Evaluation of the effectiveness of the equipping and renovation plan on the development of mechanization of rice cultivation in Guilan province (A case study: Amlash county)

Equipping and renovation of paddy field projects are known as an important infrastructure provisions in the development of mechanization of rice cultivation. In this regard, a survey study was conducted to evaluate the impact of equipping and renovation projects of paddy fields on the development of mechanization of rice cultivation in Amlash County, Guilan Province. Accordingly, using the Bartlett minimum sample size table, the sample sizes for two groups of farmers employed in traditional and equipped paddy fields were determined to be as 105 and 160, respectively. The research samples were selected using multi-stage stratified sampling method. The research data were gathered using a self-structured questionnaire as the data collection tool. Results showed that the degree of mechanization of rice transplanting and harvesting operations in equipped paddy fields were higher than those of traditional paddy fields, in all three groups of small (