Factors affecting the implementation of soil conservation practices among Iranian farmers

The recent genetic modification techniques for improve soil conservation, nutrient uptake and utilization

Advances in genetic modification (GM) techniques have generated huge interest in improving nutrient utilization, maximizing nutrient uptake, and conserving soil in the pursuit of sustainable agriculture. Unfortunately, little is still known about the recent advancements in the application of GM tactics to enhance each of these areas. This review explores the latest GM strategies intended to support soil conservation, maximize nutrient uptake, and improve nutrient utilization in farming, highlighting the critical roles that soil health and nutrient management play in sustainable farming. GM strategies such as improving the efficiency of nutrient uptake through enhanced root systems and increased nutrient transport mechanisms are well discussed. This study suggests that addressing potential obstacles, such as ethical and regulatory concerns, is a necessity for long-term sustainability applications of GM technologies to raise agricultural yields.

Extending the theory of planned behavior to predict the behavior of farmers in choosing low-water-intensive medicinal plants

Water scarcity has become a serious challenge in many parts of the world due to increasing demands and the impacts of climate change. The agriculture sector globally accounts for a major portion of water consumption, yet it also holds substantial potential for water conservation. Among the most effective ways to conserve water is to cultivate low-water-demanding crops, such as medicinal plants (MPs), instead of water-demanding crops (WDC). However, the voluntary participation of farmers, largely influenced by socio-psychological drivers, is crucial for successfully implementing most water conservation programs and needs to be addressed. Therefore, the main objectives of this paper were: (1) to identify the determinants that explain farmers' intention and behavior in cultivating MPs instead of WDC; and (2) to examine the effectiveness and performance of an extended version of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in predicting farmers' intention and behavior toward cultivating MPs by innovatively incorporating four new variables into the original TPB model: perceived barriers, moral norms, compatibility, and relative advantage. The applicability of the theoretical framework was evaluated in the Sojasroud Plain, Zanjan province, Iran. The results of the structural equation modeling revealed that: (1) farmers' intention to cultivate MPs instead of WDC is significantly influenced by perceived barriers, moral norms, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control (the strongest predictor); and (2) farmers' behavior in cultivating MPs instead of WDC is predicted by relative advantage, compatibility, and intention (the most prominent determinant). The R2 values for predicting intention and behavior were 55% and 53%, respectively. Based on the results, some practical policies were proposed to increase the cultivation of MPs in the study area.

An economic effect assessment of extension services of Agricultural Extension Model Sites for the irrigated wheat production in Iran

Agricultural extension is a key policy to accomplish sustainable agricultural development by improving farmers' knowledge. Agricultural Extension Model Sites (AEMSs) is a new agricultural extension approach for empowering farmers in Iran. Therefore, the purpose of this research is the economic effect assessment of extension services of AEMSs for irrigated wheat production in Iran. Surveys were conducted with 180 people of the main farmers from irrigated wheat AEMSs throughout Iran. The research tool was a questionnaire, the validity of which was examined using the opinions of a group of experts from the Agricultural Education and Extension Institute in Iran. Data analysis was done using econometric analysis and One-way ANOVA analysis through SHAZAM11 and SPSS27 software. Results showed that the extension services significantly affected irrigated wheat yield with an average increase of 0.66 t/ha. Based on the results, out of the Marginal product value ($69 USD) of the extension services provided to the main farmers, 13.3% ($9 USD) had been spent as the cost of extension services and 86.7% ($60 USD) had been net profit gained by farmers. Farmers' behaviors changed as a result of the AEMs with reduced input costs for growing the crop and increased production and profit from the crop.

Application of the extended theory of planned behavior in predicting the behavioral intentions of Iranian local communities toward forest conservation

Natural forests are the habitat of many plant and animal species and are the main source of genetic reserves. In addition to preserving biodiversity, forests play an important role in the livelihood and income of many indigenous communities. But, in the last few decades, due to the lack of proper management of the beneficiaries, they have been exposed to destruction, so that their protection requires the participation of all members of the society, especially the local people. Therefore, the main goal of this research was to discover the determinant factors on the intention of local communities to protect forests in Iran. An extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) by adding the variables of "risk perception" (RP) and "sense of belonging to place" (SBP) was used as the theoretical framework of the research. This research was done using the questionnaire survey method and with the help of structural equation modeling (SEM). The statistical population of this study included all the rural communities living in the Arasbaran forests (located in the northwest of Iran). The research findings indicated that the original TPB explains 66.9% of the variance of the behavioral intentions of locals toward forest protection. The three main constructs of the original TPB included attitude, perceived behavioral control (PBC) and subjective norms (SN), all of which had positive effects on the intention of local communities. Most importantly, the extended TPB by including RP and SBP increases the ability of the model to explain the intentions of local communities to forest protection by 11.8%. In this study, the variable of RP was identified as the most important factor, so it is suggested to the policy-makers of this field to increase the RP of local communities in relation to forest destruction using communication media. It is also suggested to promote safe behaviors in these natural areas through developing forest protection organizations and properly training locals on the protection of forest areas.

