نسیم منجزی

The dust phenomenon has adverse effects, such as affecting human quality of life, economy, environment and damaging the livelihoods of rural communities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the economic, social and environmental effects of dust phenomenon on quality of life of rural households in Masjed Soleiman. Masjed Soleiman city is one of the cities of Khuzestan province. This research is quantitative in terms of type of research, also in terms of purpose, applied, in terms of data collection method, field and in terms of methodology is descriptive-analytical, because it seeks to assess the effects of dust on quality of life in rural areas. In this research, first, with field studies and observations, basic information about the situation of the study area and issues and problems caused by the dust phenomenon were collected, then the required information in the theoretical section was collected based on a library study. In the process of field studies and reviewing the existing studies and theoretical literature, the most important effects of the dust phenomenon on the quality of life of the villagers of Masjed Soleiman were identified. To this end, a questionnaire containing the effects of dust phenomenon on the quality of life of rural households in the form of economic, social and environmental dimensions was first developed. The statistical population of the study is the villages of Masjed Soleiman city in Khuzestan province, which according to the 2016 census has 128 villages with 2286 rural households and a population of 10954 people. Since the statistical population of the study has a large volume and geographical area and it is not possible to refer to all of them, so using the sampling method, some of them were selected as a sample and the results were generalized to the whole population. In order to select the research sample, multi-stage sampling method was used. By determining the total number of samples, the number of samples in each village was determined by proportional assignment based on the population of the selected villages. A questionnaire was used to measure the components of this research. The questionnaire was designed in two parts, the first part is related to the personal information of rural farming families. The second part is related to the economic, social and environmental effects of the dust phenomenon and the severity of these effects in the region was measured based on the Likert scale. The apparent and content validity of this research tool (questionnaire) was confirmed based on the opinions of professors and technical experts. In the present study, before distributing the questionnaires among the samples, in order to determine the reliability of the questionnaires, the results of 30 preliminary questionnaires from the statistical population were tested by Cronbach's alpha test in IBM SPSS Statistics v22 software. Its reliability was measured by Cronbach's alpha and the obtained value was 89%. Then 400 questionnaires were distributed among the villagers in the study area through Cochran formula. Finally, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics and IBM SPSS Statistics v22 and EXCEL 2013 statistical tools were used for data analysis.In terms of time, this research was conducted in 2020. To describe the independent and dependent variables, the statistical characteristics of frequency, frequency percentage, cumulative frequency, mean, maximum, minimum and standard deviation were used.The results related to prioritizing the effect of dust phenomenon on economic dimension variables show that the total average was 3.30, which indicates that the average effect of dust phenomenon on economic dimension variables of the respondents. The results show that the effect of the dust phenomenon on the production dimension of the economic dimension of the respondents is higher than the effect of the dust phenomenon on the consumption dimension of the economic dimension. Indicates the effect of dust phenomenon on production factors in agriculture and rural life.The results of prioritizing the effect of dust phenomenon on social variables show that the total average was 3.32, which indicates that the average effect of dust phenomenon on the social dimension variables of the respondents. The results show that the effect of the dust phenomenon on the migration variable of the respondents is higher than the effect of the dust phenomenon on other social dimension variables, indicating the effect of the dust phenomenon on the migration of villagers. The results related to prioritizing the effect of dust phenomenon on environmental dimension variables show that the total average was 3.40, which indicates the average to high status of the effect of dust phenomenon on environmental dimension variables of the respondents. The results show that the effect of dust phenomenon on the housing variable of the environmental dimension of the respondents on the variable of rural infrastructure of the environmental dimension is at a higher level. Indicates the effect of dust on the pollution of rural housing. Prioritizing the effects of the dust phenomenon on the dimensions of quality of life shows that the greatest effect in terms of an average of 3.40 is related to the environmental dimension. It can be inferred that the greatest effect of the dust phenomenon has been on the environmental dimension. Pearson correlation was used to investigate the relationship between different effects of the dust phenomenon. The correlation results of different effects of dust phenomenon among rural households in Masjed-e-Soleiman city show that there is a positive and significant correlation between all effects of dust phenomenon in the study area at an error level of 0.01. The results also indicate that there is the highest correlation between socio-economic effects (r = 0.637) and the lowest correlation between economic-environmental effects (r = 0.495). Pearson correlation was used to investigate the relationship between the effect of dust on quality of life and its various dimensions. The results of the correlation between the effect of dust phenomenon on quality of life and its dimensions among rural households show that there is a significant negative correlation between the effect of dust phenomenon and quality of life (r = - 0.184) and all its dimensions in the study area. There is an error level of 0.01. The results also indicate that there is the highest correlation between the effect of dust phenomenon and social dimension (r = - 192). The results also showed that there was a significant positive correlation between all effects of dust phenomenon. The highest correlation was between economic and social effects and the lowest correlation between economic and environmental effects. In addition, the results showed that there is a significant and negative correlation between the effects of dust phenomenon and quality of life.

