Use of information and communication technology for agriculture of ornamental plant growersKlong15,Ongkharak district, Nakhon Nayok province

Abstract

Objectives of this research were to study: 1) the basic demographic factors, socioeconomic factors, situation of using information technology, 2) knowledge of using information and communication technology, 3) use of ICT for agriculture, 4) comparison of the use of ICT for agriculture categorized by demographic characteristic factors, socio-economic factors, situation of using ICT, knowledge of using ICT and 5) problems and suggestions of ornamental plant growers. Samples were 200ornamental plant growers Klong 15, Ongkharak district, NakhonNayok province. Data were collected by questionnaires. Statistic to analyze data included frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, minimum, maximum, standard deviation, t-test, and F-test. Results that most farmers were female, aged 38.84 years old, attained secondary school, had experience in using a Smart Phone, had average farmland growing ornamental plants 2.45 rai,had self-funding sources, did not access to information technology training, Smart Phones were devices that farmers had and utilized the most, duration of using IT device between 6:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m. and using IT device less than 1 hour/time. Ornamental plant growers had high level of ICT knowledge. However, the use of information and communication technology was at the low level. Findings found that differences farmers have in age, educational attainment, experience in using Smart Phone, farmland ,training, ICT device, ICT device use, ICT device beneficial to information technology, duration and length of ICT device use, and knowledge about ICT would differ in use of ICT for agriculture at 0.05 and 0.01 level of significance. Therefore, extension agent should train ornamental plant growers to be knowledgeable and highly skillful in using ICT for agriculture.