A Study on the Knowledge and Adoption Levels of Date Palm Cultivation Practices among Date Palm Growers

Abstract

The aim of this investigation was to determine the knowledge and adoption levels of scientific date palm cultivation practices among 120 date palm growers. Knowledge was assessed using a structured questionnaire covering 13 major components of cultivation technology. Results showed that growers possessed high knowledge of varietal information, field preparation and planting, intercropping and management of abiotic stresses with knowledge levels ranging from about 65 to 90 percent. In contrast, lower knowledge was observed in critical areas such as insect and pest management, manure and fertilizer management, irrigation, disease management and propagation. Overall, the majority of respondents (62.50 percent) fell into the medium knowledge category, while 20.00 percent had low knowledge and only 17.50 percent demonstrated high knowledge. Adoption analysis revealed a similar pattern. Full adoption was observed for recommended varieties, while relatively higher adoption was recorded for field preparation, intercropping and harvesting practices. However, adoption of plant protection measures, propagation techniques and nutrient management remained low. Most growers (67.50 percent) belonged to the medium adoption category followed by low (18.33 percent) and high (14.16 percent) adoption levels. Correlation analysis indicated a positive and statistically significant relationship between knowledge and adoption, suggesting that increased knowledge leads to better adoption of scientific practices. Further analysis showed that education, experience in date palm cultivation, access to information sources and marketing channels had strong positive associations with both knowledge and adoption.