Abstract

Rice-fish culture system is not a purely technical decision and different factors may affect it. The identification of these factors can help in distinguishing adopters from non-adopters in an attempt to extend the rice-fish culture. This study sought to identify effective socio-personal characteristics on the adoption of rice-fish culture system by farmers in North of Iran. A survey was conducted using a stratified random sampling to collect data from farmers of selected rural in Western Guilan, Northern Iran. The questionnaire validity and reliability were also determined to enhance the dependability of the results. The subjects under study were then divided into two groups of adopters and non-adopters. A total of 61 adopters and 123 non-adopters were studied for effective characteristics. Results showed that effective socio-personal characteristics affecting an adoption of rice-fish culture in Western Guilan are family size, membership in social institutions, rate of participation in extension activities and number of extension contacts.

Key words: Adoption, rice-fish culture, socio-personal characteristics, farmers, North Iran.