gh. abdollahzadeh

Continuous Biological Control (BC) of pests can reduce unnecessary pesticide applications in rice production, thus promoting occupational safety and health in farming. In this study, the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of behavior change was examined for its applicability in explaining adoption and maintenance of BC use among 344 rice farmers of Simorgh County, Mazandaran Province in northern Iran, to better understand how farmers change their pest management behavior for incorporating BC. The stages of behavior change in BC use were assessed according to the TTM model, i.e. Pre-Contemplation (PC), Contemplation (C), Preparation (PR), Action (A), and Maintenance (M), in the management of rice stem borer [Chilo suppressalis (Walker)]. Almost three quarters (75.1%) of the farmers were in pre-action stages (43.1% in PC stage, 16.3% in C stage, and 15.7% in PR stage), 15.1% were changing their behavior (A stage), and while few farmers (9.8%) reported continuous use of BC agents for more than two cropping seasons (M stage). Farmers in the early stages of TTM model showed lower education levels, higher income, lower self-consumption of rice, higher grain yields, higher damage by rice stem borer, and lower knowledge levels about natural enemies than those who were in the later stages of change. Moreover, self-efficacy in BC use and perceived advantages of BC use increased through the stages of change, whereas the perceived disadvantages of BC use decreased. This is the first report supporting the appropriateness of the TTM in explaining farmers’ behavior change in BC use, which provides novel evidence on farmers’ adoption process of BC. Extension measures should focus on usual obstacles related to BC use, such as perceived advantages and disadvantages of BC as well as self-efficacy in BC use, targeting to match the stage of change with various intervention strategies.

The encouragement and development of entrepreneurship in rural areas and start-up of own businesses depend on several factors and inputs, one of the most important of which is access to credit and capital. Therefore, this survey study aimed to investigate the factors influencing the start-up of own-businesses among the micro-credit recipients of Bank Keshavarzi Iran (AgriBank of Iran) in rural areas of Qom province of Iran. The statistical population included 24980 micro-credit barrowers (credits less than 500 million IR rials) from rural branches of AgriBank of the province in the last five years. Using Cochran formula, the sample size was determined 255 individuals. Multi-stage cluster sampling method in four districts and eight villages were used to select samples. The results of estimated possibility logit model for the own-business start-up indicated significantly positive relations and the impacts of several variables including marital status, self-employed household members, personal brought land, personal brought water and also social status, commitment to the AgriBank, spirit and entrepreneurial attitude and risk taking indicators with 99 percent confidence as well as the other variables including previous job background, type of loan, monitoring the use of loans and private investment with 95 percent confidence, while the variable of waiting period to get the loan had a significantly negative impact with 99 percent confidence. Finally, it was recommended that prior to the allocation of credits, the applicants’ entrepreneurial attitudes; risk taking, social status, and commitment to the bank should be evaluated through the standard scale.