IRANIAN AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AND EDUCATION JOURNAL
Year:2011 | Volume:6 | Issue:2|Papers Count:9

The aim of this cross-sectional survey research was to investigate the environmental attitudes of agricultural students of Yasouj University with focusing on gender analysis. The statistical population of this study was the students at Faculty of Agriculture. A statistical sample of 194 agricultural students (107 freshmen and 87 senior students) was randomly selected by applying stratified random sampling method. Data were collected using a questionnaire containing New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) scale, and closed questions. Face validity was confirmed by experts, and the questionnaires were subjected to reliability testing by using data collection in the pilot study. Fifty seven percent to 86% were the values found for the Cronbach Alpha's coefficient which are accepted. The finding showed that in spite of concerning agricultural students about environmental issues, they had low access to environmental information resources. Furthermore, there weren't significant differences between freshmen and seniors, and also sex in their level of environmental attitudes. The result of the multiple regression revealed that 19 percent of variability in environmental attitudes stems from sex, passed unites, educational level, and well-being.

The effects of ongoing climate change on water availability in Iran and its impact on the shortage of surface water and ground water resources have resulted in vulnerability of farm household and limited the sustainability of their livelihood. Despite its importance, study of drought vulnerability is difficult due to its multi-dimensional and dynamic nature. However, understanding drought vulnerability is a crucial step towards drought mitigation. Therefore, the aim of this research was to explore the nature of drought vulnerability at the household level using a multi case study design. PRA technique was used to classify farm households based on their degree of drought vulnerability to three groups; less-vulnerable, more vulnerable- resource poor and finally more vulnerable- non-resource poor farm households in the two purposefully selected villages in Fars province. The findings revealed that the drought impact is not homogenous and a spectrum of farm households' drought vulnerability was observed. It was concluded that a set of drought dependent and independent factors determine the household vulnerability to drought. Finally, a model of more vulnerable farm household’s vulnerability was developed and recommendations are presented based on reseach findings to mitigate drought and manage drought knowlegde.

This research was done with aim to identify the perceptions of Agricultural Specialists regarding the basis of feasibility of applying precision agriculture in Fars Province of Iran. In order to have precise and suitable management of soil and production in different situations of farms and achieve sustainable development, considered Fars province for this study because this province has the required potentials to apply precision agriculture. In this survey by using descriptive-correlation method, through a cluster with proportional sampling technique, 270 agricultural specialists were selected for the study out of a total population of 750 persons. The data was collected by questionnaire that its reliability was measured by Cronbach’s Alpha (0.86) and its validity was established by using a panel of experts consisting of faculty members in agricultural extension and education of Azad University of Tehran. The gathered data were analyzed using Spss-win software. The results indicated that there was a statistically significant relationship between educational, economic, technical, managerial, policy, and feasibility of applying precision agriculture and there wasn’t any relationship between social and feasibility of applying precision agriculture. Multiple regression indicated that 69% (R2=0.70) of the variance in the feasibility of applying precision agriculture could be explained by educational, economic, and technical levels.

Organic farming is an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable production system. This agricultural system has considered as a way to decrease the health and environmental problems of conventional agriculture. Nowadays, consuming organic food is suggested to consumers. The purpose of present study is investigating factors affecting professionals’ knowledge towards organic farming. A survey was conducted by stratified random sampling between 138 agricultural professionals in the Agri-Jihad organization of Fars province. Data were collected through a questionnaire that its validity was tested by faculty. Also, a pilot study was conducted on 30 agricultural professionals out of the main sample to examine its reliability. A conceptual framework used to examine relationships among independent variables and knowledge towards organic farming. Results of the study showed that access to agricultural and environmental information has strongest direct influence on professionals’ knowledge towards organic farming. Also, age and attitude to heath had positive and direct effect on knowledge toward organic farming.

