Knowledge Needs of Agricultural Employees at the Directorate of Agriculture in Nineveh and Its Affiliated Agricultural Divisions in the Field of Hydroponic Farming Technologies

• Bilqees Fares Hamed Maher Ibrahim Dawood

  Author

This study aimed to determine the level of knowledge needs among agricultural employees in Nineveh Governorate in the field of hydroponic technologies, to rank these needs according to their relative importance, and to analyze their relationships with selected personal and occupational variables. It also sought to identify the major constraints hindering the dissemination of these technologies. The study population consisted of 335 agricultural employees working at the Directorate of Agriculture in Nineveh and its affiliated divisions. A simple random sample representing 54% of the population (181 respondents) was selected after excluding the pilot sample. Data were collected using a three-part questionnaire. The instrument’s validity and reliability were confirmed, with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.97. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS.

The results indicated that the overall level of knowledge needs was moderate. The economic feasibility domain ranked first in importance, whereas the domain of hydroponic types and systems ranked last. The findings also revealed variation in the ranking of items within each domain, with higher needs concentrated in practical aspects such as growing media use, nutrient solution storage, project establishment costs, and technical problem diagnosis. Furthermore, the study identified several constraints facing agricultural employees that limit the dissemination of hydroponic technologies, highlighting the need to enhance training programs and technical support to improve their knowledge and facilitate effective technology transfer to farmers.

• pdf