The Comparison of Farming Inputs Consumption in Traditional and Developed Paddy Fields in Iran

The most important of Land-consolidation programs is to decrease consumption of chemical inputs (fertilizer and toxins) in paddy fields, thus enhancing sustainability. This study compares the consumption of inputs in traditional and developed paddy fields in Iran, based on a case study of Gilan province. The research was conducted in the form of a sur- vey study. The data for this research was collected from 176 farmers who work traditional rice fields and 188 farmers who are part of a farm-development program in Gilan province, who were selected using a stratified random sampling procedure. Data was collected through a questionnaire. The reliability of questionnaire was determined by calculating the Cronbach's alpha coefficient (0.75) after conducting a pilot study. Analysis of the survey results showed that the average consumption of chemical fertilizer in developed paddy fields (363 kg of fertilizers per hectare) was greater than that in traditional paddy fields (308 kg/ha). In contrast, developed paddy fields used less toxins (6.4 kg/ha) than traditional paddy fields (8.3 kg/ha). The t-test showed that in two groups of farmers, the farmers of developed paddy lands used significantly more chemical toxins and manure, and significantly less chemical fertilizer, than farmers of traditional paddy lands.