IRANIAN AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION AND EDUCATION JOURNAL
Year:2010 | Volume:5 | Issue:2|Papers Count:13

Water User Associations (WUAs) have been promoted to address water supply problems and to encourage efficient water use. Establishing a successful WUA needs a holistic feasibility study. Therefore, the purpose of this survey was to study feasibility of establishing WUAs in Kavar plain in Fars province, Iran. The target population of the study was 977 farmers who have benefited from Bahman mud dam. A simple cluster sampling technique was used to select a representative sample of farmers. A total of 135 farmers were interviewed with the aid of a questionnaire containing open and closed questions. Face validity was confirmed by experts, and the questionnaire was subjected to reliability testing by using data collection in the pilot study with Cronbach’s Alpha value of 0.52 to 0.83. Results indicated that despite the appropriate social context (social capital, tendency toward participation, and participatory background), economic condition (income), and attitude dimension (attitude towards WUAs, reference group attitude, attitude regarding water crisis), the cultural condition (level of information, and farmers’ contact with information resources) did not have a significant effect. Logistic regression modeling results showed that, farmers' access to information sources, reference group attitude, farmers’ contact with information resources, and farmers’ attitude towards WUAs, were the most important factors to predict farmers’ tendency toward establishing WUAs.

Sustainability of wheat farming systems depends on ecological, economic and social factors. Identifying these factors can be most effective to formulate sustainable agricultural policies and strategies. The main purpose of this research project was to measure the sustainability level of wheat cultivation system in Fars Province and analyzing affecting factors. Based on this purpose literature review and expert interview were carried out to formulate indicators of measuring sustainability based on different diminutions of sustainable development, i.e. Social, economic and ecological. Statistical population of this research contains all wheat growers of Fars province. Samples were selected using random sampling method and questionnaire was used for data gathering. Validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by selected experts and researchers of agricultural development, and Coronbach Alpha coefficient (0.77 to 0.94) was used to confirm its reliability. Composite index of sustainability and its dimensions, after making indicators scale free by means division, was calculated by principal component method. The results of research showed that, 68.4% of the farmers were classified in unsustainable and very unsustainable category based on total composite index of sustainability. But considering economical dimension 99.44% of farmers are in the unsustainable and very unsustainable category and from the viewpoint of ecological demission, 56.41% of them were categorized as intermediately sustainable. According to the result of stepwise regression analysis, 5 variables of technical knowledge, mechanization, access to support and educational extension services and land fragmentation explained 61% of variation of dependent variable.

The importance of human resources in order to achieve development is the subject paid seriously attention by governments and strategists all over the world, in another words, the comprehensive development of society is due to the knowledge, skill and attitudes in individuals. In Iran, a large number of human resources receive education and training by universities so, recognizing the factors affecting students' achievement is a must to enhance educational planning and presenting more appropriate educational strategies. For this goal, present study was designed to investigate factors affecting agricultural students' achievement. Descriptive research design was conducted using survey methodology. The population consisted of all agricultural college students within ten different majors (more than 1522) whom engaged from 2006 to 2007. A multi-stage stratified random sampling was applied to select 400 students representing the population. A structured questionnaire technique was used to collect data and its face validity was confirmed by 3 educational specialists. The results indicated that some factors such as gender, economic level of family, residence location and father’s education level affect agricultural students' academic achievement in Shiraz University. Based on the findings, some recommendations were presented at the end of the paper.

Agricultural universities have three well-known functions, including teaching, research and services. Unfortunately, in Iran the third function which means University Outreach Services, does not have positive impact on agricultural extension system. This research project was carried out aim to identification of strengthening mechanisms of university outreach function in Iran’s agricultural extension system. This research was conducted based on survey strategy. Thus, data were gathered by questionnaire as research tool. Statistics population included three groups: agricultural university faculty members, extension faculty members and experts of Extension, Deputy of Jehad – e - Agriculture Ministry. Sample size for university faculties group was 130 persons and for second group was 145 persons. Data were analyzed by SPSS 11.5. Research results were indicated three groups of mechanism including printed and visual educational materials, organizing the extension education unit at campus, setting up the rural studies center, applying the participatory research approaches, setting up consultative center at campus and consulting electronic networks. Also, these mechanisms were prioritized based on combined means. According to research findings, effective implementing of explained mechanisms required set up a joint committee, including staff experts of both ministries, in order to conduct regular meetings due to appropriate policies.

