Harnessing the Role of Scientoon (Scientific Cartoon) in promoting Hydroponics: Empowering Farmers for Sustainable Agricultural Practices

Abstract

This study investigates the role of scientific cartoon (Scientoon) along with underlying factors in promoting awareness and willingness to adopt hydroponics among rural people. A series of Scientoon was developed focusing on the benefits of hydroponics and presented to rural people. To assess the change in level of awareness, a sample of 390 respondents were gathered through pre- and post-session surveys and interviews. To analyze the data of the study descriptive statistics, limited dependent variable model, and McNemar test were utilized. The results revealed a significant and positive impact of Scientoon intervention on awareness and willingness to adopt hydroponics. Factors like gender, education, and occupation were found to positively influence awareness, whereas the age had a negative but insignificant effect. The McNemar test ( also confirms a meaningful positive change in awareness after Scientoon intervention. The study demonstrates the potential of Scientoon as a cost-effective tool for science communication and agriculture extension in low-literacy, rural areas. It also offers insights for future interdisciplinary research in rural development. This is one of the pioneer studies to evaluate the impact of the scientific cartoon (Scientoon) in promoting sustainable agriculture practices like hydroponics, demonstrating their implication in rural extension efforts.