With the tumult and dynamism in the environment, to achieve and enhance sustainable competitive advantage, university administrators should become more market oriented through recognizing influential factors in addition to student recruitment. In this regard, the purpose of this study was to identify level and impacts of organizational factors on market orientation of higher education in the campus of Agriculture and Natural Resource of Tehran University. Survey method was used. Data for this study were collected through questionnaire which a panel of scientists assessed its apparent validity and its reliability was 0.82, using the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Wood, Bhutan and Zebal’s market orientation scale was used to specify possible dimensions of a market-oriented agricultural departments. The population for this study comprised of faculty members of agricultural college. Data was analyzed using regression analysis. The findings of the study indicated that the market orientation of the agricultural higher education departments was determined by facilitates, work and job competency, team working as positively and cultural organization negatively that forecasted 55% variance changes of market orientation level of agricultural higher education departments. Based on these results, in order to increase market orientation, in the frame of adaptive management, measures to provide participatory and learning environment for enhancing organizational culture toward assessing continue of clients needs in around environments were recommended.

Drought has the highest financial cost among natural disasters in Iran. Considering the climate change and the frequent occurrence of drought, the main purpose of this study was to investigate the level of drought vulnerability among Iranian farmers. A multiple case study research method was used. The cases were selected by purposeful sampling. A PRA type ranking technique was used to rank the farmers based on their severity of drought impacts. The ranking information was used to select five successful and five unsuccessful cases in coping with drought. The findings revealed that the drought effects were social, economic, agronomic, environmental and fearing the future. The impact of drought was more sever among unsuccessful farmers. The farmers attribute the causes of the different drought impact among themselves to the technologic, economic, natural and agronomic factors and also the level of knowledge and beliefs. The study provided a model to explain how to reduce the drought vulnerability. It was recommended to classify farmers based on their drought impact in order to offer more effective drought interventions strategies to each group. The study recommends that extension organization concentrates its activities on increasing farmer's knowledge about new methods of farm management and drought coping strategies, and establishing government funds to help farmers under drought conditions.

Decentralization and outsourcing of government activities to potential users is a major policy issue-which is currently practiced in water management. In other words transfer of water management to water users in the form of water use groups is a common practice. Therefore, farmers’ adoption toward participatory water management is significant factor. Since intention is a strong predictor of behavior, therefore the purpose of this study was to measure farmers' tendencies toward Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) among Sarabbas and Sefidbarg Water User Cooperative in Kermanshah province. The study followed a mixed method design. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select the sample. Finally, 103 questionnaires were collected and analyzed. In the quantitative part of the study, a stepwise discriminate analysis was used to determine if a linear combination of variables would be identified that maximally discriminate farmer's tendency towards PIM. Results revealed that dry farming area, education, irrigation facilities, attitude toward PIM and age were significant factors in predicting farmers’ inclination towards PIM. In the qualitative part of the study, content analysis was used to categorize main themes derived during semi-structured interview. Moreover, qualitative results were in agreement with quantitative outcome. However, economical situation, religious belief and collectivist attitude were also effective in PIM. It is recommended that policy-makers seek to assess farmers' attitude towards PIM before handing over irrigation facilities to farmers. It is further recommended to select those farmers with more initiatives to motivate others in participating in irrigation projects. Government should also hand over irrigation facilities that are up-to-date and less troublesome if they are to encourage farmers' participation in their irrigation schemes.

Academic failure among students is influenced by many factors. One of these important factors is undesirable attributions and locus of control. Attribution styles and locus of control are the important factors affecting students' academic achievement and learning process, which have reciprocal relationship with their success and failure. The purpose of this research was to recognize attribution styles among students in Agriculture College of Shiraz University and to investigate the relationship between attribution styles, locus of control and academic achievement. Multi-stage stratified random sampling was used to collect data from 300 students. The findings indicate significant relationship between attribution styles and academic achievement. So that, a positive significant relationship was found between attributions of successes to internal, persistent and general factors and academic achievement, and a negative significant relationship was found between attributions of failures to external, unstable, and specific factors and academic achievement. The results also revealed a significant difference between explanatory style of junior and senior students, so that attributions of the junior students for positive events were more external, unstable and specific and for negative or undesirable events was more internal, stable, and general in comparison with senior students. In the end, some suggestions have been presented for reforming attribution programs in universities and changing undesirable attributions of students.