The phenomenon of dust in recent years has affected a large part of the western and southwestern regions of Iran and has caused great socio-economic damage.The phenomenon of dust has existed in Iran for many years, but the main studies have been done on the climate issue of this phenomenon, and not much attention has been paid to the human dimension and its effects on agriculture and rural life.Because rural areas are more exposed to pollution than urban areas and are more vulnerable to dust due to lack of facilities, so the damage to villages, which have a share in the economy of Khuzestan province, is greater. Khuzestan province is the main center of the crisis caused by the dust phenomenon. One of the obvious effects of this phenomenon in Khuzestan province is the damage it has caused to the agricultural sector and rural life of the province. Agriculture affects many aspects of the national economy, but a number of factors limit the quantitative and qualitative trends of production in this sector. One of these is dust, which causes some special economic effects. In this study, by using parametric methods, some of the economic damages of dust phenomenon on the agricultural sector of Masjed Soleiman city have been estimated for the years 2012-2016. Masjed Soleiman city, like most cities in Khuzestan, has a hot and relatively dry climate and has hot summers and Mediterranean winters.The average annual rainfall is over 400 mm and the average temperature is less than -4 ° C in winter and more than 50 ° C in summer. The phenomenon of dust affects the affected areas in economic, social, environmental and physical dimensions. Some dust effects are very complex and take time to determine. Therefore, it is very difficult to estimate such dust effects as Rial damages. One of the most important effects of the dust phenomenon is its production effects. Production effects will include reducing the amount of production in various economic sectors due to the closure of production units, reducing the productivity of production factors, failure to complete investment plans, and so on. In three ways, the effects of dust production can be examined through econometric methods. The estimation of dust damage to agricultural sector was performed using four scenarios of depreciation of agricultural output (10%, 20%, 30% and 40%). In order to calculate the depreciation of the agricultural sector based on the four scenarios, first the estimation of the output value was assumed based on four scenarios (estimated estimation value) and then calculating the depreciation rate from the estimated estimation values. The phenomenon of dust reduces crop production in the agricultural sector. Based on the four defined scenarios, the amount of damages suffered by the agricultural products of the rural sector of Masjed Soleiman city has been calculated separately for the year. Damage or loss to agricultural products has been interpreted in the form of devaluation of output.According to the first scenario (10% decrease in output value) due to the occurrence of dust phenomenon, the value of agricultural output in the rural areas of Masjed Soleiman city has decreased by 4846974650, 14863214620, 2156169370, 24558426098 Rials, respectively. Estimated losses of dust phenomenon on crops in rural areas of Masjed Soleiman city during 2012-2013 based on the second scenario (20% decrease in output value), the third scenario (30% decrease in output value) and the fourth scenario (40% decrease in output value) It was calculated separately for the studied years. The amount of livestock production in the study area was calculated separately by the type of crop and the desired crop year. The main livestock products produced in the rural areas of Masjed Soleiman city include: red meat, chicken, milk and dairy products, eggs and honey. Also, the average price of livestock products was collected by product type and crop year. Based on these statistics, the amount of damage to the livestock production in the study area was calculated.The phenomenon of dust reduces livestock production in the agricultural sector. Based on the four defined scenarios, the amount of damages suffered by livestock products in the agricultural sector of rural areas of Masjed Soleiman city has been calculated by year. Damage or loss to livestock production in the agricultural sector is interpreted in the form of devaluation of output. Four scenarios were considered (damage value). The total economic value of dust damage on agricultural (livestock and livestock) in the study area, based on four scenarios of 10, 20, 30 and 40% reduction in staff value have been, respectively, 52701567573, 105403135847, 158104704021 and 377935497352 tomans. According to the results, dust is one of the atmospheric phenomena that causes a lot of economic damage to the agricultural sector annually. Based on the four defined scenarios, the amount of damage suffered by the entire agricultural sector and agricultural and livestock subdivisions of rural areas of Masjed Soleiman city has been calculated. Dust is one of the atmospheric phenomena that causes a lot of economic damage to the agricultural sector every year. Based on the four defined scenarios, the amount of damage suffered by the entire agricultural sector and agricultural and livestock subdivisions of rural areas of Masjed Soleiman city has been calculated.The estimated amount of economic losses imposed on the agricultural sector of rural areas of Masjed Soleiman city indicates the heavy costs of this destructive phenomenon on the agricultural economy of the region. Obviously, if all the tangible and intangible economic, social and environmental costs caused by the dust phenomenon on the country are calculated, the depth of the catastrophe will become more apparent. The estimated amount of economic losses imposed on the agricultural sector of rural areas of Masjed Soleiman city indicates the heavy costs of this destructive phenomenon on the agricultural economy of the region. Obviously, if all the tangible and intangible economic, social and environmental costs caused by the dust phenomenon on the country are calculated, the depth of the catastrophe will become more apparent.Therefore, crisis management and prevention management should be used to overcome this environmental problem.

The development of mechanization and machine technology can have positive and negative effects on the economic, social, and environmental conditions of a region. Conflicts in these areas complicate the selection and optimization of sustainable mechanization systems. One of the basic questions in the selection of a sustainable agricultural mechanization system is how and with what methodology would it be possible to propose the closest mechanization model that will overcome the simultaneous contradictions between the three pillars of sustainability; taking into account the natural and technical limitations in agricultural production. What is the appropriate approach considering the economic, environmental, and social aspects? The current research aims to provide a framework for an optimal mechanization model to achieve the goals of agricultural sustainability so that it can be implemented and applied practically. It is possible to provide a model that addresses the conflicting economic, social, and environmental aspects by quantitatively optimizing the level of mechanization.

In this study, a framework is applied whereby contradictory goals of agricultural sustainability can be achieved simultaneously. After selecting the indices and data collection, by combining Shannon entropy and TOPSIS, the similarity index was obtained for each objective. The similarity indices and values of the Benefit-Cost Ratio calculated for each system were considered as coefficients of three objective (economic, social, and environmental) functions in multi-objective optimization. The multi-objective optimization model was applied to achieve sustainable mechanization patterns and was solved using the NSGA-II algorithm. For framework validation, paddy production mechanization systems in the Ramhormoz region located in southwestern Iran were analyzed with constraints: land, water, and machinery. The five mechanization systems of paddy production included puddled transplanted, un-puddled transplanted, water seeded, dry seeded, and, no-till.

Pareto-optimal solutions of different scenarios with water and machine constraints showed that this framework cannot only meet the sustainable goals, but also the optimal allocation of mechanization systems is identified and the effect of different scenarios under different constraints can be examined. The sustainability goals between the no-tillage and planting with puddling systems are highly contradictory. The no-tillage system has the highest score in the environmental aspect and the lowest score in the social and economic aspects. This modern system was developed in Ramhormoz three years ago and has faced technical, economic, and social challenges ever since. The cultivated area using this system was 43 hectares in 2019. Despite the speed and ease of planting with this system, and its direct environmental benefits, the possibility of fungal outbreaks is raised due to the presence of wheat residues from previous cultivation and the warm and humid environment of cultivation. Additionally, weed outbreaks caused by periodic irrigation have greatly affected the satisfaction and profitability of this system, leading to the highest amount of pesticides consumed among the studied systems. The results of multi-objective optimization of sustainable rice mechanization systems in Ramhormoz city showed that the total surface area of optimal point systems is in the range of 2700 to 3200 hectares, which is close to the area under rice cultivation in Ramhormoz (3310 hectares) and it indicates that the output of the model is according to the applied restrictions and close to reality. The limitation of machinery and water has made the two planting systems of un-puddled transplanting and dry-seeding better than other systems. Removing only the machinery restriction can lead to an increase in the area under rice cultivation by about 700 hectares. This means that the requirement for the development of sustainable rice cultivation in Ramhormoz is to strengthen and support modern mechanized systems of no-tillage, dry-seeding, and planting with puddling, with a focus on systems with less water consumption which are the systems with higher levels of mechanization. Without water limitation, if the model is subject to the current machinery limitations, the optimal mechanization systems are the more traditional ones such as transplanting without puddling and wet-seeding.

