Farmers' behavioral gaps concerning sustainable agriculture in Kharga oasis, new valley governorate, Egypt

Abstract EN

The aims of this research are to 1) assess farmers' behavior (knowledge, attitudes, and practices) concerning the sustainable agriculture (crop, land and water management) in Kharga Oasis, 2) explore farmers' behavioral gaps concerning the sustainable agriculture practices, and 3) determine variables related to farmers' behavior (knowledge, attitudes, and practices) concerning the sustainable agriculture in Kharga Oasis.

In order to achieve the study's objectives, El Mounira village had been randomly selected to be the place of this study.

Data were collected from a sample of 120 respondents during February to March 2021 through personal interviews using a pre-tested questionnaire form.

A list of thirty-three sustainable crop, soils and water management practices was developed based on reviewing the literature, Findings revealed that the overall mean value of respondents' knowledge on sustainable agriculture practices is 22.74 score which represents 68.91% of the total score, 84.1% for attitudes, and 55.3% for implementation of the studied practices.

Considering the overall behavioral gaps, findings revealed that K-R gap -knowledge-recommended gap- is 16% , which mean that farmers did not knew about 16% of the recommended knowledge, and the implementation-knowledge gap, I-K gap, is 5.3% this mean that farmers did not implement about 5.3% of practices they knew, and the I-R gap reached 21.39% , this imply that farmers did not implement more the one fifth of the recommended sustainable agriculture practices.

The gap of attitude-full positive attitude, A-F gap reached about 15.9% , this mean that farmers need change 16% of their attitudes to reach the full positive attitudes towards the sustainable agriculture practices.

Findings also showed that six variables are affects farmers' knowledge, attitudes towards and implementation of sustainable agriculture practices.

These variables are age, farm size, farming experience, availability of agricultural drainage, adequacy of irrigation water in the summer season, and attitudes towards environment.

Based on the obtained findings, some recommendations were formulated.