MOSES KOPONG TOKAN AND MBING MARIA IMAKULATA
Abstract
The results of the first research show that the knowledge, attitude and cultivation motivation directly affect the behavior in effort of healthy farming (BEHF) of seaweed farmers in Kupang district. Related with these results, it is very important and urgent to review the effectiveness of extension methods improving the knowledge, motivation and attitude towards BEHF. Based on this, the goal of this study was to determine the effect of extension methods of group visits, personal visits and the combination of both methods to the knowledge of ice-ice disease, knowledge of cultivation, knowledge of conservation, negative attitudes toward the ice-ice disease, motivation of cultivation and BEHF of seaweed farmers of Tablolong village of Kupang district. To achieve the goals and targets of outcomes, the researchers used an experimental method. Researchers randomly assign each of the 20 seaweed farmers for any extension methods. The study consist of a personal visit method, group visits methods and combination methods of personal and group visits. Data about the knowledge, negative attitude, cultivation motivation, and BEHF gathered through instrument after being given treatment with extension methods. The data collection instrument in form the test sheet to measure knowledge of seaweed farmers and the questionnaire in the form of Likert scale to measure the negative attitudes, cultivation motivation and BEHF of seaweed farmers. Data were tabulated, organized and then carried out the prerequisite test. Furthermore, analysis of variance to determine differences in knowledge, motivation, attitude, and BEHF after counseling with different methods. The results showed that treatment with a different extension methods produce knowledge of ice-ice disease, knowledge of cultivation, knowledge of conservation, attitudes, motivations and BEHF different between seaweed farmers. Counseling methods are relatively more effective in improving BEHF is a combination of the group-personal visits.