Explaining the ranchers' behavior of rangeland conservation in western Iran

Rangeland are one of the most important natural habitats for the protection of living and non-living organisms. Degradation of rangeland is one of the biggest threats to biodiversity loss. Ranchers', as the most important key stakeholders who have a direct relationship with rangelands, have put a lot of pressure on the rangeland sector in recent years, so that this natural habitat has been destroyed. Therefore, existing rangelands must be preserved to protect biodiversity. One of the most important strategies to protect rangeland is to change the behavior of ranchers to friendly and ecological behaviors in the environment. In this regard, this study was conducted with the general aim of explaining the ranchers' behavior of rangeland conservation in western Iran. The main research tool was a questionnaire whose validity was confirmed by a panel of experts and its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. In this study, value-belief-norm (VBN) was used to identify research variables. The results showed that ranchers have used different behaviors to protect rangelands and egoistic behaviors are the main cause of the destruction of this natural habitat. In addition, the results of this study showed that the framework used was an efficient theory because it explains 53.9% of rangeland conservation behavior. Finally, in this study, based on the research findings, applied policies for the protection of natural rangelands were presented so that in addition to rangeland conservation, biodiversity can also be preserved.

Will Joining Cooperative Promote Farmers to Replace Chemical Fertilizers with Organic Fertilizers?

This study examines whether cooperatives can assist more than 200 million farmers in China, who are facing tightening resources and environmental constraints, in adopting green farming practices. A framework for counterfactual analysis was established to quantify the impact of farmers joining cooperatives on the reduction in chemical fertilizer consumption and the use of organic fertilizers. The study's conclusions are based on data from 712 farmers in four counties in Shandong and Henan provinces. Joining a cooperative can have a positive impact on farmers' selection of environmentally friendly production methods, which increases the likelihood of farmers reducing chemical fertilizer application by 35.6% and organic fertilizer application by 22.0%. It can also reduce the cost of chemical fertilizer application by an average of $209.2/ha. The extent to which smallholder farmers use chemical and organic fertilizers after joining cooperatives depends on the size of their farming operations and their perception of green production.

Soil Erosion Assessment Using the RUSLE Model, Remote Sensing, and GIS in the Shatt Al-Arab Basin (Iraq-Iran)

In the Shatt Al-Arab basin, soil erosion is a major problem due to the steepness of the terrain and the significant difference in altitude between the upstream and downstream parts of the basin. Vast quantities of soil are moved annually, resulting in massive repercussions including soil degradation, structural damage, biodiversity loss, and productivity reduction in the catchment area, huge sediment load, and the pollution of streams and rivers. Consequently, the assessment of soil erosion risk and geographical distribution is essential for constructing a database for developing effective control strategies. Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) was combined with Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) in the current work to define the soil erosion hazard map in the Shatt Al-Arab basin. The RUSLE model included various characteristics for soil erosion zonation including rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, slope length and steepness, land cover and management, and conservation support practices. Annual erosion rates in this study in tons per hectare were: extremely high (more than 50); very high (50 to 16.5); high (16.5 to 2.2); medium (2.2 to 1); and low (1 to 0) ton ha−1year−1 representing 16, 4, 13, 7, and 60 % of the basin’s area, respectively. The high soil loss rates are associated with heavy rainfall, loamy soil predominance, elevated terrains/plateau borders with a steep side slope, and intensive farming. Managers and policymakers may use the results of this study to implement adequate conservation programs to prevent soil erosion or recommend soil conservation acts if development projects are to proceed in places with a high soil erosion risk.

Socio-psychological determinants of Iranian rural households' adoption of water consumption curtailment behaviors

Dealing with a growing population and a shortage of drinking water is a major challenge for politicians and planners. A key factor in ensuring a sustainable water supply is water conservation at the household level, which can increase productivity and save water resources. Therefore, promoting water consumption curtailment behavior will contribute significantly to reducing the global water crisis, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. Water consumption curtailment behaviors depend on individuals’ encouragement to choose and adopt voluntary behaviors and cannot be enforced by any political or planning power. In order to encourage water conservation those social and psychological factors should be considered that influence individuals to participate or adopt water consumption curtailment behaviors. Therefore, the study of factors influencing rural households' water consumption curtailment behaviors is of great importance. This study aimed to describe the socio-psychological factors influencing water consumption curtailment behaviors among rural households in southwestern Iran. The extended theory of planned behavior (ETPB) was used as a theoretical framework in this study along with descriptive norms (DN), moral norms (MN), habits, and justification. Data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results showed that ETPB can explain 35% and 54% of intention and water consumption curtailment behaviors among rural households in Iran. Our findings may assist policymakers in reducing domestic water consumption.