<p>&nbsp;                <b>TABLE</b><b> OF CONTENTS&nbsp;</b></p><p>TITLE PAGE………………………………………………………………………........... i&nbsp;</p><p>DECLARATION…………………………………………………………………………...ii</p><p>&nbsp;CERTIFICATION……………………………………………………………….................iii&nbsp;</p><p>DEDICATION……………………………………………………………………………...iv&nbsp;</p><p>ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………………............v&nbsp;</p><p>TABLE OF CONTENT…………………………………………………………….............vi&nbsp;</p><p>LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………………………….x&nbsp;</p><p>LIST OF APPENDICES........................................................................................................xi&nbsp;</p><p>LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………..................xii ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………............xiii</p><p>&nbsp;

Chapter ONE

……………………………………………………………………………1&nbsp;</p><p> INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………..................1</p><p>&nbsp;1.1 Background to the Study………………………………………………………….. 1&nbsp;</p><p>1.2 Problem Statement……………………………………………………………….....4&nbsp;</p><p>1.3 Objectives of the Study……………………………………………………………. 6&nbsp;</p><p>1.4 Justification of the Study………………………………………………………....... 7&nbsp;</p><p>1.5 Hypotheses of the Study…………………………………………………………… 8 <br></p><p> <b>

Chapter TWO

…………………………………………………………………………... 9&nbsp;</b></p><p>LITERATURE REVIEW.......................................................................................................9&nbsp;</p><p>2.1 Origin of Irish potato and its Characteristics………………………………………. 9&nbsp;</p><p>2.2 Socio-Economic Characteristic of Farmers on Adoption of Recommended Practices………………….…9</p><p>2.3 Sources of Farm Information on crop production…………………….....................11&nbsp;</p><p>2.4 Rate of Adoption of Recommended Practices by Farmers…………………...........13&nbsp;</p><p>2.5 Factors Influencing Adoption of Recommended Practices by Farmers………………………….....15&nbsp;</p><p>2.6 Theoretical Framework…………………………………………………….............20&nbsp;</p><p>2.6.1 Theory of social change……………………………………………........................21</p><p>&nbsp;2.6.2 The adoption – diffusion perspectives……………………………………..............22&nbsp;</p><p>2.6.3 Concept of effect…………………………………………………………...............27 2</p><p>.7 Conceptual Model………………………………………………………….............28&nbsp;</p><p>

Chapter THREE

………………………………………………………...........................30&nbsp;</p><p> METHODOLOGY…………………………………………………………........................30&nbsp;</p><p>3.1 Description of the study area…………………………………….............................30&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>3.2 Sampling procedure………………………………………………………..............33&nbsp;</p><p>3.3 Data collection……………………………………………………………..............34&nbsp;</p><p>3.4 Analytical techniques……………………………………………………................35&nbsp;</p><p>3.4.1 Descriptive statistics………………………………………………………..............35</p><p>&nbsp;3.4.2 Multiple regression analysis………………………………………………..............35&nbsp;</p><p>3.4.3 Z-Statistic…………………………………………………………………..............36&nbsp;</p><p>3.5 Operational definitions and measurement of variables…………………….............37&nbsp;</p><p> 3.5.1 Independent variables………………………………………………………............37&nbsp;</p><p>3.5.2 Dependent variable (Y)…………………………………………………….............42&nbsp;</p><p>

Chapter FOUR

………………………………………………………….........................45&nbsp;</p><p>RESULTS AND DISCUSSION……………………………………...................................45&nbsp;</p><p>4.1 Socio-Economic Characteristics of Irish potato farmers…………………..............45&nbsp;</p><p>4.1.1 Age distribution…………………………………………………………................45&nbsp;</p><p>4.1.2 Gender distribution....................................................................................................45&nbsp;</p><p>4.1.3 Household size……………………………………………………………..............46&nbsp;</p><p>4.1.4 Educational level………………………………………………………...................46</p><p>&nbsp;4.1.5 Farming experience..................................................................................................47&nbsp;</p><p>4.1.6 Cooperative societies………………………………………………………............47&nbsp;</p><p>4.1.7 Amount of credit obtained by Irish farmers..............................................................48&nbsp;</p><p>4.1.8 Farm Size…………………………………………………………………..............48&nbsp;</p><p>4.2. Sources of Information about Recommended Irish Potato Production Practices……………….........51&nbsp;</p><p> 4.3 Level of Adoption of Recommended Irish Potato Production Practices……………………………....52&nbsp;</p><p>4.4 Socio-Economic, Institutional and Technological Factors Influencing Adoption of Recommended Irish Potato Production Practices………………………………………………………..............55&nbsp;</p><p>4.5 Effect of Adoption of Recommended Irish Potato Production Practices on Yield of non-adopters and adopters…………………………..............59&nbsp;</p><p>4.6 Effect of Adoption of Recommended Irish Potato Production Practices on Income of non-adopters and adopters………………………...............60&nbsp;</p><p>4.7 Constraints Faced by Farmers in the Adoption of Recommended Irish Potato Production Practices...............................................................................…..............61&nbsp;</p><p>

Chapter FIVE

…………………………………………………………………...............</p><p>SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONTRIBUTION</p><p>KNOWLEDGE.............................................................................................................</p><p>Summary…………………………………………………………………….................63&nbsp;</p><p>5.2 Conclusions…………………………………………………….....................................65&nbsp;</p><p>5.3 Recommendations…………………………………………………………...................66&nbsp;</p><p>5.4 Contribution to Knowledge………………………….....................................................67&nbsp;</p><p>REFERENCES……………………………………….…………………………….............68&nbsp;<br></p>