One of the most fundamental challenges in the development of mechanization is identifying systems that can best balance the economic, social, and environmental aspects of sustainability and minimize environmental damage whilst maximizing economic and social benefits. Using the framework for sustainable mechanization will not only accomplish sustainable goals in identifying the optimum agricultural mechanization level, but it will also allow researchers and implementers in the agricultural sector to examine the outcome of various scenarios under different constraints. This framework can be used to find the optimal model for mechanization of all stages of tillage, planting, harvesting, and post-harvest in diverse geographical areas.

Sugarcane is one of the strategic products of Khuzestan province, which is cultivated in 10 active agro-industrial sites and covers an area of about 110,000 hectares of irrigated farms in the province. Sugarcane harvesting, like most crops, is done by special sugarcane harvesters. Due to the life of machines and also the amount of heavy machine operations in each season of sugarcane harvest, the loss is inevitable. On the other hand, in Khuzestan province, due to lack of studies, there is little information in this area. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the extent of losses during sugarcane harvesting operations, taking into account factors such as cultivars, age of sugarcane, and reaping speed of the Astaf 7000 model. The study will be conducted at the sugarcane agro-industrial site of Dehkhoda in 2021.

The experiment was conducted as a factorial split-plot design based on randomized complete blocks (RCBD) with three replications. The first factor included four levels of cultivars (IRC-12, CP48-103, CP 73-21, and CP69-1062), the second factor included three levels of harvest age (plant, Ratoon 1, Ratoon 2), and the third factor included three levels of speed (3, 5, and 7 km h-1). Sampling was carried out under the same and constant conditions with respect to soil moisture content, harvester operator, harvester characteristics, harvester settings, and crop density in each field.

The results of analysis of variance of the data obtained from measuring sugarcane losses showed that the effect of cultivar on yield, full-length sugarcane, chopped sugarcane and splinter sugarcane had a significant effect at a probability level of one percent. The effect of age had a significant effect on yield, full-length sugarcane, chopped sugarcane with a probability level of one percent, but had no significant effect on the amount of splinter sugarcane. The interaction between cultivar and age had a significant effect on yield, chopped sugarcane, and full-length sugarcane with a probability level of one percent and on splinter sugarcane with a probability level of five percent. The effect of machine speed had a significant effect on full-length sugarcane, chopped sugarcane and splinter sugarcane with a probability level of one percent, but had no significant effect on yield. The interaction of cultivar and machine speed had a significant effect on yield, full-length sugarcane, chopped sugarcane and splinter sugarcane with a probability level of one percent. The interaction effect of age and machine speed on yield had a significant effect on full-length sugarcane and splinter sugarcane with a probability level of one percent and on the amount of splinter sugarcane with a probability level of five but had no significant effect on yield. Also, the interaction of cultivar, age and machine speed had a significant effect on yield, full-length sugarcane and chopped sugarcane with a probability level of one percent, but had no significant effect on the amount of splinter sugarcane. The results showed that the highest yield in CP69-1062 variety was observed in the plant farm with average machine speed (144.33 tons per hectare). Also, the highest amount of sugarcane losses in cultivar CP48-103 in Raton II and with 7 km h-1 machine speed (3.32 tons per hectare), the highest amount of chopped sugarcane losses in cultivar CP48-103 in plant farm and with average speed (1.78 tons per hectare) was observed. According to the results under the interaction of cultivar and device speed, the highest amount of sugarcane losses in CP69-1062 cultivar and high speed (0.314 tons per hectare) as well as IRC-12 cultivar and high speed (0.308 tons in Hectares), and under the interaction of farm age and speed of the harvester, the highest amount of sugarcane losses was observed in Ratoon farm and the high speed of the harvester (0.300 tons per hectare).

Therefore, in order to reduce the amount of losses in sugarcane fields, it is recommended to use resistant and somewhat later cultivars for cultivation, because early cultivars are more fragile during harvest due to stem fragility and the rate of losses increases. Also, Harvester speed optimization reduces the amount of losses, and due to the increase in the rate of losses in reclaimed farms, it is recommended to create more resistant stem tissue by proper plant nutrition and more care to reduce the rate of losses in ratoon farms.

The aim of this study was to compare three types of wheat planters in wheat production in saline lands of the study area.This study was conducted as a randomized complete block design with three replications in the crop year 2020-20211400 in agricultural lands of wheat cultivation in Shadegan region of Khuzestan province. Experimental treatments included three types of wheat cultivators (1- flat planter with grain drill 2- planter on beds3- grain drill-furrower) which were applied on bread wheat of Chamran 2 cultivar.The obtained results showed that the studied traits were affected by different planting methods. Based on the average comparison results, it was observed that the highest number of sprouted seeds with an average of 400 seeds per unit area was related to the flat sowing method with linear work, which had a significant advantage over other sowing methods. Among the grain yield components, it was observed that the highest 1000-seed weight was related to atmospheric floor planting method with an average of 34 grams and the lowest 1000-seed weight with an average of 28 grams was related to ridge planting method. In terms of grain yield, it was observed that the highest grain yield with an average of 2273 kg / ha was related to atmospheric floor planting method. Comparison of mean traits showed that the highest planting depth was related to planting on the ridge with an average of 42.7 mm, which in this regard had a statistically significant advantage over the other two treatments.

