Analysis of paddy farmers' sustainable agriculture perception and farming practices: A case study Ipsala district of Edirne province

In this study, it is aimed to investigate the sustainable agriculture perceptions and farming practices of rice producers in İpsala district of Edirne province. The primary data of the research was obtained from 89 paddy rice producers operating in the İpsala district of Edirne province. The data were analyzed into two groups according to the producers' perception of medium and high level of sustainable agriculture. According to the research results; it was determined that 41.57% of the farmers in the examined farms had a moderate level and 58.43% had a high level of perception of sustainable agriculture. In the research area, 31.46% of the paddy farmers had soil analysis, 67.86% of the farmers used fertilizer according to the results of soil analysis, 7.87% used barnyard manure, 38.20% applied pesticides according to the instructions for use of pesticides, and 84.27% was determined that the paddy straw burned the remaining paddy stalks in the field after the harvest-threshing processes. According to the results of the factor analysis carried out to determine the factors affecting the sustainable agriculture perceptions of paddy farmers; Eigen values of 30 variables (Eigen value) were found to be greater than one for nine factors. For this reason, factor analysis results were analyzed by considering nine factors. These nine factors explain 72.35% of the total variance. It was determined that the first factor, the "environmental sensitivity factor", had a higher factor load and was the most important explanatory factor. It was estimated that 15.97% of the total variance was explained by this factor. According to the logistic regression analysis results; a statistically significant relationship was found between the probability of the farmers' perception of sustainable agriculture being at a moderate and high level and the age of the farmer, the use of paddy seeds produced by farmers themselves, the status of having agricultural insurance, the status of making (GAP), the status of participation in agricultural extension activities and the status of internet use.