This investigation was conducted to study the knowledge levels of
aqricurtural extension agents regarding the most important pesticides
attaching date palm trees in different areas in Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire
was designed for collecting the required data from 71 agricultural extension
agents working in Jeddah, Hail, Dammam, AI-Ahsa and Qasim areas. The results revealed that 43.7 % of the respondents did not attend
any in-service training. The majority of the examined of the interviewees, who
attended in-service training, completed one training course. The study showed that one of the most important problems facing the
respondents was the contradiction of the administrative and technical orders
given to the agents, which confusing work and consequently affected
extension services offered. The result demonstrated that the most important sources of
agricultural information from which the respondents obtained their information
was the Ministry of Agriculture and Water, followed by extension pamphlets
and printed publications, books and specialized references. The study revealed that 70.1 % of the extension activities and
services carried-out by the Agricultural Extension Body on the area of pests
attaching date palm trees was directed towards informing the farmers about
the harmful stages of pests, and 67.2 % of the extension activities was on
informing the growers about the types of pesticides used for controlling the
pests. It was found that the dustmite was the widely spread pesticides (44 2
%), followed by parlatoria date date scale (36.2 %) and fruit stalk borer, (23.9
%). The correlation coefficient between the knowledge level about the
dgree of the spread of the pesticides and that regarding the symptoms of
damage of different pests and the control method was significant. It was
found that the correlation coefficient between the experience in the
agricultural area and the knowledge level regarding the degree of the spread
of the agricultural pests and their damage symptoms was low. On the other
hand, it was found that the correlation coefficient between experience and the
knowledge level about the methods of controlling different pests and also,
between the general knowledge level concerning the degree of the spread of
pests, their symptoms and methods of control were significant. There was no
significant correlation coefficient between the number or the duration of
training courses and the knowledge level in different studied areas.