Applying agricultural operations under different mechanization systems has different economic, social, and environmental consequences. Conflicts among these dimensions complicate the selection and allocation of sustainable mechanization systems. In this study, a method was used to allocate optimal patterns of spraying and harvesting systems in the Ramhormoz region to achieve agricultural sustainability. Indices included satisfaction, ease of work, health and safety, employment in the machine sector, labor force, diesel fuel consumption, pesticide consumption, farm load intensity, and operating costs. Three spraying systems namely backpack, tractor, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and three harvesting systems namely two-stage (harvesting and manual feeding to grain combine), direct harvesting with a grain combine harvester, and harvesting with rice combine harvester were included in the model. Combining AHP and TOPSIS methods, the similarity index for social and environmental dimensions was calculated and this value along with the cost of each system was used as coefficients of objective functions. The multi-objective optimization model to achieve sustainable agricultural mechanization was analyzed using a genetic algorithm. Pareto optimal results showed that in the absence of existing machine constraints, the development of the operational capacity of modern systems like spraying with UAV up to 2000 hectares and direct harvesting with rice harvesters up to 1000 hectares will be optimal scenarios for agricultural sustainability. Using the proposed method, not only can sustainable goals be achieved in identifying the best patterns of mechanization systems, but it is also possible to examine the effect of different scenarios under different constraints.

Sugarcane is widely cultivated in Khuzestan province. After each harvest, a ratooning operation is performed to remove the impact of compaction due to traffic on the harvesting machines and recelennce furrow. This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of machine type and forward speed on the quality of sugarcane ratooning operations.

Research treatments included conventional ratooning device (4-shanks subsoil + reshaper) and combined ratooning device (4-shanks subsoil + reshape disk and 10-shanks subsoil) and three- rates speeds (5, 6 and 7 km / h). The experimental design was a split plot design based on randomized complete block design with three replications in the cultivation industry of Amir Kabir farm ALC 408 with clay loam texture, 15% moisture, crop variety 1069-69CP and first year ratoon. The physical properties of interest in this study were Mean Weight Diameter (MWD) of clods, bulk density, soil surface uniformity, and water infiltration in soil. ANOVA and Duncan tests were used to compare the treatments.

There was a significant difference between the two types of ratooning machine and the three forward speeds in the mean weight diameter of clods, bulk density, surface uniformity and soil water infiltration. Comparison of means showed that the ratooning treatment with the combined machine at the speed of 7 km / h had the smallest mean weight diameter of clods. The use of an integrated device also significantly reduced the bulk density of the soil. The mean soil bulk density in the ratooning operation was reduced to 1.33 g / cm3. The lowest coefficient of variation of surface uniformity in ratoon treatment with combined machine at 7 km / hwas obtained equal to 16%. Also, the water infiltration rate in soil was significantly different between the conventional and combined ratooning machine treatments. Soil water infiltration rate was 1.6 and 2.3 cm / h, respectively, after the ratooning operation with a conventional ratooning machine and combined ratooning machine treatments. The effect of forwarding speed on soil water infiltration rate also showed that the highest water infiltration rate occurred at 5 km / h, equal to 1/2 cm per hour.

Finally, due to the significant difference between conventional and combined ratooning treatments, sugarcane ratooning combined machine had the greatest impact on soil physical parameters. This is due to the movement of the 10-shanks subsoil during the ratooning operation and the greater turbulence of the soil.

Sugarcane cultivation in Khuzestan province is in the form of planting in-furrow. Due to the fact that in a machine harvesting, the reaper is not able to fully harvest the straw in the furrow, in the planting in-furrow method, it is necessary to transfer the rows of straw to the stack. So one of the measures at the time was hilling up operations or stacking reeds planted in the furrow. Therefore, due to the salinity of irrigation water and high groundwater levels, which have increased the salinity of sugarcane fields in Khuzestan province, planting this product in summer to protect the seedlings against salinity is mandatory in the furrow. On one hand, due to the difficulty of harvesting operations in the furrow during the harvest season, and on the other hand, because of the reduction of waste during harvesting, the plant needs to be located on the ridge. Therefore, in sugarcane fields, when the seedlings are established and grown, the furrow and ridges are replaced, and to perform this operation special machines are required. According to the study, so far there has been no scientific and reasoned report on the study and evaluation of different types of hilling up devices and different speeds in sugarcane cultivation, and the use of machines in sugarcane cultivation and industry is based solely on objective observations. Therefore, in this study, three different types of devices have been evaluated in two soil textures and three different forward speeds as a step towards choosing the best type of machine and optimal speed of hilling up operations in sugarcane cultivation.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate three different methods of sugarcane hilling up in two soil textures and three different forward speeds. Research treatments include: soil texture (clay loam and silty clay loam), hilling up methods (6-shanks subsoil + 10-shanks subsoil, 8-shanks subsoil + hilling up device No. 1 and 8-shanks subsoil + hilling up device No. 2), and forward speeds (5, 6, and 7 kilometers per hour). Design of a factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replications in Amirkabir field 208 (ALC 200 field 8) with clay loam texture and cultivar CP69-1062 and farm ARC14-22 with silty clay loam texture and cultivar CP69-1062, 15% moisture, and first-year cultivation was performed. The test plot includes 108 furrows. The area of each plot was two furrows. The length of each furrow was 250 meters (equal to the length of the sugarcane rows). To avoid affecting the interactions of the treatments, a distance was given between the treatments. The farms being tested were newly cultivated farms. The surface of the farm was furrowed and ridged. Care was taken in selecting the farm so that the humidity was similar in its different sections. After setting the right time for the hilling up and before starting the operation, soil sampling is required to determine the soil cone index and soil moisture. The physical properties of this study include Mean Weight Diameter (MWD), bulk density, soil surface uniformity, soil water permeability, and furrow depth (stack height). Analysis of variance and Duncan test were used to compare the treatments using SAS 9.4 software.

The results showed that there was a significant difference between soil Mean Weight Diameter, bulk density, soil surface uniformity, and soil water permeability in soil texture treatments, type of hilling up machine, and forward speed. Furrow depth index (stack height) was significantly different in treatments of type of machine and forward speed but not in soil texture treatments. The comparison of means showed that the whole loam texture treatment had 6-shanks + 10-shanks at a speed of 7 km h-1 with the smallest mean weight diameter (16.06 mm). The use of 6-shanks subsoil + 10-shanks subsoil in hilling up in whole texture and speed of 5 km h-1 significantly reduced soil bulk density. The lowest coefficient of variation of soil surface uniformity was obtained with 8-shanks subsoil + hilling up device No. 1 in clay loam texture and 7 km h-1 forward speed. The highest rate of water permeability in the soil was obtained after the hilling up operation with 6-shanks subsoil + 10-shanks subsoil in a total texture of 2.32 cm h-1. Furrow depth index (stack height) was also within the acceptable range (10-15 cm) in all treatments. But in addition to height, the appearance of the ridges is also important. In the treatment of 6-shanks + 10-shanks in plant stacking and embankment operations, sometimes in fields, there are parts where this operation is not done well and the machine is not capable enough and is in the middle of the created ridges. Harvesting operations do not cause proper reed flooring. Therefore, to solve this problem, it is necessary to perform the hilling up operation at the appropriate speed and humidity so that the soil is well placed on the rows of reeds and the proper appearance of the ridge is maintained.

