Appraising Some Iranian Maize Growers' Ecological Behavior: Application of Path Analysis

Abstract

Understanding people’s ecological behaviors and the impacts of human activities on natural environment is one of the most important concepts in ecological psychology research. The purpose of this study was to investigate causal relationship between factors and maize growers’ ecological behavior concerning the application of external inputs such as water, fertilizers, chemical pesticides, and machineries based on the Comprehensive Action Determination model applied to the agricultural sector in Iran, for the first time. The ecological behavior in agriculture means cultivation with proper methods for conservation of soil, water, and other resources. Population of this study was all maize growers in Shiraz County (491 farmers). Through stratified random sampling method, 220 maize growers were selected. Results indicate that situational influences, normative processes, intentional processes, and habitual processes are effective factors on maize growers' ecological behavior. Based on the results, some recommendations are presented. Keywords: Comprehensive action determination model, Ecological agriculture, Ecological behavior measurement index, Nature protection