Perception of soil conservation competencies among farmers in Markazi Province, Iran (original) (raw)
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Perceptions of Soil Conservation Competencies among Farmers in Markazi Province, Iran
Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education, 2003
A random sample of 381 farmers from 10 villages in the Gharah-Chay district of Markazi Province, Iran was selected for participation in the study. Data were collected through personal structured interviews with participants at their farms in 2001. Overall, farmers tended not to be aware or have low levels of awareness with respect to soil conservation technology. Farmers tended to agree or were unsure about soil conservation technology. The selected sources of information most often were other farmers, friends and relatives, radio programs, Extension agents, and television programs. The least selected sources of information were extension films/movies and local leaders. Concerns over awareness of soil conservation practices, technology, and responsibility for conservation are discussed.
One of the dangers that constantly threatens agricultural sector is soil erosion. The purpose of this study was to investigate and categorize farmers' views on the factors inhibiting the implementation of soil conservation practices in Koohdasht Township, Iran. The study was fulfilled by using descriptive-correlation method. A stratified random sample of 377 farmers was drawn from a population of 19531 farmers in the township, based on Krejcie and Morgan Table for determining sample size from a finite population. The research questionnaire was validated by a panel of faculty members of agricultural extension and education at Tarbiat Modares University (TMU) and found to have sufficient content and face validity. Using a pilot study, internal consistency reliability was demonstrated with satisfactory alpha coefficient (0.73). Descriptive and inferential statistics, i.e., factor analysis, were used to analyze the data. Factor analysis produced four factors: " economic-extension " , " ecological-farming " , " social-structural " , and " organizational-management " which accounted for 49% of the total variance. The factors that emerged suggest the need for some executive measures to overcome the problems inhibiting the implementation of soil conservation practices in future programs.
International Soil and Water Conservation Research, 2017
This study aimed to pro-environmentally analyze farmers' concerns and behaviors towards soil conservation. This research was a descriptive, causal, and correlational and conducted through a survey technique. The study population consisted of all farmers at the central district of Sari county, Iran (N=9621). Based on the Cochran's formula, 120 farmers were selected using stratified random sampling. The instrument employed in this study was a questionnaire with its validity being confirmed by a number of academic experts and agriculture specialists and its reliability being proved using Cronbach's alpha coefficients in a pilot study (outside the scope of the current study). (0.66≤α≤0.90). The results of the analysis regarding the effects of independent variables on the variables "soil conservation behavior" and "soil conservation concern" indicated that, among the variables affecting these two variables, the variable "attitude towards soil conservation "was the most powerful predictor of "soil conservation concerns" and the variable "social pressures on soil conservation" predicted farmers' "soil conservation behaviors" better. Furthermore, the independent variables used in this research could predict 42% of the variance in terms of soil conservation concern and 21% of the variance in terms of soil conservation behavior. These findings can be practical and appropriate for executive officials since, instead of making efforts to direct change the behavior, they can first focus on conceptual changes and persuasive changes like changing attitudes towards soil conservation.
Predicting and Understanding of Farmers' Soil Conservation Behavior in Mazandaran Province, Iran
Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology (JAST), 2019
Iran is considered as a vulnerable country in terms of erosion and degradation of soil resources. One of the solutions that have been proposed in recent years to solve this crisis is to pay special attention to the behavioral, cognitive, and social dimensions of soil conservation behavior in agricultural development programs in addition to the technical aspects. In this regard, a study with a descriptive-correlational and causal-relational method was conducted to identify the most important factors influencing the soil conservation behavior among the Iranian farmers and agricultural community. To this end, a sample of 120 farmers in Mazandaran Province was selected using stratified random sampling with appropriate assignment. The results showed that environmental consciousness, environmental values, and social pressures have significant impacts on soil conservation behavior of farmers. Finally, using the results and insights gained from this study, six practical suggestions have been proposed to managers and policy-makers towards the better management of agricultural soil resources. Application of each of these suggestions can act as a turning point in the improvement of the status of Iran's agricultural sector in general and soil resources in particular. Keywords: Environmental consciousness, Environmental values, Pro-environmental behavior model, Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) Theory.
Predicting and Understanding Farmers' Soil Conservation Behavior in Mazandaran Province, Iran
Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, 2019
Iran is considered as a vulnerable country in terms of erosion and degradation of soil resources. One of the solutions that have been proposed in recent years to solve this crisis is to pay special attention to the behavioral, cognitive, and social dimensions of soil conservation behavior in agricultural development programs in addition to the technical aspects. In this regard, a study with a descriptive-correlational and causal-relational method was conducted to identify the most important factors influencing the soil conservation behavior among the Iranian farmers and agricultural community. To this end, a sample of 120 farmers in Mazandaran Province was selected using stratified random sampling with appropriate assignment. The results showed that environmental consciousness, environmental values, and social pressures have significant impacts on soil conservation behavior of farmers. Finally, using the results and insights gained from this study, six practical suggestions have bee...
