Comparison The Farmers' Behavior Determinants on The Use of Fertilizers Based on The Theory of Planned Behavior And The Theory of Value-Belief-Norm

Since the main goal of the research was to explore the factors determining farmers’ behavior towards the use of chemical fertilizers, the developed Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Value-Belief-Norm theory (VBN) was employed as a predicting theory to accomplish this goal. The 375 potato farmers of 30 villages were selected as samples (N=14200). Data were collected by a questionnaire and help of interview. Statistical calculations were performed by the SmartPLS (version3) and SPSS (version22) software packages. The results of using (TPB) show that behavioral intention is reinforced by three variables of behavioral attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control so that it has a positive and significant relationship with them. Also, the results of using (VBN) show that the components of this theory have a positive and significant relationship with behavior. The results using (TPB) revealed that the farmer's intention has a significant and positive relationship with behavioral beliefs mediated by behavioral attitude, with normative beliefs mediated by subjective norms, and with controlled beliefs mediated by perceived behavioral control. In VBN theory, the results showed that the value variable mediated by belief and norm have a positive and significant relationship with farmers' behavior. In other words, the variables in both theories well explain the behavior of farmers in the application of chemical fertilizers. In comparision 51 percent of farmers' behavior in the TPB theory can be described through the variables of the model, but 57 percent in the VBN model.