The Importance of Electronic Communication in the Use of Artificial Intelligence Programs and Applications in the Field of Smart Agriculture from the Point of View of Agricultural Extension Workers in Nineveh Governorate, Iraq
Abstract
The study aimed to identify the level of importance of electronic communication among agricultural extension workers in using artificial intelligence (AI) programs and applications in the field of smart agriculture. It also aimed to identify the most frequently used electronic communication means by extension workers in employing AI programs and applications and rank them according to their relative importance; measure the contribution of electronic communication to improving extension workers' efficiency in using AI programs and applications in smart agriculture; identify individual differences in the importance of electronic communication and the use of AI applications according to selected independent variables, namely gender, educational qualification, years of service, training courses, level of Internet use, and willingness to use social networking sites concerning smart-agriculture technologies; and identify the obstacles facing extension workers in using AI applications in smart agriculture. To obtain the study data, a questionnaire consisting of five parts was used. The first part concerned the respondents' personal and occupational information. The second part included a scale measuring the importance of electronic communication among extension workers in using AI programs and applications in smart agriculture. The third part measured the electronic communication means most frequently used by extension workers in employing AI programs and applications. The fourth part measured the contribution of electronic communication to improving extension workers' efficiency in using AI programs and applications in smart agriculture. The fifth part contained 15 items measuring the major obstacles facing extension workers in using AI applications in smart agriculture. After establishing the face validity of the questionnaire, reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, which reached 0.95. The study population consisted of extension workers in the Nineveh Directorate of Agriculture and its 32 agricultural divisions, totaling 256 extension workers. A simple random sample of 128 extension workers, representing approximately 50% of the population, was selected. The data were coded, tabulated, and analyzed using SPSS. The results showed that the level of importance of electronic communication among extension workers in using AI programs and applications in smart agriculture was moderate and tended toward high, with a percentage of 48%. The item "Using electronic platforms belonging to agricultural institutions to obtain information related to AI programs and applications" ranked first, with a mean of 4.34. The contribution of electronic communication to improving extension workers' efficiency in using AI programs and applications in smart agriculture was high, with a percentage of 46%. No significant differences were found in the importance of electronic communication according to gender or training courses, whereas significant differences were reported according to educational qualification, years of occupational service, level of Internet use, and willingness to use social networking sites concerning smart-agriculture technologies. The item "Poor compatibility of some AI applications with the nature and needs of agricultural extension work in Nineveh Governorate" was identified as the most important obstacle. The major recommendation was for the Ministry of Agriculture to establish or develop official agricultural electronic platforms affiliated with agricultural and extension institutions and containing updated information on AI applications and their use in different agricultural fields. The main proposed future study was to investigate the obstacles to using AI applications in agricultural extension work in Nineveh Governorate from the perspective of extension workers.
