The discrimination of adopters and non-adopters of conservation agricultural initiatives in northwest Iran: Attitudinal, soil testing, and topographical modules

Over the past decades, agro-ecological measures, such as conservation agricultural initiatives (CAIs) have been widely implemented in developing countries, in like manner with Tabriz city as would be a leading case situated in northwest Iran. In light of linear discriminant analysis (LDA), this cross-sectional research calls on a knowledge gap respecting the differentiation of farmers who become involved in CAIs (adopters) from those not involved (non-adopters), as three data modules, including attitudinal, soil testing, and topographical data, were used. The study takes advantage of a sample of 382 respondents, stratified as regards the geographical location of their farms. Using theory-triangulation, the theoretical foundation enfolds demographic theory, the theory of planned behavior, innovation diffusion model, and resource-based model. The results of hierarchical LDA provide evidence that the hypothesized model is entitled to be fitted with data and accordingly three variables including (1) observability, (2) farm revenue, and (3) compatibility ascertain adopter farmers from non-adopter ones. Furthermore, it was revealed that the soil dynamic quality features, such as electrical conductivity, EC, (dSm(-1)) (Mann-Whitney U = 353, P < 0.05) and organic carbon content, OC (%), (Mann-Whitney U = 935.5, P < 0.05) were significantly different between the two groups of farms, while carbonate calcium equivalent, CCE (%) (Mann-Whitney U = 935.5, P > 0.05) showed no significant differences. Likewise, the topographical data analyzed in ArcGIS software make manifest that CAIs farms have more steady topographic features rather nonCAI farms and are also situated in the regions with a gradient of less than 5%. In conclusion, the paper delivers management implications for the agricultural extension and authorities of the agricultural research centers who tend to promote CAIs in on-site and off-site farmlands.