Factors Affecting Agricultural Mechanization: A Case Study on Sunflower Seed Farms in Iran | ||
| Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology | ||
| Article 5, Volume 11, Issue 1, 2009, Pages 39-48 PDF (122.91 K) | ||
| Authors | ||
| F. Rasouli1; H. Sadighi* 1; S. Minaei2 | ||
| 1Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, P. O. Box: 336-14115, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran. | ||
| 2Department of Agricultural Engineering and Mechanics, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran. | ||
| Abstract | ||
| The primary purpose of this research study was to determine the major factors affect-ing the implementation of national agricultural mechanization programs in Iran. The sec-ondary purpose of this study was to assess the agricultural mechanization level practiced by farmers. This project consisted of two phases. In the first phase of the study, a Delphi technique was used to gather experts' points of view on variables affecting agricultural mechanization implementation programs in Iran. The second phase of the study was de-signed to assess the agricultural mechanization level practiced by farmers growing sun-flower seeds. The Delphi technique investigation showed that the main constraints on farm mechanization were “small farm size” and “fragmentation of holdings”. The find-ings of the second phase of this research indicated that the mean agricultural mechaniza-tion level practiced on the sunflower producing farms was about 0.5 kW per ha of culti-vated land. However the amount of energy input varied between 0.0149 to 3.4973 kW. Multivariate linear regression of the study indicated that 46.9% (R2= 0.469) of the vari-ance in the level of agricultural mechanization practiced could be explained by variables such as income, total farming land, and land holdings under sunflower seed cultivation. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Agricultural used land; Delphi Technique; Exemplary farmer; Mechanization strategy; sunflower | ||
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