International Journal of Horticulture, 2025, Vol.15, No.4, 201-207 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 203 2.3 Operational variable Educational level refers to the highest formal education achieved by apple farmers, classified as illiterate, primary, secondary, or higher education. Agricultural practices encompass orchard management techniques, including pruning, fertilization, irrigation, and pest control. Farmer knowledge is evaluated through survey responses that assess their understanding of improved apple cultivation methods. Tree age is defined by the average age of the apple trees in the orchard and categorized into different age groups. Varietal diversification pertains to the number and types of apple varieties cultivated by each farmer. These variables are used to evaluate both their individual and collective impacts on overall apple production in the Jumla District. Apple productivity is defined as the yield of apples produced per unit area of land. It serves as a crucial dependent variable for assessing the effectiveness of different educational levels and agricultural practices. Productivity is calculated using the following formula (Dhakal et al., 2016): Productivity (mt/ha)=Total Apple Production (mt) / Area Under Apple Cultivation (ha) This measure helps quantify the efficiency of apple production among farmers and enables comparisons across different groups based on education, practices, and the types of apple varieties used. 3 Results and Analysis 3.1Effects of farmer gender on apple yield The average apple yield for male farmers was 26.64 kg per tree, while for female farmers it was slightly lower at 25.50 kg (Table 1). Although the difference is modest, it suggests that male farmers may have slightly better access to agricultural resources or training. Among the surveyed population, 82% were male and 18% were female. Table 1 Average apple weight (kg) by gender Gender Mean apple weight (kg) Percentage of total farmers (%) Male 26.64 82 Female 25.50 18 3.2 Education level, yield Education was a significant determinant of apple productivity. Farmers with primary education had the highest average yield at 27.04 kg, followed by those with higher education (24.25 kg), secondary education (21.83 kg), and illiterate farmers (16.94 kg). Chi-square analysis confirmed a statistically significant difference between primary and illiterate farmers (p < 0.001), indicating that basic education may substantially improve productivity (Table 2). Table 2 Education level, average apple weight, and statistical significance Education level Mean apple weight (kg) Observed Avg. (kg) Expected Avg. (kg) Chi-square value p-value Significance Primary 27.04 29.25 25 6.42 0.012 Significant Secondary 21.83 26.16 25 1.34 0.247 Not significant Higher education 24.25 26.91 25 2.01 0.156 Not significant Illiterate 16.94 17.86 25 14.24 <0.001 Highly significant This suggests that primary education might provide essential functional skills and openness to agricultural extension programs, which could explain better orchard management practices among these farmers. Future analysis could further explore whether this advantage is linked to factors like age, farming experience, or training exposure. 3.3 Effects of tree age on yield A strong positive correlation was observed between tree age and productivity. Apple trees older than 15 years yielded an average of 38.20 kg, compared to 25.80 kg for trees aged 10~15 years and only 10.24 kg for those
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