Evaluating Agricultural Extension Agent’s Sustainable Cotton Land Production Competencies: Subject Matter Discrepancies Restricting Farmers’ Information Adoption

Cotton is more chemically intensive than many other commodities, which negatively impacts rural livelihoods at higher rates. Improvement in environmental stewardship of cotton would substantially impact the long-term sustainability agriculture producing regions globally. Extension personnel provide producer education to improve these issues that ultimately economic growth and quality life areas, but their proficiency foster innovation diffusion crop-specific content unknown. A 48-item survey was administered agricultural extension five U.S. states develop an understanding professionals’ current knowledge sustainable production sustainability, identify pertinent training needs address future professional development curricula, discern value competency evaluation organizational assessment. ranked discrepancy model exploratory factor analysis results indicated a glaring need for all evaluated areas regions. Synchronous or asynchronous trainings could be developed change agents better serve producers. Knowledge transfer adoption land recommendations farmers will challenging achieve study’s region until agent’s practices improves.