Factors affecting the adoption of crop water requirement - based irrigation systems by fruit farmers

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine factors affecting the adoption of crop water requirement–based irrigation systems by fruit farmers in the "Project for Enhancing On-Farm Irrigation Efficiency." The study targeted a population of 2,500 farmers. The sample size was determined using the Taro Yamane formula with a margin of error of 0.05, resulting in a sample of 345 respondents. Data were collected using stratified random sampling and structured interviews. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and the Chi-square test. The findings revealed that the majority of farmers were male (68.4%), with an average age of 49.47 years. Most had an education level below a bachelor’s degree (71.0%) and an average of 6.2 years of experience using irrigation systems. The average size of fruit cultivation area was 16 rai, with most farms (77.1%) located outside irrigation zones. Most households had 1–2 family laborers (73.0%) and did not employ hired labor (64.3%). The average annual production cost was 209,348.26 THB, while the average annual income was 720,507.25 THB. Hypothesis testing revealed that factors significantly associated with the adoption of crop water requirement–based irrigation systems at the 0.01 level included experience with irrigation systems, agricultural income, and on-farm water management. At the 0.05 significance level, significant factors included fruit cultivation area, household labor, and hired labor.