Obstacles to Farmers Apply of Modern Irrigation Techniques in Jasan District, Wasit Province, Iraq

Abstract

The research aimed to identify the personal characteristics of farmers in the study area, determine the obstacles that limit the use of modern irrigation techniques, and examine the correlational and regression relationships between the studied factors influencing farmers’ adoption of modern irrigation technologies. The study targeted farmers affiliated with the Jassan Agricultural Division in Wasit Province. The research population consisted of approximately 1000 farms, from which a random sample representing about 10% was selected. Accordingly, the study sample included 100 farmers who represented the target group of the research. The results showed that the majority of the respondents were men (92%). Regarding the age variable, the highest proportion of respondents belonged to the middle-age group (53%). The findings also indicated that 58% of the respondents worked in agriculture as their main occupation, while most respondents had a high level of farming experience (75%). In addition, the annual non-agricultural income of the respondents was highest among the middle-income group (39%).The results further revealed a positive and statistically significant correlation at the 0.05 level between the dependent variable, represented by water scarcity obstacles, and several independent variables, including the level of education, the total number of family members, and annual non-agricultural income. Based on these findings, the study recommends attracting international agricultural companies specialized in modern irrigation technologies to the study area in order to support farmers and encourage them to adopt advanced water management practices.