Sustainable agriculture seeks successful management to use resources for human food needs, to conserve environmental quality and to increase natural resources. The purpose of this study was to investigate personal, social, economical and technical factors affecting the knowledge of sustainable agriculture among corn producer farmers.A survey methodology was applied in this research project. A stratified random sampling was used to collect data from 370 corn producer in northenwest Khuzestan. The findings showed that education, use of manure, access to communication channels, contact with extension and agricultural services centers and productivity had positive and significant correlation with knowledge of sustainable agriculture. Also, the variables of age, total farm size, number of children, number of family members, distance from service centers, amount of pesticide and herbicide use, experience in agriculture, corn farm size and income had negative and significant correlation with knowledge of sustainable agriculture. The regression statistics showed that total farm size, contact with extension centers, amount of pesticide and number of children could explain %33 of variation of dependent variable, the knowledge of sustainable agriculture. The paper presents recommendations to improve sustainable agriculture and knowledge of farmers.

The main purpose of this descriptive – survey study was analyzing challenges (related to farmers, wheat consultant engineers, and management- planning) of Wheat Consultant Engineers Project (WCEsP), from the view point of wheat consultant engineers in Esfahan province. The population consisted of 163 WCEs in Esfahan province and through randomized sampling, 95 subject WCEs were selected to reach the study objectives. Data collected by a questionnaire which its validity was obtained by a panel of agricultural extension officers and university faculty members. Reliability was measured by Cronbach's- alpha and (a=.89, a=.67, and a=.97) which showed the reliability of the questionnaire is acceptable. SPSS / win 11.5 software was used for data analyzing, and factor analysis method was employed to this regard. The results showed there was not any needs assessment at the beginning, also the result of factor analysis showed that these challenges were set into 5 factors namely as fair duties, salary and benefit, coordination, strategic, and farmer's characteristics that explained 69.48 percent of variance.

In the recent years, some new agricultural education centers and universities have been established. One of the new agricultural education centers is University of Applied Science and Technology. It is aimed to apply agricultural knowledge and also train specialized graduates for increasing job productivity. Some of the agricultural students of the university are studying in agriculture fields with previous understanding of nature of agriculture and some not. So, their motivational factors for studying in this field are really different. This study which used a survey method was conducted in spring, 2005. Questionnaire was the instrument for collecting data from185 students of S.A.U of Kerman province. Population included all of agricultural students of S.A.U. who studied in different fields of agriculture. All agricultural students were requested to fill questionnaires so no sampling method was used. Most of questions were closed-ended. Face validity and Cronbach's alpha (between 0.68 to 0.79) confirmed the validity and reliability, respectively. Data were analyzed by SPSS/PC 11.5 using descriptive and inferential statistics (Mean, Frequency and T-test). According to findings, attractiveness of agriculture, interest in agriculture, serving society and looking scientifically to agriculture are the main motivational parameters for students. Also, findings show that significant differences between employed and unemployed students were observed in six parameters.

This research project was conducted to study the factors affecting entrepreneurship of agricultural students of Tehran province. The population of the study consisted all 1425 graduate students studying in three agricultural colleges of Tehran province in 2008-9 academic year. Using a stratified random method, 260 students were selected as subjects of the study. The instrument for collecting data was a questionnaire which its validity was confirmed by jury of experts and its reliability was established through calculating Cronbach Alpha coefficient, as estimated to be 0.84. The findings regarding the effectiveness of 15 studied variables on students’ entrepreneurship, indicated that extra-curricular activities related to occupational skills, creative teaching methods in college, and appropriate curriculum content were the most important factors. Based on the results of regression analysis, the most effective variable in students’ entrepreneurship in higher agricultural education system is creative teaching methods. In sum, six variables, namely extra-curricular activities related to occupational skills, creative teaching methods in college, and appropriate curriculum content, practical ability and skills about lessons’ issues, planning according to students’ interests, competitive and suitable climate in college, could specify 57.7% of changes of dependent variable. Finally, some recommendations have been suggested to improve current situation toward increasing entrepreneurship traits in agricultural students.