Sustainability of irrigated and rainfed wheat production systems among farmers in Kermanshah province: Application of structural equation modeling

Ranjbar, Zahra; Karami, Ezatollah

doi:10.22059/ijaedr.2013.36074

Sustainability of irrigated and rainfed wheat production systems among farmers in Kermanshah province: Application of structural equation modeling

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Zahra Ranjbar ¹

Ezatollah Karami ²

¹ Former Graduate Student, Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Respectively, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

² professor, Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Respectively, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

10.22059/ijaedr.2013.36074

Abstract

Iranian farmers are faced with many challenges. They must be economically efficient, produce enough food for the growing population and must be sensitive to environmental concerns. However, there is a growing concern related to the aftermath and side-effect of some agricultural activities on environment. These concerns made researches to consider agricultural activities with profound care in order to present better solutions for these problems. The main aim of this survey research was to explore the factors that contribute towards sustainability of irrigated and rain fed wheat production systems among farmers in Kermanshah province. A sample of 300 farmers was selected using a multi-stage stratified random sampling method. The findings revealed that agricultural extension programs, job satisfaction, and sustainability knowledge contribute towards sustainability of irrigated wheat production. The major determinants of different dimension of sustainability of rain fed wheat producers were social participation and yield. Finally, recommendations were provided to promote more sustainable agricultural practices.

Keywords

farming system

Kermanshah

Structural Equation Modeling

Sustainability