Analyzing Adoption and the Perceived Outcomes of Environment Friendly Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) in Citrus Gardens: Orchardists’ Point of View in Mazandaran Province, Iran

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to analyzing adoption and the perceived outcomes of environment friendly Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) in citrus gardens in Mazandaran province, Iran. Study population consisted of all citrus orchardists in the selected villages of 12 counties in the Mazandaran province, Iran, which a sample of 290 orchardists were selected through proportional random sampling technique. A questionnaire was designed to collect the data, which it’s both validity and reliability was determined by using expert opinion and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, respectively. The results of the study showed that priority adoption of the setting of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Pests, Diseases and Weeds Management had first priority. Water management, Soil Management, Biodiversity, Energy Management, Nutrition and Fertilization, respectively, had allocated priorities from second to sixth. Also according to Orchardists’ point of view about practical and perceived outcomes of adoption of GAPs, increasing access to global markets with orientation towards product export. Accordingly, in the next outcome, wide distribution of safe products with increasing competitiveness was the next important outcome as perceived by Orchardists. The third important outcome was about consumers’ satisfaction and the fourth was increasing sales of products. Increasing information about use of environmental friendly methods and technologies as a basic behavior among farmers also was recognized as the fifth Perceived outcome.