Knowledge-practice Gap Among Dairy Farmers a Review of Extension Approaches and Interventions

Abstract

Dairy farmers across income settings consistently know more about scientific dairy management than they practise. This review synthesizes recent evidence on the knowledge-practice gap in dairy farming, drawing on cluster analyses of buffalo and cattle husbandry in India, a mixed-methods study of antimicrobial use in Uganda, and extension-intervention evidence from a randomized contact-farmer trial and structured animal-health planning frameworks. Across these studies, knowledge and adoption diverge most sharply for costly or belief-driven practices — silage preparation, healthcare protocols, and antimicrobial stewardship — and least for practices requiring only information. Farmer segmentation, rather than blanket extension messaging, and rigorously tested delivery models such as trained contact farmers, show the strongest evidence of narrowing the gap cost-effectively. The review also finds a persistent gender dimension: women perform the majority of day-to-day dairy labour but have systematically less access to extension contact than men. It closes with a synthesis framework linking gap type to intervention design and a discussion of remaining evidence gaps.