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 in order 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 was covered the district Chakwal, and 225 total participants randomly was 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, the data was analyzing by using SPSS. Descriptive statistical analysis, including frequencies, averages and percentages was undertaken. The result shows that 55.6% of farmers belong of middle age. 60.0% working as private jobs, 44.0% achieved matric and 60/0% of them are living in a nuclear family. According to 100.0% of farmers, the plant clinic is providing services about disease management, providing pest control resources, and integrated pest management. A plant clinic (100.0%) teaches them methods of weed control, pest identification, and fungal and bacteria identification in form of a plant clinic. 66.7% of farmers learned the manure application from the plant clinic activities. According to 100.0% of farmers, disease identification and control of the disease are very important. 100.0% of them never visit to plant clinic on daily bases. 100.0% of them communicated with office calls. 90.2% connect with the plant clinic through the farm visit. 82.2% of farmers' crop production increased up to 25% with the adoption of the plant clinic services. 82.2% of plant clinics are working with value addition. 100.0% of farmers had awareness about the diseases services, pest identification & control, seed verities recommendation, and spraying technique services. 98.2% of them also stated that they had achieved awareness about the fertilizers application services from the plant clinic. 82.7% of farmers achieved good awareness about the diseases services, pest identification & control, seed verities recommendation, and spraying technique services.