Determining Social Economical and Farming Characteristics of Wheat Farmers Regarding Adoption of Low Input Sustainable Agriculture (LISA) (in Khuzestan Province)

The main objective of this article is to present the results of a study done about the social, economical, and farming characteristics of wheat farmers in Khuzestan province of Iran regarding adoption of low input sustainable agriculture (LISA). LISA 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 cultivation or minimal tillage to optimize soil and natural pest control activity. The research design was a descriptive and correlation surveying method. Wheat farmers in Ahvaz, Behbahan, and Dezful township of Iran who cultivated wheat by the use of irrigation in the year of 1379-80 were the target population for this study. A random sample of wheat farmers selected from three randomly selected township of Ahvaz, Behbahan, and Dezful township (N = 5529 , n = 359 ). The main results of the study indicated that correlation of level of education, wheat land, ownership land , income, social participation, social status, social norm, technical knowledge, LISA knowledge, with adoption LISA practices were significantly positive and the correlation of age, experience in agriculture, distance between farm and service centers with adoption LISA practices were significantly negative.