Assessing the role of plant clinic advisory services in plant health improvement in Chakwal district Punjab

Abstract

Plant clinic (plant-wise) is a global catalog that Punjab Agriculture Extension is currently implementing to reduce crop losses to improve food security and rural incomes. Plant clinics provide farmers with information that obligates them to lose less of their produce due to pest and disease outbreaks. Plant clinics are held once a week in a village where farmers come to get advice on crops under the protection of a shade. The goal of the desk monitoring was to assess the overall execution and the assistance provided by this initiative. The study covered the district Chakwal, and 225 total participants were randomly selected for data collection in the research area. The data was collected by a well-structured interview schedule consisting of closed-ended and open-ended questions to maintain the quality regarding farmers' perceptions of plant clinics. After data collection, it was analyzed by using SPSS. Descriptive statistical analysis, including frequencies, averages and percentages was undertaken. The results show that 55.6% of the respondents belonged to middle aged. About 60.0% work as private jobs, 44.0% attained matric level education and 60/0% of them were living in a nuclear family. According to 100.0% of the respondents, the plant clinic was providing services about disease management, pest control resources, and integrated pest management. All (100.0%) the respondents reported that extension field staff teaches them methods of weed control, pest identification, fungal and bacteria identification through plant clinic. About 66.7% of the respondents learned the manure application from plant clinic activities. According to 100.0% of the respondents, disease identification and control of the disease were very important. All (100.0%) of the respondents never visited the plant clinic daily. All (100.0%) of them communicated with office calls. The vast majority (90.2%) of the respondents contacted the plant clinic through the farm visit. The majority (82.2%) of respondents disclosed that crop production increased up to 25% with the adoption of the plant clinic services advises. The majority (82.2%) of plant clinics are working with value addition. All (100.0%) of the respondents had awareness about the disease’s services, pest identification & control, seed verities recommendation, and spraying technique services. About all (98.2%) of them also stated that they had increased awareness about the fertilizer’s application services from the plant clinic. The majority (82.7%) of the respondents enhanced awareness about the disease’s services, pest identification & control, seed varieties recommendation, and spraying technique services.