Investigation Of Information Sources And Communication Channels In Ipm Rice Farming In Fars Province, Iran

Abstract

Extension of integrated pest management (IPM) as a component of sustainable agricultural development, involves empowering farmers. Facilitating the information accessibility of farmer groups seems as empowerment strategy. This strategy is based on identification ofrelated patterns, including information sources and communication channels of farmer groups. Along with this comment, a study was carried out through a survey research design for data collection to study the effects of information sources and communication channels inrice IPM. The statistical population of the study consisted all of rice growers in Marvdasht county, Fars province in Iran. Sample size included 90 farmers determined by Cochran's formula. Proportional random sampling technique was used to select farmers. A questionnaire was compiled to collect data. The results showed that out of studied information sources and communication channels, in order of importance, neighbors, agricultural inputs providers including pesticides dealers and to visit the farms that applied IPM obtained high priorities,. Also results showed that there were significant relationships among age, rice farming land area, farming experience, yield, participation in extension programs, accesslevel to pesticides, need feeling to pesticides, tendency level to decrease pesticide use , possibility of pests control naturally, and information sources and communications channels in IPM. Furthermore the results of multiple regression revealed that variables such as, rice cultivation land area, farmer participations in extension programs, and tendency level offarmers to decrease pesticide use and possibility of pests control naturally explained 70 percent of variance of applying rice IPM as dependence variable.