenhout, Bjorn, Vandevelde, Senne, Walukano, Wilberforce, Van Asten, Piet
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States Public Library of Science 25.01.2017
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Subjects
Agricultural industry
Agricultural production
Agriculture
Agriculture - methods
Biology and Life Sciences
Communications Media
Factorial design
Farmers
Farming
Humans
Knowledge
Messages
Methyltestosterone
Oryza
People and Places
Portable equipment
Potatoes
Replicating
Replication
Research and Analysis Methods
Seeds
Small farms
Social Sciences
Solanum tuberosum
Storage
Tablets
Technology adoption
Uganda
Vegetable industry
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Summary:To feed a growing population, agricultural productivity needs to increase dramatically. Agricultural extension information, with its public, non-rival nature, is generally undersupplied, and public provision remains challenging. In this study, simple agricultural extension video messages, delivered through Android tablets, were tested in the field to determine if they increased farmers' knowledge of recommended practices on (i) potato seed selection and (ii) seed storage and handling among a sample of potato farmers in southwestern Uganda. Using a field experiment with ex ante matching in a factorial design, it was established that showing agricultural extension videos significantly increased farmers' knowledge. However, results suggested impact pathways that went beyond simply replicating what was shown in the video. Video messages may have triggered a process of abstraction, whereby farmers applied insights gained in one context to a different context.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
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Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
Conceptualization: BVC SV PVA.Data curation: BVC SV.Formal analysis: BVC.Funding acquisition: BVC PVA.Investigation: BVC SV WW.Methodology: BVC SV.Project administration: BVC PVA.Resources: BVC SV WW.Software: BVC.Supervision: BVC PVA.Validation: BVC SV.Visualization: BVC SV.Writing – original draft: BVC SV PVA.Writing – review & editing: BVC SV PVA.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0169557