The effectiveness of different radio program formats for the dissemination of information on safe use of insecticides in paddy cultivation in Mahaweli system-C of Sri Lanka

The study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of talk, discussion, interview and drama formats in changing knowledge and attitude of farmers on safe use of insecticides. A research design with a before and after survey with a control group was adopted Representative sample of farmers was selected with the help of cluster sampling combined with simple random sampling techniques. The total sample comprised of 180 farmers with 140 in four treatment groups and 40 in the control group. A fully structured questionnaire with knowledge measures and attitude scale was the main research instrument. Data were gathered at three levels, before, immediately after and one month after treatment. The results suggested that all four formats influence knowledge of farmers immediately as well as after one month However the extent of influence varies on program format and time period after the exposure to instructions. Interview format is the most effective in terms of immediate knowledge gain, while drama, discussion and talk formats follow in order. Discussion format has the highest knowledge retention after one month followed by drama, interview and talk formats. With respect to attitude change, the influence of all formats was much lower compared to that on knowledge. In addition, a relatively high level of attitude change was observed after one month compared to that of immediately after treatment. Only drama format had influenced attitude change significantly. Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Faculty of Education and Communication Studies, University of Reading, United Kingdom. Radio Program Formats for Dissemination of Information INTRODUCTION Agricultural extension basically concerns with the dissemination of relevant information to farmers in order to make their farming more productive. With respect to strategies adopted, the process of agricultural extension in Sri Lanka is made up of interpersonal as well as mass communication. Broadcasting over radio and television, newspaper publications and distribution of leaflets are major mass communication methods used. Television and Farm Broadcasting Service is a part of extension service of the Department of Agriculture. The radio broadcasting for agricultural extension was formallyinitiated in Sri Lanka in the early 1960s (Hewawitharana, 1979). Since then, many agricultural programs had been broadcast over the radio in order to disseminate various agricultural information to farmers. Although farm broadcasting has been assisting the agricultural extension service for more than 30 years, the importance of this service was never felt to the extent it was after the changes took place in agricultural extension activities in 1990. In particular, the removal of'krushi viyaptha seva niladharies from the extension service had hampered the agricultural extension activities to a great extent. Since then, the Department of Agriculture emphasizes the use of broadcasting for agricultural extension to the maximum potential and further exploit the intrinsic strength of radio broadcasting with respect to agricultural extension in Sri Lanka (Rathnayaka et al, 1994). Agricultural information broadcast over the radio has been varied in nature. Researchers, extension workers and farmers have been the main source of information for radio programs. Program formats such as quiz, interview, discussion, drama, straight talk, magazine and feature have been used in agricultural radio programs. In order to assess the effectiveness of radio agricultural programs, a study was conducted in Mahaweli System C in Sri Lanka, to investigate the effectiveness of radio program formats using radio talks, interviews, discussions and drama, in changing the knowledge and attitudes of farmers in the safe use of insecticides in paddy cultivation. MATERIALS AND METHODS According to McQuail (1987) mass media denote the entire system which is involved in selection, production and transmission of messages,