BibTeX:

@article{IJIRSTV1I10032,
     title={Effectiveness of Paddy Expert System in terms of knowledge gain, skill acquisition and symbolic adoption behaviour among the paddy growers of Thoothukudi District in South Tamil Nadu},
     author={A. KARUPPASAMY and N.SRIRAM},
     journal={International Journal for Innovative Research in Science & Technology},
     volume={1},
     number={10},
     pages={129--132},
     year={},
     url={http://www.ijirst.org/articles/IJIRSTV1I10032.pdf},
     publisher={IJIRST (International Journal for Innovative Research in Science & Technology)},
}

A computer-based Expert System is one such emerging Information Communication Technology which has great potential to apply in agriculture. Computers and other information technologies are now pervasive throughout the agricultural community. Keeping the importance of Expert System in Extension Service, Paddy Expert System was developed with help of ICAR at TNAU, Coimbatore. There is a need to study the new Paddy Expert System effectiveness among the different categories of paddy growing farmers so as to use it effectively in the extension service system. In this study was conducted (2013) Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu, Srivaikundam block was purposively selected for the study because of more areas under paddy cultivation and progressiveness of the farmers in terms of adopted new technologies. Total sample sizes of 105 respondents were selected, accordingly 35 farmers were chosen from each selected villages among different categories of paddy growers by employing snowball technique of sampling. The Before-After Exposure experimental study was conducted with three treatments, namely marginal & small farmers (T1), medium farmers (T2), large farmers (T3), with before and after exposure to the paddy expert system. The required data were collected using structured interview schedule, and observation technique and analysed. The analysis of the three treatments, revealed that mean knowledge gain was maximum with a score of 5.52 among medium farmers (T2), marginal & small farmers (T1) obtained highest mean knowledge related to skill acquisition with the score of 6.77 and it was superior compared to other treatments and majority of the respondents had medium level of symbolic adoption behaviour which means symbolically accepted to adopt and follow the new innovations and technologies on paddy cultivation practices and allied aspects due to exposure the paddy expert system.

Expert System, Knowledge gain, Skill acquisition and Symbolic adoption behaviour