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Attitudes of Nahavand Township, Iran Wheat Farmers
Toward On Farm Water Management (OFWM)

Omid Noroozi &  Mohammad Chizari

Agricultural Extension & Education Department, College of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran, Iran

Corresponding Author: Head of Agricultural Extension & Education Department
Prof. Dr. Mohammad Chizari
phone:  011-98-21-2589847
e-mail:
mchizari@modares.ac.ir


Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitude of wheat farmers regarding OFWM in Nahavand Township, Iran. The design of this study was descriptive-correlation. The questionnaire and interview were used for data collection. Wheat farmers (N=15365) in the Nahavand township of Iran were the target population for this study. The sample obtained through proportional stratified sampling (n=375). Validity was established by a panel of experts. A reliability analysis, conducted and alpha value were reported 84%. A response rate of 88 percent was achieved. The result indicated that the majority of wheat farmers’ knowledge toward OFWM is classified “mediate and good” range. The result showed that, the relationship between the variables of age, years of experience in farming wheat and years of experience in agriculture and distance between the farm and the agricultural service center were significantly correlative and negatively linked with their attitude about OFWM, while relationship between the variables of educational level, wheat yield per hectare, size of farm, size of irrigated farming, size of irrigated wheat cultivated land holding, wheat farmers’ economical status, the extent of their extension contacts, the extent of their social participation, the extent of their use of communication channels and wheat farmers’ knowledge toward OFWM were significantly correlative and positively linked with their attitude about OFWM. Significant differences are found among the averages of the wheat farmer's attitude in relationship with their marriage status, membership and non membership on production cooperative and rural institutes, users and no users of extension services, the type of irrigation method and type of water resource. Utilizing Stepwise method indicated that 71% (R2 = 0.710) of the variance in wheat farmer’s attitude toward OFWM could be explained by the wheat farmers’ yield per hectare, wheat farmers’ knowledge toward OFWM, their contact with information sources and wheat farmers’ age.

Keywords: Attitude, On Farm Water Management (OFWM), Wheat Farmers, Nahavand Township