Impact of social media in sharing information on issues related to agriculture among researchers and extension professionals

Agriculture is the key sector, since the general opinion is that a happy nation is one that is able to feed its citizens. Globally, research in agriculture is progressive and outstanding outputs are generated. However, there is a lacuna in the dissemination of the information which is the limitation in the evaluation of the impact over the years. At present, the information communication technology facilities are greatly influencing the source of information and the dissemination of the same. The latest trend is to use social networking sites for this purpose. In this study, we have examined whether agricultural professionals in India have used social media as a means of networking and collaboration in their activities as research and extension professionals. The study population comprised of agricultural research and extension professionals in the state agricultural universities including Krishi Vigyan Kendras of Rajasthan state. Structured questionnaires (120 numbers) were administered to the target audience and 107 filled up were collected and used for the analysis. The study has revealed that agricultural researchers and extension professionals have availed internet/e-mail/social media etc., as the major sources of information. The popular social media used was Facebook. The major reason for using social media attributed by them was to establish socializing connections with their colleagues/contacts, through which, they have derived benefits on knowledge gain in their professions and have updated skills developments. A result from the analysis has also recommended the use of social media for networking and communication among agricultural scientists