A Correlational Study of Two U.S. State Extension Professionals’ Behavioral Intentions to Improve Sustainable Food Chains through Precision Farming Practices
Precision farming provides one of the most important solutions for managing agricultural production to advance global food security. Extending professionals’ competencies to promote precision farming practices can increase the adoption rate, ultimately impacting food security. Many studies have addr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Foods |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/12/11/2208 |
| _version_ | 1827739495290634240 |
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| author | Chin-Ling Lee Robert Strong Gary Briers Theresa Murphrey Nithya Rajan Shelli Rampold |
| author_facet | Chin-Ling Lee Robert Strong Gary Briers Theresa Murphrey Nithya Rajan Shelli Rampold |
| author_sort | Chin-Ling Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Precision farming provides one of the most important solutions for managing agricultural production to advance global food security. Extending professionals’ competencies to promote precision farming practices can increase the adoption rate, ultimately impacting food security. Many studies have addressed barriers to the adoption of precision farming technologies from the farmers’ perspective. However, few are available data on the perspectives of extension professionals. Agricultural extension professionals play an important role in innovative agricultural technology adoption. Thus, this study applied four constructs from the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model to investigate behavioral intentions to promote precision farming among extension professionals from two extension systems. In total, 102 (<i>N</i> = 102) agricultural extension professionals were surveyed. The results indicated that performance expectancy and social influence were individually significant predictors of extension professional behavioral intentions to promote precision farming technologies. There were no significant differences between the professionals of two extension systems. Gender, age, and years of service did not affect extension professionals’ intention to promote precision agriculture technologies. The data suggested the need for training programs to develop advanced competencies to promote agricultural innovation. This study contributes to the future professional development programs for extension professionals on communicating innovations to address food security and sustainability issues. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:07:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-58bae63403d14a77a578927f5225222a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:07:32Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj.art-58bae63403d14a77a578927f5225222a2023-11-18T07:51:44ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582023-05-011211220810.3390/foods12112208A Correlational Study of Two U.S. State Extension Professionals’ Behavioral Intentions to Improve Sustainable Food Chains through Precision Farming PracticesChin-Ling Lee0Robert Strong1Gary Briers2Theresa Murphrey3Nithya Rajan4Shelli Rampold5Taoyuan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, Council of Agriculture, Taoyuan 32745, TaiwanDepartment of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USADepartment of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USADepartment of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USADepartment of Soil and Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USADepartment of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USAPrecision farming provides one of the most important solutions for managing agricultural production to advance global food security. Extending professionals’ competencies to promote precision farming practices can increase the adoption rate, ultimately impacting food security. Many studies have addressed barriers to the adoption of precision farming technologies from the farmers’ perspective. However, few are available data on the perspectives of extension professionals. Agricultural extension professionals play an important role in innovative agricultural technology adoption. Thus, this study applied four constructs from the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model to investigate behavioral intentions to promote precision farming among extension professionals from two extension systems. In total, 102 (<i>N</i> = 102) agricultural extension professionals were surveyed. The results indicated that performance expectancy and social influence were individually significant predictors of extension professional behavioral intentions to promote precision farming technologies. There were no significant differences between the professionals of two extension systems. Gender, age, and years of service did not affect extension professionals’ intention to promote precision agriculture technologies. The data suggested the need for training programs to develop advanced competencies to promote agricultural innovation. This study contributes to the future professional development programs for extension professionals on communicating innovations to address food security and sustainability issues.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/12/11/2208innovative agricultural practicesUTAUT modelperformance expectancysocial influenceprofessional development programschange agents |
| spellingShingle | Chin-Ling Lee Robert Strong Gary Briers Theresa Murphrey Nithya Rajan Shelli Rampold A Correlational Study of Two U.S. State Extension Professionals’ Behavioral Intentions to Improve Sustainable Food Chains through Precision Farming Practices Foods innovative agricultural practices UTAUT model performance expectancy social influence professional development programs change agents |
| title | A Correlational Study of Two U.S. State Extension Professionals’ Behavioral Intentions to Improve Sustainable Food Chains through Precision Farming Practices |
| title_full | A Correlational Study of Two U.S. State Extension Professionals’ Behavioral Intentions to Improve Sustainable Food Chains through Precision Farming Practices |
| title_fullStr | A Correlational Study of Two U.S. State Extension Professionals’ Behavioral Intentions to Improve Sustainable Food Chains through Precision Farming Practices |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Correlational Study of Two U.S. State Extension Professionals’ Behavioral Intentions to Improve Sustainable Food Chains through Precision Farming Practices |
| title_short | A Correlational Study of Two U.S. State Extension Professionals’ Behavioral Intentions to Improve Sustainable Food Chains through Precision Farming Practices |
| title_sort | correlational study of two u s state extension professionals behavioral intentions to improve sustainable food chains through precision farming practices |
| topic | innovative agricultural practices UTAUT model performance expectancy social influence professional development programs change agents |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/12/11/2208 |
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