Causal Relationship Model of Economic Plant Cultivation
Introduction
Thailand is the Agriculture country that pay an important role in terms of world food supports because Thailand the major rice exporter of the world.
Moreover the agriculture in Thailand is highly competitive, diversified and specialized and its exports are very successful internationally.
Therefore, if Thailand faced with threaten of disasters such as global warming, flood, land slide, mud slide, summer storm and earthquake, the agricultural product will be affected unavoidably (Siripanich, et al, 2011; Thiengkamol, 2009; Thiengkamol, 2011e).
Thai agriculture may be traced through historical, scientific, and social aspects which produced modern Thailand’s unique approach to agriculture. From about 1000, the Tai drenched glutinous rice culture determined administrative structures in a practical society that regularly produced a salable surplus. Continuing today, these systems consolidate the importance of rice agriculture to national security and economic well being. Chinese and European influence later benefited agribusiness and initiated the demand that would expand agriculture through population increase until accessible land was expended (Kenneth & Purugganan, 2002; Oxford English Dictionary, 1989).
Recent developments in agriculture have meant that since the 1960s, unemployment has fallen from over 60% to under 10% in the early 2000s. In the same period: food prices halved, hunger decreased (from 2.55 million households in 1988 to 418,000 in 2007) and child malnutrition have greatly reduced (from 17% in 1987 to 7% in 2006). This has been achieved through a mixture of a strong and positive state role in ensuring investment in infrastructure, education and access to credit and successful private initiatives in the agribusiness sector. This has supported Thailand’s transition to an industrialized economy (Leturque & Wiggins, 2010).
Thailand has made multiple adaptations to the matter. Since the rise of temperature started, many policies and innovate group were created to support Thailand’s farmers such as National Strategy for climate change management and the Climate Change Alleviation Plan for Agriculture. These group and policies created “Climate Change Knowledge Information Center” which contain knowledge, information and research done on the matter, “Water Resource Management in Agriculture Sector” which projects water consumption and provide useful regulation on the quality of water in many region, and “Natural Disaster Management” provide a committee that predict incoming natural disaster and provide some comfort for unfortunate individual effected by natural disaster (Falvey, 2000; Supnithadnaporn et al., 2012; UNDP, 2012).
Agriculturist is a major occupation of Thai population from past to present. Even though, they will adjust type of plant cultivation from prior period such as changing to cultivate with economic plant of rubber tree, palm, cassava and sugar cane, etc increasingly. Particularly, the extension rubber three cultivation is increasing rapidly in the Northeastern Region of Thailand (Siripanich, et al, 2011).
It is obviously seen from the announcement of Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives on February 5, 2013 defined the appropriate area for important economic plant cultivation by analyzing soil appropriateness with factors of demand of each type of plant according to plant cultivation condition and other related factors such as legal forest boundary and irrigation project area. It was revealed that Maha Sarakham Province had appropriated area for rice cultivation only 700, 000 rai (2.5rai=1acre) of rice cultivated area of 1,337,732 rai. It also has appropriated area for sugar can with 330,000 rai but sugar can is cultivated only 5,625 rai and it has appropriated area for cassava with 310,000 rai but cassava is cultivated only 13,464 rai (Office of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Maha Sarakham Province, 2014). This data indicated that the plant cultivation in this province was not appropriate to area, therefore, the cultivation will affect to the environmental system and other system and condition whether ecological system or bio-physical condition or economic and social condition. thus, the low production and high cost was occurred inescapably.
In order to accomplish the high production and reach sustainable agriculture for economic plant cultivation of agriculturist of Kosumpisai District, Maha Sarakham Province, it needs to gain more knowledge and understanding on economic plant cultivation in terms of general knowledge of economic plant cultivation, area appropriateness knowledge, bio-physical condition knowledge, social condition knowledge, technology and pattern of cultivation knowledge and knowledge of local wisdom on environment management.