In this study, three different types of devices have been evaluated in two soil textures and three different forward speeds as a step towards choosing the best type of machine and optimal speed of hilling up operations in sugarcane cultivation. The physical properties of the soil, including the soil Mean Weight Diameter, bulk density, soil surface uniformity, soil water permeability, and the size of the furrow depth (ridge height) were measured, and the best treatments were identified. Considering the importance of hilling up operations in sugarcane cultivation and to complete the results of this experiment, the following items that could not be studied in this study are suggested. The effect of using different methods on hilling up should be investigated on the yield of sugarcane. The effect of using different devices on hilling up in terms of tensile strength, work efficiency, and time required to do the work, fuel consumption, cost of timely work, and maintenance costs in operations on sugarcane hilling up should be investigated.

 Nowadays demand for producing agricultural products has been increasing. So to investigate the effect of tillage and planting pattern using crop residue for corn forage a research was carried out in the research field of in the Dezful city of Khuzestan province.

A split strip plot design was applied using 3 replications based on randomized complete block design. Treatments tillage methods at three levels (tillage, minimum tillage and no-tillage) was as the main factor and management of wheat residues (Chamran cultivar) at two levels (maintaining residues standing and removing all crop residues from the soil surface) was as a secondary factor.

The results were shown that conventional tillage under no residue and no-tillage under residue condition product the most and the least emergence rate of 3.73 and 1.96 respectively. Also conventional tillage under no residue used 10230 m3/ha compared to no-tillage covered by residue 6341 m3/ha (p≤0.01).No-tillage with an average of 2.74 and conventional tillage with 2.19 kg/m3 showed the highest and lowest physical efficiency of water consumption, respectively (p≤0.01).

The use and development of conservation cultivation systems (especially minimum tillage) in corn can help maintain conservation of production resources such as water, soil and the environment. The use of conservation tillage systems along with the preservation of residues at the soil surface, increasing moisture storage, reducing irrigation water consumption, increasing soil organic matter and fertility and saving labor and time spent on tillage operations can be a model suitable for planting corn.

Every organization needs an evaluation system in order to be aware of the level of performance and desirability of its units. It is more important for agricultural companies, including agro-industries. In this study, 20 sugarcane harvesting units were selected. After modeling based on input-oriented CCR and BCC models, efficiency values for sugarcane harvesting units were calculated and the CART decision tree was used to extract rules to predict the efficiency of these units. The results of a study of 20 sugarcane harvesting units in the CCR model showed that 6 units had an efficient score and 14 units had an inefficient score, and their technical efficiency score was in the range of 0.73-0.95. The results of the BCC model study also showed that out of a total of 20 sugarcane harvesting units, 8 units had efficient scores. As can be seen, in the BCC model, more units are introduced as efficient units and there is less dispersion between inefficient units. Also, the distribution of efficient units in the BCC model is less than the CCR model. The average technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency were 93%, 88%, and 93%, respectively. Also, the accuracy of the decision tree model for technical efficiency and pure technical efficiency was 86% and 93%, respectively.

Sugarcane is one of the most important industrial plants in Khuzestan province. With the rising costs of purchasing, maintaining, agricultural machinery, sugarcane agribusinesses have been adopting outsourcing strategies in various sectors, especially in agricultural operations, over the last few years. Considering the importance of three criteria: cost, timely performance and quality in agricultural operations, these three criteria were evaluated in the work of contractor and company labor force in preparation in Amirkabir and Debal Khazaei agribusinesses. To investigate costs, cost information was obtained from the companies studied. The quality of operations was evaluated by field data collection and measurement of qualitative indices. Also, to check the timing of operations, the agricultural operations calendar was compared with actual days of work. Finally, the indices tested (in outsourced and non-outsourced farms) were compared using t-test for independent samples. The most important criterion for land acquisition operations in the agribusiness companies studied is the quality of operations. The results of the comparisons also showed that there is no significant difference between the cost and time of the contractor and corporate force operations but in terms of quality, which is the most important criterion for agribusinesses, contractor workforce outweighs corporate workforce. Therefore, outsourcing operations are for the benefit of the studied companies.

Investigating the state of penetration resistance of sugarcane fields and identifying the affecting factors is a very critical issue. In this regard, a broad range of methods can be applied. In this study, effective models and algorithms were explored using two decision tree algorithms (CART and CHAID). After introducing the variables of soil depth, the number of traffics, soil moisture, soil texture, forward speed, and age of the plant as predictor variables of the decision tree as well as soil cone index as a dependent variable, the two algorithms were entered. The algorithms were evaluated using two statistical indicators of coefficient of determination (R2) and absolute mean error (MAE). Based on the two statistical indices, the CART tree model with R2= 0.952 and MAE= 0.504 had better performance in predicting penetration resistance of soil in sugarcane fields which presented as a proposed algorithm to Amir Kabir agro-Industry. The results of the model showed that the tree decision-making method can predict the penetration resistance of soil with high precision using effective variables. Moreover, given the simple interpretation of the decision tree and the comprehensibility of the rules for extracting it for agricultural and agro-industrial experts, it can be used at various levels.

In this regard, the present study evaluates the economic damages of dust phenomenon on the agricultural sector of Masjed Soleiman districts and estimates the willingness to pay people to control this phenomenon. The statistical population of the study is the rural households of Masjed Soleiman city in Khuzestan province. Required data were collected through 400 questionnaires through multi-stage sampling. By determining the total sample number, the sample number of each village was determined by proportional allocation based on the population of the selected villages. Also using the Logit model, factors affecting farmers' willingness to pay for crop protection against dust were estimated using Shazam 9 software and mathematical calculations with Maple 18 software. The results showed that in the study area, the variables of age, number of employees, education and income had a positive and significant effect on the willingness of farmers to pay for crop protection against dust. The total value of the damages against dust was obtained for maintenance of agricultural crops 791448408 tomans per year for Masjed Soleiman districts.

