Factors Affecting Agricultural Mechanization: A Case Study on Sunflower Seed Farms in Iran

The primary purpose of this research study was to determine the major factors affect-ing the implementation of national agricultural mechanization programs in Iran. The sec-ondary purpose of this study was to assess the agricultural mechanization level practiced by farmers. This project consisted of two phases. In the first phase of the study, a Delphi technique was used to gather experts' points of view on variables affecting agricultural mechanization implementation programs in Iran. The second phase of the study was de-signed to assess the agricultural mechanization level practiced by farmers growing sun-flower seeds. The Delphi technique investigation showed that the main constraints on farm mechanization were “small farm size” and “fragmentation of holdings”. The find-ings of the second phase of this research indicated that the mean agricultural mechaniza-tion level practiced on the sunflower producing farms was about ۰.۵ kW per ha of culti-vated land. However the amount of energy input varied between ۰.۰۱۴۹ to ۳.۴۹۷۳ kW. Multivariate linear regression of the study indicated that ۴۶.۹% (R۲= ۰.۴۶۹) of the vari-ance in the level of agricultural mechanization practiced could be explained by variables such as income, total farming land, and land holdings under sunflower seed cultivation.

Keywords:

Agricultural used land , Delphi technique , Exemplary farmer , Mechanization strategy , sunflower