Attitudes and Behavioral Tendency of Agricultural Experts of Boushehr province towards Pesticide Application Technology (Spraying)

Precision agriculture is one of the new aspects of sustainable agriculture. In this type of agriculture, the management of crop production inputs such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, seeds, etc. is implemented based on the spatial characteristics of the farm with the aim of reducing waste, increasing income and maintaining environmental quality. On the other hand, when pesticides are used within the framework of the pest management program and taking into account the ecological and environmental aspects, they are considered as a reliable and valuable tool. The general purpose of this study is to evaluate the factors affecting the attitude and behavioral tendencies of the experts of Bushehr Agricultural Jihad Organization towards the application of pesticide application technology (spraying variable). Cross-sectional survey research method and multi-stage random sampling method were used to collect information from 110 experts in Bushehr province. The results indicate that the behavioral tendency variable is affected by the variables of attitude about the benefits of variable spraying technologies and behavioral attitude. Also, the variables of perception of usefulness and individual modernity affect the variable of behavioral attitude. This research was completed by adding external variables to the technology acceptance model. Findings show the importance of individual modernity in shaping the attitude and behavioral tendencies of experts and this should be considered in planning for the adoption of these technologies.