According to the high importance of sustainable crop production in the agro-industry units, intelligent systems such as artificial neural networks should be used to manage farm units.Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to compare the performance of MLP (Multi-Layer Perceptron) and RBF (Radial Basis Functions) neural network models in order to modeling and estimating of the sugarcane crop yield and investigate the factors affecting it.  

The study was analytical and its database contained of a matrix  elements. Required data for this research were obtained from the Debel Khazaei sugar cane agro-industry farm during the years 2016 to 2019. The input variables and their units were soil electrical conductivity (dS.m-1), Phosphate and Nitrogen chemical fertilizer (kg.ha-1), water consumption (m3.ha-1), also, irrigation times, month of harvest, age of crop, sugarcane variety, soil texture (non-dimensional), respectively. The analysis was performed by MATLAB 2017 software.  

By comparing the error parameters of RMSE (Root Mean Square Error) and the MAPE (Mean Absolute Percentage Error), and according to indexes of R2 (coefficient of determination) and the EF (Model Efficiency) and, in the validation phase the RBF model was the best model with 0.064494 (%), 0.037686, 0.7576 and 0.800409 (non-dimensional) respectively. Also, the RBF model indicated that the sugarcane variety and soil electrical conductivity were the most important factors affecting the sugar-cane yield.  

By selecting the appropriate variety of sugarcane and controlling the amount of electrical conductivity of the soil, the yield per unit area can be increased, resulting in greater productivity of the inputs and more sustainable production.

One of the most important risk factors for developing musculoskeletal disorders is the inappropriate work of postures and since maintaining the health of the workforce promotes community development. Therefore, the workforce should be in an appropriate working environment without any harmful factors to ensure its physical and mental well-being. Among the various problem found in agriculture mentioned above, a problem commonly reported in agricultural workers in particular farmers in a rural area is work-musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS) in a different part of the body. In the process of producing sugarcane, a significant part of the stage of cuttings, planting, and harvesting is done manually. A low level of knowledge about the correct condition of the body during work is one of the problems of farmers. Therefore, body status assessment methods are considered as the basis and the basis for assessing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders associated with work. We decided to do a posture assessment in these persons while working to determine the posture hazard level. The purpose of this study was to identify inappropriate working conditions in sugarcane fields at the cutting, planting and harvesting manual stages.

Materials and Methods:

 This study was a descriptive-analytical approach performed on 300 workers by using the REBA method. The Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) method was used to determine the risk of MSDs. The REBA posture-targeting method is probably the most well-known method for rapid assessment of risks. The REBA method is ideal for rapid assessment of standing work. In order to collect the required data, each part of the body was scored and work frequency, load/force, coupling were considered to achieve a REBA score. The REBA provides a quantitative value to the evaluation that indicates the level of severity of each task. The calculation was made by using the REBA Employee Assessment Worksheet that has been divided into two groups; Group A (Trunk, Neck, and Legs) postures and Group B (Upper Arms, Lower Arms, and Wrists) postures for left and right. A summary of the procedure for the REBA score and the degree of risk is found in the REBA decision table. The risk score of this approach should be in the range of one of fifteen, where the higher scores signify greater levels of apparent risk. An analysis of scores represents the work’s risks and indicates possible actions to avoid or minimize the risks. The method of work was to photograph workers in sugar cane fields of Khuzestan province during the activity and analysis of photographs using modeling the body of workers with REBA 6 software and analyzing different situations using REBA method.

Results and Discussion:

 By cutting stage, a total of 6.6% of evaluating postures by REBA technique obtained scores of 8-10 (very high risk level) and 93.4% had scores of 11-15 (very high risk level) that correspond to the action level 3 and 4, respectively. In planting stage, a total of 12.10% of evaluating postures by REBA technique obtained scores of 8-10 (very high risk level) and 87.90% had scores of 11-15 (very high risk level) that correspond to the action level 3 and 4, respectively. In the harvesting stage, a total of 15.30% of evaluating postures by REBA technique obtained scores of 8-10 (very high-risk level) and 84.70% had scores of 11-15 (very high risk level) that correspond to the action level 3 and 4, respectively. The results showed that according to the REBA method, in preparation cuttings, planting and harvesting sugarcane manually, respectively, 93.48, 90.87 and 84.77% of the workers' posture are in the most critical group that should be avoided. Risk level should be reduced, especially in sugarcane fields. More training and instructions are needed to have a good working position in sugarcane procedures. Improvement of working posture need to be done by improving all aspects that related to physical workload such as by reducing the workload on the back, neck, shoulder/arm, and also hand/wrist.

Conclusions:

 A high percentage of musculoskeletal disorders in workplaces occur due to awkward posture and non-ergonomic design of the workstations for lifting and carrying of materials. To avoid these injuries, jobs should be designed in a way that ergonomics risk factors are controlled properly. The results of this study can be used to develop WMSDs preventive strategies in the workplace and improve workers’ health. Educational intervention can be an appropriate way to improve the physical condition and ultimately reduce musculoskeletal disorders. Some proposed corrective actions include: standardizing the design and construction of the work tool used by the user's anthropometric study (especially sharp sickle), establishing suitable work-resting cycles and conducting periodic examinations for the early detection of musculoskeletal disorders. Of course, given the high percentage of damage to sugarcane production during manual operation, it's definitely a move to mechanized operations in sugarcane crops.

Quality of life is a concept used to indicate one's satisfaction with life and, in other words, a criterion for determining the satisfaction and dissatisfaction of individuals and groups with different dimensions of life. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and measure the economic, social and environmental indicators of quality of life in rural areas of Masjed Soleiman. This is a descriptive-analytical study, In terms of purpose, it is practical and in terms of data collection, field. The statistical population of the study is Masjed Soleiman villages and 400 people were selected as statistical sample using Cochran formula. Statistical methods (descriptive and inferential) and IBM SPSS Statistics v22 and EXCEL 2013 softwares were used for data analysis. The inferential results of the research showed that there is a positive and significant correlation between all dimensions of quality of life of rural households. The highest correlation was between economic and social dimensions and the lowest correlation between economic and environmental dimensions of quality of life.

