A study to find the Relation between Knowledge Index, Adoption Index and Awareness Index of Selected Animal Husbandry Practices with the Exogenous Variables

Abstract

Barua village of Midnapur Sadar Block in Paschim Midnapore district of west Bengal was purposively selected to fulfill the objectives of the researcher’s study. In the present study livestock owners’ adoption, knowledge and awareness behavior about selected animal husbandry practices were the dependent variables. The selected independent variables were - socio-economic, socio-psychological and communication variables. Path analysis adopting the multivariate path model as suggested by Land was used to isolate the direct as well as indirect effects of exogenous variables on endogenous variable. The result of path analysis for the respondents represent the direct and indirect effects for 21 selected exogenous variables on overall knowledge score (knowledge index) about selected animal husbandry practices. It was revealed that the communication skill had the largest direct effect (0.398) on knowledge of improved animal husbandry practices. The residual effect had been found to be 0.3456 or, in a way34.56percent of the total variability have been left unexplained. The family size had the largest direct effect on adoption of improved animal husbandry practices. Communication skills, mass media, education of the respondent and material possession were the key elements which directly and indirectly promote adoption of improved animal husbandry practices. Land had the largest direct effect on awareness level about improved animal husbandry practices.