Analysis of Factors Affecting Precision Agriculture Implementation in Mazandaran Province Using Interpretive Structural Modeling

During the past decades, with the indiscriminate use of some chemical inputs conventional agriculture has caused serious environmental and human health problems. In response to these problems, precision agriculture, as one of the sustainable agriculture approaches, has received more attention in recent years. Mazandaran province, which is one of the important agricultural producers in the country, has an un-favorable situation in terms of the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers; that is while, the efficient utilization of resource on a per-unit area basis is necessary due to limited land. In this regard, the aim of this research was to analyze the factors affecting the application of precision agriculture in Mazandaran province. This applied research was conducted qualitatively using the Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) method. This study applied a systematic review of internal and external research sources to identify the factors affecting the application of precision agriculture. Then, the required data were collected in the form of a questionnaire from the respondents. The statistical population of this research consisted of experts in the field of precision agriculture in Mazandaran province, 23 of whom were selected by a purposeful and judgmental sampling method. The analysis of previous research and sources showed that generally, 10 factors are effective in the application of precision agriculture. The results of the ISM analysis indicated that technical and professional, social, and individual factors are the most influential factors in the application of precision agriculture. Furthermore, economic factors, land condition, system of operation and management, and policy-making and macro planning factors were the other most influential factors. Paying special attention to these variables in the field of applying precision agriculture can help the growth and development of sustainable agriculture in Mazandaran province and increase productivity.