The Levels of Knowledge and Adoption of Cultural Practices of the Domestic Floriculture Growers in the Central Province of Sri Lanka: An Evaluation

Abstract

Floriculture industry has become a high-income generating agribusiness today in Sri Lanka. It also brings a considerable amount of foreign exchange to the country annually, which is an important factor for the country’s economy. The objectives of the research were to identify the growers’ personal characteristics, and their effect on their levels of knowledge and adoption on cultural practices. Required primary data were collected through personal interviews from a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The respondents’ mean overall technical knowledge was 1.8 (out of 3), and mean overall adoption was 2.0 (out of 3) and adoption levels were 2.1, 1.8, and 1.9 respectively. Out of eight cultural practices, harvesting technology and post-harvesting technology had the lowest mean levels of knowledge (1.45 and 1.3 respectively) and adoption (1.4 and 1.3 respectively). It is recommended to motivate the growers to develop their levels of knowledge and adoption on cultural practices, produce quality products, and expand the business ; also, to expose the business to the foreign market through the floriculture associations, the Department of National Botanic Gardens (DNBG), and the Export Development Board (EDB) of Sri Lanka.