Agriculture Extension MCQs

1. What is the primary purpose of agricultural extension services?
(A) To provide financial aid to farmers
(B) To promote government agricultural policies
(C) To disseminate knowledge and technology to improve agricultural practices
(D) To enforce agricultural laws and regulations

2. In the context of agricultural extension, the “diffusion of innovation” theory was primarily developed by:
(A) Everet M. Rogers
(B) William McKinley
(C) Charles Darwin
(D) G. L. Hearn

3. Which of the following is NOT a key principle of the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) approach in agricultural extension?
(A) Empowerment of local farmers
(B) Top-down decision-making processes
(C) Active involvement of the community in planning and decision-making
(D) Emphasis on indigenous knowledge and local resources

4. Which of the following extension methods is most likely to be used in a situation where a farmer requires detailed, technical advice?
(A) Group discussion
(B) Radio programs
(C) One-on-one contact or personalized extension visits
(D) Demonstration plots

5. In agricultural extension, the term “knowledge gap” refers to:
(A) The difference in farming techniques used by wealthy vs. poor farmers
(B) The difference between what farmers know and what they need to know to improve productivity
(C) The availability of resources for farmers to adopt new technology
(D) The difference in weather patterns between farming regions

6. What is the primary characteristic of “farmer-to-farmer extension” as an extension method?
(A) It involves technical experts teaching farmers through classroom-based learning.
(B) It focuses on peer-to-peer learning where farmers share knowledge with each other.
(C) It primarily uses radio and television programs to communicate agricultural messages.
(D) It relies heavily on the use of printed materials like pamphlets and books.

7. Which of the following is considered a challenge in agricultural extension work in developing countries?
(A) Limited access to information technologies
(B) High literacy rates among farmers
(C) Excessive government support for extension services
(D) Overreliance on international agricultural research

8. Which of the following is a key objective of the “Training and Visit” (T&V) system of extension?
(A) To train farmers in a classroom setting
(B) To ensure a continuous, regular visit to farmers by extension agents
(C) To focus primarily on demonstration plots and visual aids
(D) To establish extension centers in every village

9. What is the role of agricultural extension in promoting gender equality in farming communities?
(A) Extension services should focus only on male farmers to avoid confusion.
(B) Extension services should target women and men equally to ensure access to resources and knowledge.
(C) Extension services should exclude women from technical training to maintain family harmony.
(D) Extension services should focus primarily on agricultural production and ignore gender issues.

10. Which of the following is the most common method of evaluating the effectiveness of agricultural extension programs?
(A) Participatory assessment by farmers
(B) Financial cost-benefit analysis
(C) Pre and post-training knowledge tests
(D) Random selection of farmers for feedback surveys

11. Which of the following is an important factor for the success of agricultural extension programs?
(A) The extension agents’ high level of academic qualifications
(B) The ability to reach a large number of farmers with generic information
(C) The involvement and participation of farmers in the planning and implementation stages
(D) The frequent use of mass media to deliver messages

12. What is the main characteristic of a “participatory” approach in agricultural extension?
(A) The extension agent acts as the sole source of knowledge and guidance for farmers.
(B) Farmers are passive recipients of information transmitted by experts.
(C) Farmers actively engage in decision-making, problem-solving, and solution development.
(D) It focuses only on large-scale commercial farming solutions.

13. In the context of agricultural extension, which of the following best describes the “diffusion of innovation” process?
(A) The process by which farmers share their knowledge with each other.
(B) The process by which agricultural innovations are adopted by farmers over time.
(C) The process of formally training farmers in agricultural techniques.
(D) The process of introducing genetically modified crops.

14. Which extension method involves farmers in demonstrations to illustrate new farming techniques or technologies?
(A) Field days
(B) Mass media campaigns
(C) Farmer field schools
(D) Demonstration plots

15. In the context of agricultural extension, “social capital” refers to:
(A) The financial resources available to farmers for adopting new technologies
(B) The knowledge and skills of extension agents and experts
(C) The networks, relationships, and trust among community members that facilitate the spread of information and collaboration
(D) The technological tools and infrastructure available for extension work