Analysis of Potato Grower's Knowledge about Sustainable Agriculture in Shushtar Township

The sustainability of farming system is among the serious issues that has attracted the attention of many researchers in recent years. Therefore, an investigation of farmers’ knowledge about sustainable agriculture is important, if sustainable development is to be achieved. The purpose of this descriptive correlational research was to determine the knowledge level of potato growers in Shushtar Township and to evaluate factors affecting the knowledge of sustainable agriculture. The statistical population of this study consisted of 4200 potato growers in Shushtar township. 137 potato growers were selected through multistage sampling method. A panel of experts including faculty members with an expertise in agronomy, agricultural extension and agricultural economy approved the validity of the questionnaire. Cronbach’s alpha was calculated for the attitude scale (0.79) and also for the knowledge scale (0.85) in a pilot study. The results showed that potato growers’ knowledge and attitude are both at a moderate level. The majority of the respondents reported a medium level of sustainability in their farming system. Also, there exist positive and significant correlations between age, farming experience, membership in a cooperative, type of farming system, type of cultivation, landholding size, land allocated to growing potato, total production, attitude, level of sustainability and knowledge of sustainable agriculture. The results of a multiple regression analysis revealed that attitude toward sustainable agriculture, experience, age, total potato production and type of faming system could explain about 47 percent of the variance of knowledge about sustainable agriculture.