Factors influencing the agricultural extension model sites in Iran

This study aims to explore the factors and challenges influencing Agricultural Extension Model Sites (AEMSs) in improving irrigated wheat production in Iran. An exploratory survey was conducted to investigate changes related to pre-planting, planting, harvesting, and post-harvesting activities by examining farmers who are members of wheat AEMSs. The goal was to understand the effects and challenges faced by these sites in agriculture. The study revealed that challenges at model sites are grouped into six categories: technical-structural, planning, political-motivational, financial and credit, agronomic, and cooperation and coordination factors. These six factors accounted for 68.55% of the variance in AEMSs challenges. The most significant effects of AEMSs included improving the efficiency of agricultural activities, and increasing farmers' trust in agricultural extension agents by providing practical solutions to enhance productivity. The main practical implication is that the Agricultural Institute of Education and Extension in Iran can objectively introduce farmers to the best agricultural techniques and accelerate the adoption of innovations in agriculture by creating and expanding these sites for various products and topics. The study offers new insights into agricultural technology transfer models and addresses a gap in the existing literature regarding model sites as an Iranian agricultural extension initiative. This is particularly significant in the context of international academic literature. This study investigates the factors and challenges associated with the Agricultural Extension Model Sites (AEMS) approach, which has been designed and implemented in agricultural extension in Iran. While similar extension models are utilized internationally, AEMS demonstrates a superior ability to persuade farmers to adopt optimal agricultural practices. This paper presents evidence of the effectiveness of agricultural extension models, particularly in enhancing the productivity of the strategically important wheat crop.