Analyzing the Social Capital of Actors and Information Sources of Agricultural Innovation Systems in Adopting Innovations by Farmers: An investigation in the Shabestar Township of the East Azarbayejan Province

Human resource development (HRD) and transfer of technologies or innovations are considered as major pillars of agricultural development. This study was to investigate the social capital of actors and interpersonal information، as well as their role in facilitating and diffusing agricultural innovations. The data of study were collected by using structured interview and questionnaire (have been reliable and validated). The population of the study consists of 260 farmers of different local institutions located in the Shabestar city (Cis district). Using Cochran formula، 127 farmers were selected as sample. The path analysis highlighted that the social capital of the actors including opinion leaders with impact factors of 0. 821، agricultural extension agents with impact factors of 0. 434، and farmers’ family and peers with impact factors of 0. 223 had the most influence on adopting agricultural innovations by the farmers