ABSTRACT
Integrated soil fertility (ISF) and nutrient management (NM) is a comparatively new approach for the farmers of Bangladesh. This approach helps fanners to make decisions about efficient management of soil and plant nutrient resources for crop production. In any developing country, extension workers' attitudes towards an approach/technology strongly affect its dissemination, as they have direct contact with fanners. The main focus of the study was to determine extension workers' attitudes towards the usefulness of ISF and NM approach for sustainable crop production. A field survey was conducted in four districts of Bangladesh. Data was collected from 64 extension workers in those districts, using a face-to-face interview method, during December 2005 and January 2006. Findings indicated that more than two-thirds (68%) of the respondents had highly favourable attitudes and one-quarter (25%) had moderately favourable attitudes, while a negligible proportion (7%) had less favourable attitudes towards the usefulness of an ISF and NM approach. However, the results demonstrate that farmers' training and regular extension contact were the most appropriate techniques for disseminating this approach, while extension workers favoured in-service training and visits to research centres to get information.
