ABSTRACT


Darío Menanteau-Horta1
 
This article discusses sorne results of a sociological study on availability and useof technical communication media among a sample of 244 farmers from the provinceof Colchagua. A random sample, stratified according to farm size, was selected inthe "comunas" of Chimbarongo, Placilla and San Fernando.Availability and use of technical media among farmers was found to be considerablylow. This situation is e'specially critical regarding a direct attention to producersby Extension Services. Only 9 percent of the respondents indicated they hadreceived a visit of an Extension Agent or other specialists in farm production. Anindex of exposure to technical media allows a measurement of the relative impact ofExtension Services and specialized media in the process of technological innovation.Results obtained confirm that there is a positive association between levels of technicalmedia use and three stages of the adoption process (awareness, trial and adoption)for four recommended practices. In addition, data show that technical communicationchannels contribute to increase producers' motivation towards technologicalchange and help to develop favorable attitudes regarding current and futureprograms of extension.
Considering that the population of farmers receiving technical and scientificknowledge via extension is small, but recognizing the fact that those with higher exposureto technical media show a positive impact from those channels, it is possibleto argue in favor of a rapid development of agricultura! extension and its specializedmedia for technological diffusion.
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1Sociólogo Chileno, Ph. D., Profesor de sociologia de la Universidad de Minnensota. 279 North Hall. St. Paul, Minnesota EE.UU.