Factors Affecting Excessive Nitrogen Fertilizer Use in Saffron Cultivation: Case Study of Torbat Heydarieh Area

Overuse of nitrogen fertilizers does not meet the farmer's goal of increasing the product, but also causes environmental contamination. The question of how best to use these fertilizers is affected by farmers to reduce pollution without affecting their welfare and developmental opportunities is an important question that needs to be evaluated. In this study, effective factors on the optimal use of nitrogen fertilizer in Torbat Heydarieh, as the main production area of saffron, have been investigated and analyzed. To this end, the information about 400 saffron farmer that was collected in the year 2016 from Torbat Heydarieh region has been used. The results of Logit model show a positive relationship between the age of the farm, the age of the farmer, the size of the farm, the frequency of irrigation and the occupation outside the field and the level of N fertilizer application; and the negative relationship between variables of education level, amount of animal manure, soil fertility, N fertilizer price, experience and membership in rural cooperative with N fertilizer level. Based on these results, efforts should being made to increase awareness of saffron farmers in managing fertilizer use, offering new technological options, especially for large farms, and using pricing policies aimed at replacing other inputs, such as biological fertilizers.