Sugar beet farmers’ Knowledge, attitudes and skills with regard to sustainable practices of on-farm soil management in Khorasan-Razavi province

Subject Areas : Agroecology Journal

Ali Asghar Shahroudi ¹ , mohammad . Chizari ² , ghlamreza Pezeshki-Raad ³

1 - Graduated M. Sc. Student of Agricultural Extension and Education Department, College of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran.
2 - Professor of Agricultural Extension and Education Department, College of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modarres University.
3 - Associate Professor of Agricultural Extension and Education Department, College of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modarres University.

Received: 2008-05-28 Accepted : 2009-04-13 Published : 2010-01-21

Keywords: discriminant analysis, farmers, Behaviour, Sugar beet, Sustainable soil management,

Abstract :

The aim of this study was to evaluate the sugar beet farmers’ knowledge, attitudes and skills on optimal on-farm soil management practices and to identify and determine the most important distinguishing factors of their behavior domains on soil management. The methodological approach in the research was a descriptive and causal-comparative study of the survey type. The target population in the study was the sugar beet farmers of Khorasan-Razavi province (n=33000). Using a multi-stage cluster sampling technique, 380 farmers were selected as a statistical sample. Finally, 98.5% questionnaires were collected and analyzed (n=375). The content and face validity of the instrument was specified after several times of review and correction by the faculty members of agricultural extension and education, agronomy and soil science departments at Tarbiat Modarres university, several experts of Jihad e Agriculture ministry and the agricultural sector of the sugar factories in Khorasan-Razavi province. The reliability of analysis was conducted through 30 questionnaires and Cronbach’s Alpha values for the section of behavioral domains of the instrument were estimated between 0.71-0.87 using statistical SPSS software. Considering Venn diagram in relation to the triple domains of studied sugar beet farmers’ behavior, results showed that about 11.2% (42 sugar beet growers) were identified as qualified farmers. The results of the stepwise discriminant analysis with Wilks’ Lambda procedure and partial F-test criteria revealed that educational level, extension contacts, extend of irrigated cultivation, farmers’ age and social status were the most important distinguished variables of farmers’ behavioral categories. Generally, mentioned variables could correctly classify 66.9% of all subjects based on the discriminant functions.

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