an analysis of the barriers hindering the adoption of technologies related to the strategies employed in the integrated management of horticultural crops' production and protection as percieved by green house keepers

the integrated production and protection management strategy, with the purpose of safe production, nowadays, is an operational strategy to achieve goals of sustainable agriculture. this study is aimed at an analysis of the factors hindering the advance of the integrated production and protection management strategy among greenhouse owners in isfahan province. data were gathered through questionnaires filled in by farmers. the content and face validity of the instrument was verified by the faculty members of the agricultural extension and education department in tarbiat modares university. cronbach’s alpha coefficient value for the questionnaire was obtained equal to 0.82. population of the green¬house owners equalled 160 individuals from whom 113 were chosen through random proportional stratified sampling method, as the study sample and for a determination of the sample size. one haudred and three questionnaires were eventually collected and analyzed through spss software (n=103). results of factor analysis revealed that such factors as: financial, educational, planning and legal - support were among the barriers of adoption of ippm technologies. these factors could in total explain 70.52 percent of total variance.