Factors Influencing Sugar Beet Growers’ Behavior Regarding Sustainable On-Farm Soil Management Practices in Khorasan-e-Razavi Province, Iran

The purpose of this research was to investigate the sugar beet farmers’ behavior regarding the sustainable on-farm soil management practices as well as analyzing the factors affecting this behavior. The methodological approach in the research was a descriptive-analytical study of the survey type. The target population in the study was the sugar beet farmers of Khorasan-e-Razavi Province. Using multi-stage cluster sampling technique, 375 farmers were selected as a statistical sample. The content and face validity of the questionnaire was specified after several times of review and correction by the Faculty members of Tarbiat Modares University and several experts of the administrative offices. The reliability analysis was conducted through 30 questionnaires and Cronbach’s Alpha values for the different sections of instrument were estimated to be between 0.71 and 0.87 using statistical SPSS software. The results of descriptive findings showed that in general, 21.8% (82 farmers) of studied sugar beet growers’ behavior were at very poor and poor levels, 42.9% (161 farmers) at the average level and 35.2% (132 farmers) at very good and good levels regarding on-farm soil management. The results of means different analysis revealed that there are significant discrepancy between sugar beet growers’ behavior in relation to use of under pressure irrigation method, soil test, worker extension, membership of the rural production cooperative and type of sugar beet farming. The result of stepwise multivariate regression analysis indicated that 44.2% (R2 = 0.442) of the variability in farmers’ behavior with respect to arable soil management could be explained by variables of education level, action to extension guidances, communication channels, sugar beet yield per hectare, extension contacts, farmers’ age, experience in sugar beet cultivation and sucrose content of the sugar beet roots.