Most of agriculturists of Thailand lacked of bio-physical condition knowledge and technology and pattern of cultivation knowledge when compared to other aspects of knowledge. It is evidently observed that during the past period they were not development the other aspects in order to resolve the crisis of ecological security and the threatening of economic globalization in terms of issues of the trade barriers. Therefore, if they still attach with the prior knowledge of chemical use since the mono-culture revolution period, production will low quality and the soil fertility will be decreased as well. The production will not sustain and will destroy the ecological security. The lack of awareness causes the unconsciousness and on proper guideline or direction of improvement with the natural or organic agriculture will affect to life quality at present and future generations. Therefore, they must to set their future by thinking, choosing, and making decision by themselves and learnt to know the value before added value including realizing the importance of natural resources and environment. In order to meet self-reliance, it will assist them stand on their feet (Mesinthree, 2013; Pongpit, 2009; Thiengkamol, 2009c).
Knowledge of area appropriateness for economic plant cultivation helps agriculturists to decrease the risk and reduce the vulnerability but it increases the ecological security for serving the demand of next generations. Therefore, if the agriculturist pays attention to cultivate the economic plant in the appropriate area because Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has arranged the area of economic plant cultivation according to the area potential by analyzing the soil appropriateness for each type of economic plant across the country including considering on other factor such as legal forest area and irrigation area. It aimed to assist the agriculturist to cultivate economic plant by following the different measurements including planning agricultural product to distribute in the market at proper time with surveillance in order to raise the income to make the balance demand and supply. Moreover, this can serve the environmental conservation by integrating organic agriculture which is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony through their knowledge of local wisdom on environment management based on traditional agricultural practice for long period (Gold, 2014; Oga, 2014; Paull, 2011; Thiengkamol, 2009c).
Accordingly, Thiengkamol mentioned on public consciousness or public mind based on inspiration from insight and inspiration different from motivation because inspiration needs no rewards. Inspiration of public consciousness or public mind, especially, for natural resources and environment conservation, one doesn’t receive any reward, admiration or complement for ones act for natural resources and environment conservation. Inspiration on might occur due to appreciation in a person as role model or idle, events, situations, environment, media perceived such movies, book, magazine, and internet. (Thiengkamol, 2009a; Thiengkamol, 2009b; Thiengkamol, 2011a; Thiengkamol, 2011e; Thiengkamol, 2011f; Thiengkamol, 2012a; Thiengkamol, 2012c; Thiengkamol, 2012d; Thiengkamol, 2012e; Thiengkamol, 2012h; Thiengkamol, 2012i). Moreover, the numerous researches were conducted by her colleagues, these have also confirmed that inspiration of public consciousness or public mind are essential for environmental conservation in different environmental management with integration of environmental education principle (Waewthaisong, et al, 2012a; Waewthaisong, et al, 2012b; Ruboon, et al., 2012a; Pimdee, et al., 2012a; Donkonchum, et al, 2012a; Donkonchum, et al, 2012b; Donkonchum, &Thiengkamol, 2012; Morrasri, et al, 2012b; Mongkonsin, et al, 2013b; Gonggool, et al, 2012b; Jongwutiwet, et al, 2012b; Phinnarach, et al., 2012a; Praneetham, et al., 2012; Artwanichakul, et al., 2012a; Sangsan-anan, et al, 2012a; Tumpracha, et al., 2012b; Udonboon, 2012b).
Therefore, the study on causal relationship model of economic plant cultivation knowledge composing of general knowledge of economic plant cultivation, area appropriateness knowledge, bio-physical condition knowledge, social condition knowledge, technology and pattern of cultivation knowledge and knowledge of local wisdom on environment management affecting to economic plant cultivation on environmental conservation behavior in terms of cultivation behavior to conserve ecosystem, security creation and maintenance behavior, environmental conservation behavior and ecosystem balance maintenance behavior through inspiration of public mind including person as role model, impressive environment and impressive event were conducted .
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