Agricultural mechanization services companies are organizations that can contribute to the development of agricultural entrepreneurship. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of agricultural mechanization services companies in entrepreneurship development in Khuzestan province using cross-sectional data of 2018-2019. The research method is descriptive survey. The statistical population of this study included experts of agricultural mechanization services companies in Khuzestan province (N = 380). Finally, 220 individuals were selected using random sampling and Cochran formula. Cronbachchr('39')s alpha was used to determine the reliability of the questionnaire. The main research tool was a questionnaire whose reliability was confirmed using IBM SPSS Statistics 22.0 software and Cronbachchr('39')s alpha coefficient (0.86). Validity was also confirmed by consulting experts. Factor analysis and Friedman test were used to identify and rank the factors influencing the role of agricultural mechanization services companies in entrepreneurship development in Khuzestan province. The ranking of effective factors showed that the top priorities of government support for mechanization services companies, support of banks and financial institutions for agricultural mechanization services companies and reduction of banking and administrative barriers to receiving facilities were top priorities. Factor analysis also showed that 78.465% of the variance of factors affecting the role of agricultural mechanization services companies in entrepreneurship development in Khuzestan province are explained by three supportive, skill and structural factors. Friedman test also showed that among the three supportive, skillful and structural factors, the most important factor is supportive factor.

Sugarcane burning is a process that is done before the cane harvest to facilitate harvesting or after green harvesting to remove residual plant residues in the field. The purpose of the present study was to compare the methods of green and burnt sugarcane harvesting and to investigate the environmental effects of burning of sugarcane fields on sugarcane harvesting in Khuzestan province. Hierarchical analysis was used to investigate green and burnt sugarcane harvesting methods. In order to determine the criteria, after interviewing the experts on sugarcane harvesting at the Sugarcane and by Products Development Company, the probable criteria affecting the sugarcane harvesting were identified and divided into four groups: amount of trashes sent to the factory, amount of waste at harvest, environmental pollution and residue management in irrigation and rationing operations. To weight the criteria, a questionnaire was completed by 31 experts in the field of sugarcane development and ancillary industries in the year 1398 and used for analysis by Expert Choice 11.0 software. Also using SWOT-AHP integrated approach was identified and classified strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of green and burnt sugarcane. Results of evaluation of internal and external factors matrices showed that the average weight of internal and external factors were 3.181 and 2.693, respectively. There is an important threat. The results also showed that among the current methods of green and burnt sugarcane harvesting, considering the current facilities and equipment of the sugarcane development and ancillary industries, the burning method with a relative weight of 0.634 is preferred. Also, the results of carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of sugarcane farms by the sugar cane development and ancillary industries showed that the amount of greenhouse gas emissions is 1641780000 kg for one crop season. Finally, according to the results of the present study and the conducted studies, green harvesting is the only solution for reducing environmental pollutants in sugarcane production industry in Khuzestan province. But since green harvesting requires comprehensive management to be implemented, at present, the management of smoke and ash from the burning of sugar cane fields is permitted under the recommended weather conditions to mitigate adverse effects on the environment and public health.

The purpose of this study was to identify, prioritize and control the factors affecting water productivity in sugar cane production. In this study, to calculate water productivity, the indices such as BPD and CPD, NBPD is used. Given that the research goal was to prioritize the factors affecting the productivity of water input during the sugar cane production process, the identified factors were evaluated using Analytical Hierarchy Process Analysis (AHP). Then, CART and CHAID decision trees were used in modeling the water input efficiency and the factors influencing it. According to the results, the average CPD, BPD and NBPD indices for sugar cane were 2.37 kg m-3, 1082.71 toman m-3, and 528.03 toman m-3, respectively. The variables of economic productivity of water, the value of sales of the product (income), the amount of sugar produced, production costs, water consumption per irrigation interval, irrigation intervals, electrical conductivity of the soil after harvest, river electrical conductivity, mean time of each irrigation interval, Plant height, plant age, number of irrigation cycles, drainage water drainage PH and width of the cultivating line before discovery are the most important and influential variables in the decision tree models of CHAR and CHAID. The accuracy of the CART model in training and testing was 96% and 92%, respectively, and the accuracy of the CHAID model in education and testing is 97% and 90%, respectively. Also, based on the prioritization of the factors affecting productivity, using the hierarchical analysis method, the quantity and quality of irrigation water, climate conditions, plant conditions, managerial and human factors, and soil conditions were ranked with a coefficient of 0.459, 0.231, 0, 0.091 and 0.069, respectively.

Providing appropriate solutions for the management of water productivity and consumption of sugarcane crop production requires a thorough understanding of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the crop production system. In this regard, the present study seeks to strategically analyze the water productivity management of sugarcane crop production in Khuzestan province with emphasis on its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Research methodology is classified into descriptive and analytical methods in which questionnaire-based surveys, interviews and SWOT analytical tools are used to identify and analyze the strategic factors of internal environment (strengths and weaknesses) and external environment (opportunities and threats). Sugar cane experts are used. According to the results of the study, mechanization of sugarcane cultivation and production pattern with 0.862 final weight was identified as the most important strength. Inadequate awareness of irrigation workers about water, soil and plant issues with a final score of 0.744 with the most significant weakness, the existence of researchers and specialists in the sugar cane production industry with a final weight of 0.864, the most important opportunity and inappropriate utilization management with a final score of 0.555 to They were identified as the most important threat. In addition, competitive strategy with final weight of internal factors of 2.745 and external weight of external factors of 3.104 has been adopted as the most important strategy in the management of water input productivity in sugarcane production in Khuzestan province.

