إدراك الزراع لدور الإرشاد الزراعى فى تنمية الوعى المعرفى فى مجال ترشيد استخدام مياه الرى بمحافظة الشرقية

Abstract: This research aimed to identify some of the general characteristics of the farmers surveyed, and to identify the sources of information of the farmers surveyed in the field of rationalizing the use of irrigation water and its relative importance from the point of view of the farmers surveyed, and to identify the role of agricultural extension in developing the knowledge awareness of the respondents in the field of rationalizing the use of water irrigation, and the factors associated with it. Determining the degree of the contribution of the studied independent variables together in a significant way in explaining the total variance of the role of agricultural extension in developing the knowledge awareness of the surveyed farmers in the field of rationalizing the use of irrigation water, identifying the degree of problems facing the respondents in the field of rationalizing the use of irrigation water, and identifying the indicative requirements for farmers. Researchers in the field of irrigation water. This research was conducted in Sharkia Governorate on a stratified random sample of farmers, which consisted of (368 respondents), out of the total number of (8781 holders) in six villages in the centers (Faqous, Al-Ibrahimiya, and Minya Al-Qamh) with two villages from each center, using the Krejcie and Morgan. The data was collected during the months of May and June 2022. The data were analyzed using both the tabular display with frequencies and percentages, the weighted arithmetic mean, the chi-square test, the simple “Pearson” correlation coefficient, in addition to using the “step wise” multiple regression analysis, and the Alpha-Cronbach coefficient to calculate the stability coefficient of the scale used in the study. The most important results were that the vast majority of the surveyed farmers had a medium and high level of exposure to information sources (92.9%), and about three quarters of the surveyed farmers (74.2%) stated that the role of agricultural extension in developing the water knowledge awareness of the respondents was high (71-90 degrees), It was found that there is a significant correlation between the role of agricultural extension in developing water awareness and between: age, educational status, number of years of experience in agricultural work, number of household members, number of family members working in agriculture, soil type, and the location of the land in the irrigation canal. The level of ground water, the availability of irrigation water, the irrigation methods used, the degree of informal social participation, the leadership degree, the degree of participation in extension activities, the attitude towards change, the attitude towards agricultural extension, the degree of knowledge of the irrigation water problem, the degree of knowledge of threats related to irrigation water, The degree of exposure to information sources, and the degree of utilization of information sources. While it was not clear that there was a correlation showing the role of agricultural extension in developing the water knowledge awareness of the respondents and the rest of the variables, namely: the profession, the area of agricultural holding, the ownership of agricultural machinery, and the degree of official social participation. The results also indicated that there are seven independent variables that collectively contribute significantly (55.0%) in explaining the total variance of the role of agricultural extension in developing the knowledge awareness of the farmers surveyed in the field of rationalizing the use of irrigation water, and they are: the attitude towards agricultural extension, the degree of exposure to information sources, the degree of Knowledge of threats related to irrigation water, age, attitude towards change, number of household members, degree of informal social participation. It also became clear that there are a number of indicative requirements for farmers in the field of irrigation water in general and rationalizing the use of irrigation water in particular, including: Guidance on correct agricultural operations that reduce the use of irrigation water, providing crop varieties with low need for irrigation water, providing information on water rates and appropriate dates. Irrigation of crops, guidance on how to apply methods and methods of rationalizing the use of irrigation water, holding seminars and extension meetings to know the irrigation problems facing farmers, and guidance on the shift system and irrigation water levels.