Factors Affecting the Knowledge of Torbat-e-Jam Township's Saffron Growing Farmers Regarding Correct and Scientific Principles of Saffron Cultivation

The purpose followed in this descriptive-correlational study was to identify factors affecting Saffron farmer's knowledge regarding scientific principles of saffron's cultivation. The research instrument was structural questionnaire with close-ended questions, the validity and reliability of which was confirmed. The target population of the study consisted of all Saffron farmers in Torbat-e-Jam township, Razavi Khorasan province, (N=2253) out of whom and according to Cochran formula, a number of 169 individuals were selected, using statistical sampling in a cluster randomization method. Finally, 152 questionnaires were recollected and analyzed (n=152). Descriptive results of the research indicated that the majority of saffron farmer's knowledge (78 or 51.30%) stood at a "moderate" level. Furthermore, the results indicated that the highest vs. the highest level of knowledge amount of saffron farmers was respectively related to their familiarity with harvest operations vs. choice of and proper varieties. There was a statistically significant observed relationship between "farmers’ personal and economical characteristics", and their "technical knowledge". The results of the Bivariate Regression revealed that 78.5 percent of variability in technical knowledge of Saffron farmers stemmed from their “use of information resources, educational level, access to agricultural inputs and credits, farm size, as well as their maximum annual production”.