A. Aazami; K. Zarafshani; hossein dehghani; A. Gorji
Abstract
The purpose of this integrative (quantitative-qualitative) descriptive survey study was to determine factors influencing farmers’ attitude toward sprinkler irrigation systems. A researcher made questionnaire was used to collect data. A sample of 274 farmers who were equipped with sprinkler irrigation ...
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The purpose of this integrative (quantitative-qualitative) descriptive survey study was to determine factors influencing farmers’ attitude toward sprinkler irrigation systems. A researcher made questionnaire was used to collect data. A sample of 274 farmers who were equipped with sprinkler irrigation systems during the past three years participated in the study. The face validity of the questionnaire was tested using experts in Department of Irrigation Improvement in Water and Soil Division in Ministry of Agricultural Jihad as well as experts in Agricultural College. Corrections were made in the research instrument as needed. The reliability was tested using a pilot study with 50 farmers outside the population. An Alpha Coefficient of 0.75 proved to be reliable. Results revealed that 80% of farmers held positive attitude toward their irrigation systems. Moreover, farmers’ level of education, experience with the systems, cost if installation, training, changes in income, and land holdings explained 64% of variance in farmers’ attitude toward irrigation systems. The qualitative results revealed some problems and issues perceived by farmers. Long process in filling application, lack of expertise among engineering firms, ineffective training classes, low quality spare parts, lack of water resources, and inefficiency in allocating resources were challenges by most farmers. Since attitude is predicts behavior, the result of this study can assist sprinkler irrigation policy makers to develop irrigation development in the region.
A. Aazami; K. Zarafshani; H. Dehghanisanij; A. Gorji
Abstract
Abstract
One of the technologies that deal with efficient use of water is sprinkler irrigation systems. If farmers are to continue the use of sprinkler systems which may be crucial in agricultural development, educational programs should be tailored to their needs. Therefore, the main purpose of this ...
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Abstract
One of the technologies that deal with efficient use of water is sprinkler irrigation systems. If farmers are to continue the use of sprinkler systems which may be crucial in agricultural development, educational programs should be tailored to their needs. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to analyze educational needs of farmers equipped with sprinkler irrigation. Furthermore, this study sought to investigate the appropriate teaching strategies that should be used by extension educators when teaching sprinkler irrigation systems. Finally, this study focused on competencies needed by adult educators as perceived by farmers. The target population of this descriptive survey design consisted of farmers who were equipped with sprinkler irrigation systems (N=75). An accessible sample of 63 farmers participated in this study (86% response rate). Using Borich Need Assessment model, four educational needs emerged. Namely, distinguishing different components of the system, system maintenance, knowledge on different sprinkler irrigation methods, and their relative advantages and disadvantages were prioritized by farmers. Moreover, farmers ranked face to face training, demonstration farms, and workshops as their top three preferences for receiving training for sprinkler system. Finally, farmers believed that sprinkler irrigation educators should be competent in different design systems and their components as well as competence in diffusion of innovations. The result of this study has major implications for sprinkler irrigation development programs. First, extension agents should train farmers on technical issues related to irrigation systems. If educational needs of farmers are to be met, extension agents with competencies in irrigation systems are suggested. Moreover, they also need to use face-to-face education when training farmers.
Keywords: Educational needs, Teaching methods, Educational competencies, Sprinkler irrigation systems
A. Aazami; K. Zarafshani; H. Dehghanisanij; A. Gorji
Abstract
Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to determine farmers’ satisfaction towards pressurized irrigation systems in Kermanshah province. This study used a mixed method design with descriptive correlation emphasis. A researcher made questionnaire was used to collect data. A random sample of 274 ...
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Abstract
The main purpose of this study was to determine farmers’ satisfaction towards pressurized irrigation systems in Kermanshah province. This study used a mixed method design with descriptive correlation emphasis. A researcher made questionnaire was used to collect data. A random sample of 274 farmers who have been equipped with pressurized irrigation systems during the last three years participated in the study. Results revealed that 77% of those farmers were satisfied with their systems whereas 23% were unsatisfied. Moreover, there was same level of satisfaction between drip and sprinkler irrigated farmers. Level of satisfaction across farmers with different sprinkler systems showed that farmers using non-portable sprinkler systems were most satisfied. Water resources also influenced farmers’ satisfaction. Those utilizing wells and khanat were more satisfied than farmers using other water resources. In addition, land owners were more satisfied than landless farmers equipped with pressurized irrigation systems. Furthermore, farmers were most satisfied with: increased yield, higher quality product, less dependence on farm workers, water use efficiency, even water distribution, and increased irrigated farms. However, farmers were least satisfied with: low quality spare parts, incompetent sprinkler designers, administrative obstacles in receiving loans, and non-adaptability of systems in different climatic conditions. The results of this study has implications for pressurized irrigation policy-makers in that they can use predictors of satisfaction in identifying weaknesses and strengths of pressurized irrigation systems when designing development strategies.
Keywords: Sprinkler irrigation, Drip irrigation, Farmer users, Satisfaction
