A Study on the role of knowledge, attitudes and information resources of Wheat Farmers in the adoption of conservation tillage (A Case Study of Arak County, Iran)

The present study is done to investigate the role of knowledge, attitudes and information resources of Wheat Farmers (Arak County) in the adoption of conservation tillage. This research was a descriptive-correlation study which is done by survey method. The statistical population of this study included wheat farmers of three Service Center of Arak county (Hume arak, Musk Abad and Aybak Abad, (N=263). Among all of them, 155 persons were selected as the statistical sample by using Morgan with symmetrical random sampling method (n=156). Data collection was fulfilled by the use of questionnaire. Content validity of the questionnaire was reviewed by comments of experts and professors of Agricultural Extension and Education, and the reliability was calculated by using Cronbach's alpha coefficient (0/75 ≤ α ≤ 0/81). According the results of correlation coefficient, there was a positive and significant correlation between use of information sources, attitudes toward conservation tillage, agricultural land, the amount of income from farming, and the distance between farm and farm service center with the adoption of conservation tillage. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that the income from farming, attitude toward conservation tillage and use of information sources aspects determined 39% of the variations in the adoption. The results of the means comparison showed a significant difference between adoption of conservation tillage and participation or nonparticipation in extension classes and type of machinery ownership at the level of 5percent