Factors Affecting Precision Agriculture Knowledge: The Case of Consulting Extension Advisory Services Members in Shiraz County

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Former M.Sc. student , Dept. of Agricultural Extension and Education, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University

2 Associate Professor, Dept. of Agricultural Extension and Education, College of Agriculture, Shiraz University

Abstract

Nowadays, agriculture experts are with three major challenges. Production increasing due to population growth; cost decreasing through reducing consumption of inputs; environment protection during production process. Therefore, applying precision agriculture technology is unavoidable and many countries are benefiting this technology now. Investigating factors affecting precision agriculture knowledge of consulting extension services companies’ members of Shiraz county was the main objective of this research. The paper noted the importance of this technology and then assessed the level of companies experts' knowledge toward precision agricultural technology. Furthermore, factors affecting the knowledge was investigated. Survey research was the research method. Eighteen companies of twenty seven consulting extension services companies (with 112 members) in Shiraz were selected randomly and five members were selected randomly from each company. Finally, ninety members were interviewed. Questionnaire was used for data collection. According to the research conceptual framework, the impact of individual, environmental and professional group factors were assessed on their knowledge toward precision agriculture (in four dimensions: fundamental, professional, tools and impacts). Research findings revealed that the level of experts’ knowledge toward precision agriculture was moderate in impact dimension and were less than the average level in the other dimensions. According to correlation result amount of land, supervising work experience and spent training from professional factors; were effective factors on the level of precision agriculture knowledge of managers. Also, regression results showed that the gender and educational level from individual factors; and diversity of cultures in their supervising area from environmental factors were affecting factors on level of precision agriculture knowledge of farm managers. Some applied recommendations have been presented at the end of article.

Keywords

Iranian Agricultural Extension and Education Journal
Volume 8, Issue 2
May 2013
Pages 35-48

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