The Socio-economic Characteristics of Wheat Farmers Regarding Adoption of Sustainable Soil Management (SSM)

ABSTRACT Sustainable Soil Management (SSM) practices have tended to reduce the use of fertilizer pesticides, and maximal tillage, but rely more on crop rotation, crop residues, animal manure, green manure, leguminous, appropriate mechanical control or minimal tillage to optimize soil conservation activity. The purpose of this article was to identify socio-economic characteristics of farmers regarding adoption of sustainable soil management by wheat farmers in Modares Watershed Region of Khuzestan Province, Iran. The employed research method was correlative-descriptive. Wheat farmers in this region were the target population for this study. A random sample of wheat farmers selected (N =1185, n=293). An indicator for analysis of Sustainable Soil Management (SSM) has been developed for determining level of soil sustainability of wheat farmers. According to survey results, 15.8 % of respondents reported their sustainability to be “unsustainable”, approximately 59.2 % of respondents reported their sustainability to be “moderate”, and remains were sustainable. According to survey results, correlation between socio-economic characteristics such as income, land size, level of mechanization, social participation, social status, crop yield, rate of loan and sustainable soil management (SSM) Index was significant. Also there was significant relationship between personal characteristics such as level of education, technical knowledge, perception of farmers and sustainable soil management (SSM) Index. Liner regression used for predict changes in level of SSM Index. Income, level of education, social participation, social status, crop yield, level of mechanization and technical knowledge of farmers may well explain for 81 % changes (R2=0.81) in level of SSM Index