Adoption behavior towards the use of nuclear technology in agriculture: A causal analysis

Simultaneous achievement of sustainability, profitability, and productivity in the agricultural sector requires the development and utilization of appropriate technologies derived from agricultural research and extension of technological innovations in this sector. One of the most important issues in this respect is nuclear technology. Accordingly, the present study aims to carry out a causal analysis of the adoption behavior towards the use of nuclear technology in agriculture. The research method was descriptive-correlational and causal-relationship and a survey was used to collect the required data. The statistical population of this study consists of agricultural activists including faculty members of state departments of agriculture and research centers in Tehran and Alborz Provinces, Iran (N = 275); out of which, 160 individuals were selected through Krejcie and Morgan Table using stratified random sampling method with proportional assignment. The research instrument was a questionnaire, the validity of which was approved by a number of specialists in the field of agricultural education and extension as well as agricultural nuclear technology. The reliability of the whole items of the questionnaire was also obtained through a pilot study using Cronbach's alpha test (0.62 <= alpha <= 0.82). The results of correlational tests showed that the variables of triability, compatibility, relative advantage, usefulness, attitude, social norms, and improved conditions (including social, cultural, political, and health-related items) have a positive and significant correlation with the behavior of adopting nuclear technology in agricultural sector. Moreover, the results of statistical tests of comparison of means (Kruskal-Wallis) revealed that the attitudes of faculty members in Agricultural Research Institute of Atomic Energy Organization in terms of views, knowledge, behavior, and tendency to nuclear technology adoption in agricultural sector were significantly different from those of other respondents. The causal analysis results showed that the component of improved conditions (social, cultural, political, and health-related items) had the greatest impact on the behavior of adopting nuclear technology in agriculture (beta = 0.464).