The dust storm has caused huge losses in Iran, especially in Khuzestan province. The agricultural sector of the province is no exception. The strategic analysis method is a useful analytical model for identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats existing in the region to control the effects of the crises of the microspheres. Therefore, identifying the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the crises of the microstates on the agriculture sector of Khuzestan and developing appropriate strategies for providing management solutions are considered as the main goals of this research. A library study, a questionnaire, and interviews with experts (34 experts) were used to collect data. Components of internal factors including 10 strengths, 18 weaknesses, and external factors including 20 threats and 11 opportunities were determined. To determine the final weight of each point using the AHP method, the final weight of each factor was determined. The results of the study indicate that surface water and runoff waters for supplying the water of the wetlands of the region as the most important strongpoint with a final weight of 0.807, adverse climatic conditions (climate change and periodic drought) As the most important weakness with a final weight of 0.145, the implementation of optimal management plans for natural resources (wetlands, etc.) as the most important opportunity with a final weight of 0.765 and lack of international and national cooperation to cope with the microgravity, it was considered as the most important threat with a final weight of 0.140. Also, based on the results, the final score of the internal factor assessment matrix was 2.432 and the final score of the external factors evaluation matrix was 2.629. Finally, the defensive strategy was introduced as the main strategy of the research, from the final score of these matrices.

Agricultural Entrepreneurship One of the areas of entrepreneurship is the acceptance of the risks of a production, service, and business unit related to agricultural activities.  The purpose of this study was to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of entrepreneurship development in the agricultural sector of Khuzestan province using AHP-SWOT integrated approach. The research method is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytic in nature. Data were collected using a questionnaire and interviews with experts (20 experts). The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of SWOT were determined and strategies weighted using AHP. The results showed that the study area for development of agricultural entrepreneurship with 7 strengths and final points of 2.869, 14 weaknesses and final points of 2.195, 11 opportunity and final points of 2.894 and 13 threats and final points of 1.083 is facing. The results also showed that the existence of different climates at the provincial level and diversity in agricultural production are the most important strengths, lack of support from public institutions, and adequate access to government facilities. The most important weaknesses are the existence of natural capacities and potentials for investment in agriculture. Highlights of high opportunity and high risk investment in agricultural sector by the private sector are the most important threat point in the development of agricultural entrepreneurship in Khuzestan province.

 Currently, musculoskeletal disorders are one of the most common occupational diseases and one of the most common causes of absenteeism, which leads to a decrease in productivity. Postural assessment methods are considered pivotal in the investigation of the risks of developing job-related musculoskeletal disorders. Various approaches are presented to assess the risk of injury in inappropriate postures. Agriculture is one of the most crucial sectors in both the developing and the developed countries since it ensures the food security of the country. In the process of producing sugarcane, a significant part of the stages of cutting, planting, and harvesting is done manually. A low level of knowledge about the correct condition of the body during work is one of the problems of farmers. Therefore, body status assessment methods are considered as the basis for assessing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders associated with work.

This research was carried out with the aim of analyzing the risk factors of occupational skeletal musculoskeletal injuries in sugar cane farmers using QEC method and Nordic questionnaire. The quick exposure checklist (QEC) quickly assesses the exposure to risks for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). QEC is based on the practitioners’ needs and research on major WMSD risk factors. The Nordic body map is given to the participants to be filled out with the assist of a student research assistant when needed. However, due to practical reasons, most participants are interviewed using the semi-structured method by a student research assistant. The Nordic body map consists of 28 parts of the body that must be rated based on the symptoms. Examples of the body parts are the right shoulder, upper arm, etc. The postures of 50 cutting workers, 200 planting workers, and 50 harvesting workers were selected by random sampling and analyzed using QEC2003 software.

 According to the results of the Nordic questionnaire in manual cutting sugarcane, the most prevalent signs of musculoskeletal disorders were in the waist (80%), wrists and hands (78%), knees (74%), and feet (70%). In manual planting sugarcane, the most prevalent signs of musculoskeletal disorders were in the areas of the waist (89%), back (86.5%), and knee (84.5%), respectively. The findings also indicate that in the manual harvesting operations, the most prevalent signs of musculoskeletal disorders were the wrist and hand (88%), waist (84%), and foot (80%). The results of the Nordic questionnaire show that most disadvantages of cutting, planting, and harvesting in workers are visible in the lower back (80%), lower back (89%), and wrist/hand (88%), respectively. The prevalence of skeletal musculoskeletal disorders, especially in the waist, was observed among a high number of sugarcane producers. The results also showed that in the QEC method, in cutting, planting, and harvesting 44, 62, and 59 percent of workers’ postures were placed in the most critical group. In manual cutting of sugarcane, 30 percent of the workers were at the high-risk level and 44 percent of workers were at high risk, indicating the high risk of this operation, and that better preventive measures should begin as soon as possible. In the QEC method for manual planting of sugarcane, 7% of the postures of workers is acceptable and their risk is very low. Work posture for 9.5% of people requires more research and attention, and 21.5% of workers must be treated fairly fast. 62% of the postures of workers need to be corrected promptly. In the QEC method for manual harvesting of sugarcane, the posture requires 14% more research and attention, and 28% of workers should be treated fairly quickly. For 59% of postoperative workers, work should be promptly corrected. The QEC analysis showed that some of the work postures posed greater risks of MSDs to the workers with QEC scores. QEC helps to prevent many kinds of WMSDs from developing and educates users about WMSD risks in their workplaces.

 The study has identified the body parts and tasks of the workers exposed to ergonomic risks through the Nordic questionnaire and the QEC method, respectively. Results from the study showed that the majority of the workers were having WMSDs.The physical condition of sugar cane production workers needs to be corrected. The ergonomic training course can have an impact on improving the working conditions of workers, but it is not enough, and it is a must-have for the sugar agro-industry to move towards all mechanized operations.

Musculoskeletal disorders due to inappropriate conditions in sugarcane Agro-Industry in Khuzestan province today are the reason for many human labor injuries in sugarcane fields. The risk of exposure to harmful agents to the musculoskeletal system is evaluated in a variety of ways such as REBA, RULA, QEC and OWAS. The aim of this study was to determine the number of musculoskeletal injuries and ergonomic evaluation of work situation by sugarcane cuttings planting, and harvesting using OWAS method. In this descriptive-analytical study, the workplaces of 20 groups of 10 workers were planted and 100 workers were cutting and harvested. Situations of workers were recorded in different situations. Then they were coded into different parts of the body based on their status according to the method studied and these codes were entered into the table and the final scores were calculated using winOWAS software. The results showed that cuttings harvesting, planting, and harvesting sugarcane were 36.37, 41.67% and 33.33%, respectively, in the most critical situation. The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among sugarcane production workers is significant. Based on the results, the main problems of ergonomics are included inappropriate physical condition, lifting and carrying heavy loads and bending of the waist.