International Soil and Water Conservation Research, 2016
The objective of this paper was to identify the factors affecting rice growers' attitudes and practices towards water and soil conservation in the Fumanat Plain of Guilan Province, Iran. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire addressing a cross section of 400 rice growers of the Fumanat Plain in four districts. Data were analyzed using both summary statistics and multivariate statistical procedures while content validity of the statements was first determined by a group of experts of water and soil conservation. It was found that more than 23% of the variance of attitudes towards water and soil conservation could be determined by a linear combination of variables included in a regression equation. Identifying the factors affecting rice growers' attitudes is suggested as a way of integrating rice cultivation into rural development. From a practical point of view, the above mentioned implications are of great importance generally for society, policy makers and related economic sectors.
Awareness and use of soil conservation practices among Iraqi wheat farmers
International Journal of Agricultural Technology, 2021
The results showed that 51% and 40.3% of the wheat farmers indicated a medium level of awareness and usage of soil conservation practices respectively. The most aware and used practices were used fertilizer, crop rotation and mixed farming. Respondents within 30-50 years of age had higher mean scores on the soil conservation practices awareness scale, while those cultivated less than 5 ha that higher mean scores on the soil conservation practices use scale. Respondents cultivated more than 10 ha had the lowest mean scores on the soil conservation practices awareness and use scale. It was concluded that Iraqi wheat farmers should be aware of soil conservation practices and the necessity of using them. An appropriate agricultural extension policy can contribute to achieve this based knowledge.
2020
The objective of this study was identifying the determinants of farmer’s willingness to participate in soil conservation practice. This research was conducted by using simple random sampling technique. Data were collected through structured interview from a total of 98 farmers. Descriptive statistics were used to describe sample respondents in terms of some desirable variables. Econometrically a binary logit model was employed to analyze determinants of farmers’ willingness to participate in soil conservation practices. A total of nine explanatory variables were included in the model of which five were significant at less than 10% probability levels. The significant variables were age , sex, education level, soil fertility forgone and attitude. And all the significant variables were positively related with the dependent variable while the rest four variables (family size, dependency ratio, assistance and technological awareness) were insignificant. Policy makers and government bette...
Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution, 2018
The main purpose of this study was to investigate the role of extension services on farmers' awareness and knowledge about conservation agriculture in Karaj county of Iran. From the statistical population of the study which consisted of wheat growers of Karaj county the number of 97 farmers were calculated as a sample size according to Krejcie and Morgan table and selected by stratified proportional random sampling. Data were collected by a questionnaire, and its validity was confirmed by opinions of Jihad-e-Agriculture experts and faculty members of agricultural extension and education department. The reliability of the questionnaire also was calculated and confirmed through Coronbach's Alpha coefficient which was more than 0.70. The results of study showed that farmers apply relatively high levels of water conservation, soil and plant conservation. The mean results, however, indicate that water conservation practices are used less in relation to soil and plant conservation practices. The results also showed that wheat growers who participated in extension education courses, FFS programmes, educational workshops, and farm advisory courses of plant clinic had a higher level awareness and knowledge about agricultural conservation compared to those who had not participated in these classes.
Factors Influencing Farmers’ Adoption of Soil Conservation Development
Journal of social economics research, 2020
Landscape degradation by soil erosion has increased considerably in Ethiopian lands due to deforestation of natural mountain forests and the cultivation of large areas resulting in a serious environmental problem threatening the sustainability of agriculture and population food security. In Boset Wareda (in Ethiopia), farmers are producing for subsistence and exerting an increasing erosion of the land. Nevertheless, soil and water resources degradation addicted by natural and anthropologic activities are usually controlled by soil conservation techniques and water harvesting constructions. This study has contributed knowledge on social, economic and technical factors affecting adoption of CTs among household farmers in Ethiopia. CT development in the rural sector is not possible without addressing the current challenges identified in this study such as household heads farming experience, household size, and access to extension services, high costs of adoption, labour costs, and size of land owned by a household head. To reach this goal, econometrics analysis was derived from cross-sectional data for a single time period of production. Probit and Tobit models were econometrically estimated to evaluate rate of adoption (i.e., participation in conservation techniques) and intensity of adoption (i.e., allocation of land for conservation techniques) by the interviewee farmers. Contribution/Originality: This study contributes to the existing literature about the willingness of farmers to adopt soil and water conservation techniques. This study uses estimation methodology using econometric models: Tobit and Probit. The paper's primary contribution is finding that some farmers are not aware about erosion and land degradation problems. While other farmers are aware but financial and material constraints discourage them to install these conservations facilities. 1. INTRODUCTION Water erosion, drought and famine have frequently occurred in Ethiopia. In fact, Ethiopia is an African mountainous country with highly erodible soils on steeply sloping land and is losing from its topsoil about 1.5 billion tons per year, washed away by rain according to Ademola, Paul, and Vlek (2008). Most areas in Ethiopia are eroded because they are repeatedly cultivated or frequently suggested to grazing such as shrublands and grasslands. This is particularly the case of the visited farmlands in Boset Wareda. This later is a heart-located area of Ethiopia making part of East Shewa Zone in Oromia Region. Nonetheless, natural resources conservation strategies have been undertaken at the national, regional and local levels to halt the stretch of land degradation. In