نشریه علوم ترویج و آموزش کشاورزی
سال ششم شماره 1 (پیاپی 11، بهار و تابستان 1389)

Crop residual management is an important aspect of conservation agriculture. Burning wheat crop residuals by farmers to prepare the land for the second crop in Fars province has been criticized as a non-sustainable practice. The main purpose of this paper was to investigate the adoption process of chopper- combine as an innovative alternative to prevent burning wheat crop residuals. A case study method was used to study the adoption process in Hasanabad village in Marvdasht county, Fars province. An extreme case sampling technique was used to select adopters and non-adopters. In-depthinterview and field observation were used to collect data for this study. Five adopters and six nonadopters were interviewed. Findings showed that, factors such as time limitation for cultivating the second crop, lack of extension recommendation, lack of access to chopper-combine are the main reasons of burning wheat residuals. Introducing the varieties with shorter growing period, supportive policies like rewarding adopters, providing availability of suitable technologies are practicable strategies to improving crop residuals management. Finally the paper emphasizes the main causes of conservation technology adoption and describes the technical, economic, social and informationreasons for non-adoption.

The purpose of this paper is to present and compare behavioral intention and attitude of agricultural experts in Fars and Khuzestan Agricultural Organisations toward VRT-spraying based on revised technology acceptance model (TAM). A survey was conducted using stratified random sampling to collect data from 135 and 114 experts in Fars and Khuzestan provinces, respectively. The results showed research model in this study is more powerful to predict behavioral intention and attitude than the other models. Based on the results, the independent variables have the same power to predict intention to use and perceived usefulness of VRT-spraying in two provinces. There is differencebetween two provinces regarding attitude to use and perceived ease of use variables so that the prediction pronoun is higher in Fars province. Based on the results some recommendations have been provided to use VRT-spraying in Iran.

Undoubtedly, nanotechnology can play an important role in increasing agricultural productivity as well as food security for growing population in the world. The purpose of this research was to use factor analysis in identifying obstacles regarding nanotechnology development in the agricultural sector of Iran. The research method implemented was applied- survey. The target population of this study included researchers employed in the national_ agricultural research centers/institutes (N= 187). One hundred twenty-three of them were selected by symmetrical random sampling. Data were collected by using a researcher made questionnaire which was validated by a panel of experts and the reliability was calculated by using Choronbach alpha's coefficient (α = 0.92). Factor analysis identified and grouped obstacle variables into 5 factors. A Financial issue was shown as the most important factor with 18.54 percent of variance. The next important factors were classified respectively under the titles of: instructional difficulties, management problems, research problems, relative-informative hardships that cover about 69.89 percent of obstacle variables variance. Based on the results, recommendations weremade for the development of nanotechnology in the agricultural sector.

This survey was accomplished to study the feasibility of implementing virtual education for agricultural producers. The research population consisted of two groups; first: 62 educational executives and 94 trainers working in the Ministry of Agriculture and Agriculture Organization of Tehran Province (a total of 156 persons) and second: 70 experts in virtual education. Research instruments were questionnaires made by the researchers and their validity and reliability coefficients, as of 0.88, 0.90, and 0.80 proved to be acceptable. Using stratified random sampling for optimum attribution method, astatistical sample of 175 persons (out of 226 persons) was selected. Collected data were analyzed using statistical methods and the results showed:1- Implementing virtual education for agricultural producers is feasible.2- Implementing virtual education is feasible, both as synchronous and asynchronous.3- Implementing of virtual education is only feasible in theoretical courses.The research emphasizes the necessity of grouping the agricultural producers in different levels, in order to present them with an effective and efficient virtual education, development of e-learning courses, and training of instructors and executives of virtual education.

The increased world population has decreased water in agricultural activities. We need to use new technologies to increase efficiency of water. The purpose of this research was the study of adoption behavior among rural women. The study was conducted using survey in seven counties in Khuzestan province. A stratified random sampling was used to collect data from 280 rural women including 57 and 223 adopters and non-adopters of dry seeding, respectively. The findings indicated that the most important significant differences between adopters and non-adopters were related to amount of obtained loan, the amount of paddy and, experience of agricultural work. These variables were higher among adopters. Based on the results, the proposed multiplicity model can use as a basis to determinate and identify adopters from non-adopters of rice dry seeding.

Indicators and statistics of Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) databases considered as a framework for evaluating and assessing scientific activities for Scientometrics professionals and policy makers in research affaires in many countries. In this article, Scientometrics of Agricultural Sciences is reviewed in Pioneer Islamic Countries according to ISI Databases and Open Access Journals (OAJ).The Studied Countries consist of Iran, Turkey, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Pakistan which have agricultural scientific journals both in JCR and OAJ. Results show that during a 4-years period (2005- 2008), Turkey with 80402 scientific productions is in the first place among Islamic countries and Iran is in the 2nd based on ESI statistics, in "plant and animal sciences" and "agricultural sciences" subject Categories, in view of citation per paper among Islamic countries Malaysia is in the first place. Most of the papers in agricultural sciences in Islamic countries indexed in the subject category "plant sciences".Turkish and Pakistani journals have important role in publishing their own scientific productions.Islamic countrie's authors published most of their scientific productions with the collaboration of other Islamic countries in OAJ, while in ISI Web of science, most of their papers are produced with the collaboration of American and European countrie's authors. In OAJ, Pakistan with 11 journals is in the first and Bangladesh with only one is the last place. According to JCR databases the Iranian “International Journal of Plant Production” with 0.350 impact factor, has cited 11 times which indexed in “agronomy” subject category

The process of production in agricultural sector has always been encountered with various risks, solely because production in this sector is largely dependent on climate condition and geographical location.On the other hand, is been vulnerable to plant pests and disease. For these and other reasons risk management activities are very important in agriculture. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to investigate factors influencing risk management among the farmers of the rain fed wheat. The research design was a survey and descriptive-correlational techniques were used. The statistical population consisted of all rain fed wheat farmers in Tafresh region (N=14,824). A proportional stratified sampling method was used to select the 295 rain fed wheat farmers as samples of the study(n=295). Cochran’s formula was used to determine the sample size of this study. Finally, 241 questionnaires were gathered and analyzed (return rate= 81.7%). The descriptive statistics results showed that majority of respondents (75%) were at a “moderate and poor’ level of risk management.The bivariate correlation results indicated that there was a significant correlation between education levels, extent of social participation, access of communication channels, the level of non-agricultural income and risk management, respectively. The result of the multivariate linear regression indicated that 37.4% (R2=0.374) of the variance in the risk management activities could be explained by farmer's income and their access to communication channels.