PENINGKATAN PENGETAHUAN, PERSEPSI DAN RESPON PENYULUH TERHADAP TEKNOLOGI PENINGKATAN PRODUKTIVITAS PADI

Abstract

The increase in rice production in Central Java is mainly in increasing productivity rather than increasing the planted area. New superior varieties of rice (VUB) are one of the technological innovation breakthroughs that can increase rice productivity and farmers' income. Disease control strategies through an epidemiological control approach for bacterial leaf blight and brown plant hoppers also need to be disseminated to extension workers through technical meetings. Technical meeting is a meeting forum between researchers/instructors of IAARD and technology users (instructors in the field and agricultural officers) in order to communicate/socialize technology and innovations to be used as agricultural extension materials. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of the technical meeting method in increasing the knowledge, perceptions and responses of extension officers about technology to increase rice productivity. The study was carried out using a true experiment approach by evaluating pre-test and post-test surveys. The technical meeting was held on May 25, 2021 at AIAT Central Java Jl. Soekarno Hatta KM 26 No 10 Semarang Regency with 40 participants. Sampling was using purposive sampling method as many as 40 respondents. Data of knowledge improvement were analysed by calculating the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test followed by the paired t-test. Meanwhile, perception and response data were analysed by descriptive method. The knowledge improvement after obtaining the technology material increased by 14.44% and had a perception and response in the high/positive category towards the introduced technological innovation. With the increase in knowledge, perceptions and positive responses, it is hoped that extension workers can play a positive role in making the material at the technical meeting as extension material in each work area.