F. Rasouli - Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, P. O. Box: ۳۳۶-۱۴۱۱۵, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
H. Sadighi - Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, P. O. Box: ۳۳۶-۱۴۱۱۵, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
S. Minaei - Department of Agricultural Engineering and Mechanics, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Islamic Republic of 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.

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