4.2. Importance of information sources
Farm operators did not consider the information
sources of equal importance. Table 3 gives the average
importance of each information source based on
survey results. These nine information sources can be
divided into four groupings based upon statistically
significant differences (at the 1% level) in the mean
importance score. In descending order, these groupings
are:
1. Direct field observation and pesticide labels.
2. Pesticide and chemical dealers and the cooperative
extension services.
3. Other growers, newsletters/newspapers/trade
magazines, and crop consultants.
4. Special events and, finally, grower associations.
Only the first two groups were considered to be of
more than moderate importance on average.
These findings are consistent with some studies
that have examined the relative popularity of information
sources to farmers. For example, a study of New
York State fruit and vegetable growers by Glynn et
al. (1995) found that both adopters and non-adopters
of integrated pest management ordered sources of
information the same way when ranked according
to credibility. Although importance (used here) and
credibility (used by Glynn, McDonald and Tette) are
not identical concepts, the order of the rankings in
the two surveys was similar: extension literature and
agents were the most important (between 4.1 and
4.3 out of 5) along with chemical companies (3.2 to
3.4). Other growers were ranked next in importance.
(Direct observation of the fields by farmers and pesticide
labels were not included in this study.) The
results of the Sandoz Agro (1993) survey of a nationwide
sample of farmers also showed that farmers
ranked news media lower than other sources of information
in terms of how ‘well informed’ they were
about agricultural and environmental issues. They regarded
institutional and industrial sources, i.e., food
companies, food purveyors (grocers) and educators
(teachers), as being more informed than news media.
Napier and Brown (1993), in a study of farmers in a
single watershed in Ohio, found farm magazines to
be the most frequent source of information. As in this
survey, however, institutional sources such as the Soil
Conservation Service and extension agents ranked
second and other news media (newspapers) ranked
third. Other growers and crop consultants were the
least popular. (Field observation and pesticide labels
were not included in this survey.) In sum, extension
services and other institutional sources of information
rank high whether the credibility (Glynn et al., 1995),
importance (this survey) or frequency of use (Napier
and Brown, 1993) is the focus of inquiry. News
media rank relatively lower, with the exception of
trade magazines (separated out in the Napier and
Brown survey)
4.2. Importance of information sources
Farm operators did not consider the information
sources of equal importance. Table 3 gives the average
importance of each information source based on
survey results. These nine information sources can be
divided into four groupings based upon statistically
significant differences (at the 1% level) in the mean
importance score. In descending order, these groupings
are:
1. Direct field observation and pesticide labels.
2. Pesticide and chemical dealers and the cooperative
extension services.
3. Other growers, newsletters/newspapers/trade
magazines, and crop consultants.
4. Special events and, finally, grower associations.
Only the first two groups were considered to be of
more than moderate importance on average.
These findings are consistent with some studies
that have examined the relative popularity of information
sources to farmers. For example, a study of New
York State fruit and vegetable growers by Glynn et
al. (1995) found that both adopters and non-adopters
of integrated pest management ordered sources of
information the same way when ranked according
to credibility. Although importance (used here) and
credibility (used by Glynn, McDonald and Tette) are
not identical concepts, the order of the rankings in
the two surveys was similar: extension literature and
agents were the most important (between 4.1 and
4.3 out of 5) along with chemical companies (3.2 to
3.4). Other growers were ranked next in importance.
(Direct observation of the fields by farmers and pesticide
labels were not included in this study.) The
results of the Sandoz Agro (1993) survey of a nationwide
sample of farmers also showed that farmers
ranked news media lower than other sources of information
in terms of how ‘well informed’ they were
about agricultural and environmental issues. They regarded
institutional and industrial sources, i.e., food
companies, food purveyors (grocers) and educators
(teachers), as being more informed than news media.
Napier and Brown (1993), in a study of farmers in a
single watershed in Ohio, found farm magazines to
be the most frequent source of information. As in this
survey, however, institutional sources such as the Soil
Conservation Service and extension agents ranked
second and other news media (newspapers) ranked
third. Other growers and crop consultants were the
least popular. (Field observation and pesticide labels
were not included in this survey.) In sum, extension
services and other institutional sources of information
rank high whether the credibility (Glynn et al., 1995),
importance (this survey) or frequency of use (Napier
and Brown, 1993) is the focus of inquiry. News
media rank relatively lower, with the exception of
trade magazines (separated out in the Napier and
Brown survey)
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