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Introduction
In recent years, the agricultural sector has undergone a rapid transformation toward employing digital technologies and modern communication technologies to produce and exchange agricultural information and support production- and resource-management decisions in order to increase production and achieve food security. Information and communication technologies are no longer limited to the traditional transfer of agricultural information and knowledge; rather, they have become part of an integrated system that includes smartphones, applications, digital platforms, the Internet, and artificial intelligence, which contribute to improving access to agricultural knowledge and developing services provided to farmers in a safe and effective manner. Recent literature indicates that digital agricultural services provided to farmers have become one of the major pathways for developing extension and advisory services, particularly in delivering agricultural information and knowledge to farmers more rapidly and effectively (Shaikh, Rasool, & Lone, 2022). Social communication, driven by digital technology, has become a major means of communication in general and agricultural information production in particular, changing the course of communication and making it easier to obtain information, knowledge, and experience in an organized and rapid manner through AI applications, placing them among the leading achievements of the information revolution (Al-Janabi et al., 2023). Electronic communication represents one of the fundamental components of transformation in agricultural extension work, as it enables extension workers to communicate with farmers through multiple channels, such as smartphone applications, social networking platforms, electronic messages, extension websites and platforms, educational videos, and interactive digital media. It also provides agricultural information at the appropriate time, creates greater opportunities for interaction and experience exchange, and facilitates responses to agricultural problems, while emphasizing the importance of developing the digital skills of workers and beneficiaries (FAO, 2023). Artificial intelligence has become one of the technologies incorporated into modern agricultural systems through the use of machine-learning algorithms, data and image analysis, environmental-condition monitoring, decision support, and other functions. Recent studies indicate that AI applications in agriculture are moving toward more data-driven systems that combine AI with sensors, the Internet of Things, and communication technologies to provide information that supports more precise management of agricultural operations (Klie et al., 2018). The effectiveness of AI in agriculture is not limited to the availability of programs, applications, and technical devices; it is also associated with the availability of electronic communication channels capable of transmitting data, information, and results among smart systems, extension workers, and farmers. Communication represents the link between technology and its users and helps agricultural extension workers access information generated by AI applications, interpret it, and transform it into understandable and applicable extension messages and recommendations (Hamada, 2014). Therefore, modern extension systems are moving toward integrating AI with digital extension platforms and decision-support systems while maintaining the human role of the extension worker in verifying information, interpreting it, and presenting it to farmers (Lin & Shyu, 2020). Smart agriculture relies on a set of interconnected digital technologies aimed at improving resource-use efficiency, increasing productivity, and enhancing the capacity to respond to agricultural and environmental problems. AI is an important component of this system, alongside the Internet of Things, sensors, data analytics, communication networks, and cloud computing. Scientific reviews indicate that AI applications in agriculture include crop monitoring, water management, nutrient management, pest and disease detection, yield prediction, agricultural robots, and protected agriculture (Tan et al., 2024). Agricultural extension workers represent an important link in transferring agricultural knowledge and technology from scientific and technical sources to farmers, and their role becomes increasingly important with the emergence of AI technologies, which may be complex for some users (Jad, 2021). In the digital environment, extension workers need the ability to deal with electronic information sources, understand AI applications, communicate through digital platforms, interpret technical outputs for farmers, and verify the suitability of information to local agricultural conditions. Recent literature indicates that developing the human capacities of extension workers is an essential pathway for digital transformation in agricultural extension and advisory systems (Kpodo, 2026). The study of electronic communication in agriculture is particularly important in Nineveh Governorate because of the importance of agricultural activity, the diversity of production systems, crops, and rural areas, as well as the need to develop communication methods and transfer agricultural information in ways compatible with digital transformations. A recent study examined the use of digital technology to obtain agricultural extension information in Tel Kaif District, Nineveh Governorate, indicating growing research interest in the role of digital technology in obtaining agricultural information in the local environment of the governorate (Wank et al., 2022). Despite the increasing development of AI applications and smart agriculture, the actual benefit from these technologies in agricultural extension work requires an effective electronic communication system linking digital knowledge sources with extension workers and farmers.
Conclusion
1) The importance of electronic communication in using AI programs and applications in smart agriculture, from the perspective of extension workers, was at an acceptable level because workers still perceive the presence of factors affecting the application of these means in extension work.
2) Using electronic platforms belonging to agricultural institutions to obtain information related to AI programs and applications was the most frequently used electronic communication means by extension workers.
3) The contribution of electronic communication to improving extension workers' efficiency in using AI programs and applications in smart agriculture was high, reflecting the importance of these applications in smart agriculture and food security.
4) Respondents' gender and the training courses received by agricultural extension workers were not significant factors in the importance of electronic communication for using AI applications in smart agriculture.
5) Educational qualification, years of occupational service, level of Internet use in extension work, and willingness to use social networking sites concerning smart-agriculture technologies were all reported as factors associated with differences in the use of AI applications in agricultural extension work.
6) Poor compatibility of some AI applications with the nature and needs of agricultural extension work in Nineveh Governorate was the most important obstacle facing agricultural extension workers in using electronic communication.
References
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