The main objective of this study to identify the current and prospective role of agricultural extension in the field of vegetable cultivation under greenhouse in Al-Noubaria area of Beheira Governorate. Questionnaire through personal interviews was used to collect data from 196 farmers representing research samples. Percentages, arithmetic mean, the frequency tables, standard deviation, simple correlation coefficient (person) and the regression coefficient were used to analyze data. The research results showed that: The most of farmers 81.6% had low and medium level of knowledge related to the main practices of agriculture in Greenhouse 94.9% of farmers had low and medium levels of implementation of the main practices under greenhouse. 74% of farmers were of low and medium awareness of the role of agriculture extension. There is a significant correlation between the knowledge level of the respondents to cultivating vegetables under greenhouses as a dependent variable, and between the educational level, the degree of trend towards export of greenhouse products, the degree of participation in community organizations, the degree of satisfaction with work in greenhouse, the degree of exposure to sources of information on vegetable cultivation under Greenhouse, the degree of openness to the outside world and the role of agricultural extension, respectively as independent variables. There is a significant correlation between the degree of the executive level of the respondents by planting vegetables under greenhouse as a dependent variable and between the educational level of the respondents and the degree of exposure to sources of information on growing vegetables under greenhouse, the trend towards export and the role of agricultural extension provided to the respondents as independent variables. The educational level, the trend towards export, the degree of openness to the outside world, the degree of participation in various societal organizations, the degree of satisfaction with work under greenhouse, the degree of exposure to sources of information on growing vegetables under greenhouse, and the role provided by the agricultural extension to farmers under greenhouse as Variables responsible for the interpretation of 30,2% in the overall variance of the general knowledge level of the respondents cultivating vegetables under greenhouse. The educational level, the trend towards export, the degree of exposure to sources of information about growing vegetables under greenhouse, and the role provided by agricultural extension to vegetable farmers under greenhouse, variables responsible for the interpretation of 26.7% in the overall variation of the executive level of respondents to the practices of growing vegetables under greenhouse. The most important problems faced by farmers investigated in greenhouse cultivation were the high costs of greenhouse construction, the high incidence of fungal diseases, and the difficulty of conducting integrated pest control in greenhouse. The prospective role of the agricultural extension in the field of vegetable cultivation under greenhouse from the viewpoint of the respondents, the presence of adequate and technical support for the agricultural extension in the field of growing vegetables under greenhouse and how to manage greenhouse.

This research attempts generally to discuss the readiness for using social media in agricultural extension in Assiut governorate, and it endeavors particularly to reach the following aims: (1) Measuring readiness of the extension organization in Assiut governorate to start providing agricultural extension services using social media from the viewpoint of extension employees; (2) Exploring the willingness of farmers in some villages in Assiut governorate to obtain agricultural extension services using social media, and to identify the most significant determinants of the willingness to use social media; (3) Knowing about the respondents’ views about the advantages, disadvantages and suggestions of using social media in agricultural extension. The study was conducted on two groups of respondents who use at least one of social media tools; the first was comprised of 86 extension employees in Assiut governorate, and the second was a sample of 120 farmers selected from four villages in Assiut governorate. Data were collected using questionnaire form during the   period from November to December 2018. Frequencies, percentages, arithmetic mean, and stepwise multiple regression analysis were used for data presentation and analysis. The results indicated a decrease in the extension organization’s readiness for using social media from the viewpoint of extension employees, while farmers have a high willingness to use social media to obtain extension services. Therefore, it is necessary to use the recommendations of improving the extension organization’s reediness to use social media, in order to exploit the high willingness of farmers, and start using social media to provide extension services in Assiut governorate through implementing an initial initiative through farmers who use social media, and then the initiative can be expanded to include non-users through their family members who are using social media, taking into account the respondents’ suggestions for the successful use of social media in the provision of agricultural extension services.