SKILL GAPS IN COTTON MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN PAKISTANI FARMERS, AND HOW TO IMPROVE IT - A. Ahmad; M. Iftikhar; B. Shahbaz; G. A. Khan (Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 2019)
Cotton is an important source of fiber and used as main input in the textile industries throughout the world. Pakistan is 4th in terms of cotton production and 10th in terms of yield. There is a serious decline in production of cotton since last few years in Pakistan due to untrained farmers. The aims of this study were to address the skill gap of the farmers and how to bridge those gaps. Random sampling technique was used to determine sample size. The total sample size of the study was 300 respondents. The collected data were analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Results showed that most of the cotton growers had skill gap in production practices and control of factors involved in low production and poor quality. Majority of the production practices have a significant relationship with the educational level of the respondents. Highest significance relationship was found between the biological control of pests and educational level of the respondents. It appeared that there is no relationship between knowledge regarding production practices of cotton and age of the respondents. Yield per acre of the respondents is directly proportional to the educational level of the respondents.
Keywords: journal article; Cotton; farmers; production practices; knowledge gap