Information Communication Technologies (ICTS) Effect in Improving of Sustainable Pistachio Forest Management in Aibak District of Smamangan Province, Afghanistan

Pistachio woodlands occur in a broad band across the northern part of Afghanistan in at least nine provinces. The center of crop origin and genetic diversity is in the area of Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia. Native pistachio populations in Afghanistan are potential repositories of genes for drought tolerance and cold hardiness. In 2006 the forest management committees (FMC) were established by United Nation Office for Project Service (UNOPS) through Afghan Conservation Corps (ACC) programme with technical advisory of Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) government of Afghanistan to protect manage and develop the pistachio forest in north part of Afghanistan, funded by USAID/USDA. The present study was conducted at three FMC which are Sharikyar, Tykhonak and Rbatak in Aibak district of Samangan province, Afghanistan during 2011 to compare the information communication technologies (ITCs) with other extension methods and its effect in improving of sustainable pistachio forest management. A total of 120 FMC members were interviewed using pre-tested schedule. It was found that cent per cent of respondents were male and 89 per cent of FMC members had average age of 45 years. So, 87 per cent of respondents had secondary school's education level. The average of working experience of FMC members was 5 years. However, 85 per cent of respondent were received training programme about the forest management and GPS uses, About 68 per cent of FMC members had access to mobile phone facilities, 89 per cent of FMC members were received the technical information through mobil by technical advisor regarding the seeding, transplanting, irrigation, pest and diseases management. Cent per cent of respondent were clarified there is no use of GPS, because of non-availability of tools and 95 per cent of respondent didn't had any information regarding the geographical information system(GIS), cyber extension, video conferencing and digital mapping for managing and conserving the pistachio forest. The highest mean refers to field demonstration (mean = 4.26) and the lowest mean to using posters (mean = 2.60). The study indicates that 73 per cent of the variance in the perception of FMC members could be explained by four variables of providing material incentives for FMC members, knowledge about indicators of sustainable forest management, extension/education classes and working experience. Based on the perception of FMC members, variables "providing material incentives for FMC members "(Beta coefficient: 0.43, sig.: 0.000), "knowledge about sustainable forest management indicators" (Beta coefficient: 0.340, sig.: 0.002), "extension/education classes" (Beta coefficient: 0.28, sig.: 0.000), and "working experience" (Beta coefficient: 0.27, sig.: 0.000) influence the sustainable forest management positively.