A research on seed preferences of corn producers in Izmir

The main objective of this study is to determine the characteristics of grain corn producers in İzmir, such as price, yield, earliness, resistance to diseases and resistance to stress conditions (hot and cold weather conditions) when they buy corn seeds. It is also aimed to reveal differences in varietal preferences according to the socio-economic characteristics of corn producers. The districts of Torbalı and Bergama, where corn production is most realized in İzmir province, have been determined as the research area. The sample size was determined as 115 by accepting the %90 confidence interval and the error margin of %7,5 with the proportional sampling size method. Konjoint analysis was used to determine seed preferences of grain maize producers. As a result of the conjoint analysis, it was determined that the corn producers in the Bergama district preferred disease resistance to the order of importance 24,7% and early varieties prefer the second rank at 22.4% significance level while, corn producers in the province of Torbalı were found to prefer low seeded prices at the 22.1% significance level and early varieties at the 21.1% significance level. In both corn production zones, the stress resistance property was the last choice. In terms of socio-economic characteristics, producers are divided into groups according to education, corn production experience and corn cultivated area. As a result of the conjoint analysis, producers who have corn experience more than 10 years and corn cultivated area more than 100 decares prefer early corn varieties, while the corn seed preferences do not differ in terms of other socio-economic characteristics. According to the results of the reseach variety development and seed procurment are suggested considering local conditions,