Irrigated agriculture determines large blue water withdrawals, and it is considered a key intervention area to reach sustainable development objectives. Precision agriculture technologies have the potential to mitigate water resource depletion that often characterises conventional agricultural approaches. This study investigates the factors influencing farmers’ intentions to adopt variable rate irrigation (VRI) technology. The Technology Acceptance Model 3 (TAM-3) was employed as a theoretical framework to design a survey to identify the factors influencing farmers’ decision-making process when adopting VRI. Data were gathered through quantitative face-to-face interviews with a sample of 138 fruit and grapevine producers from the Northeast of Italy (Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia). Data were analysed using partial least squares path modelling (PLS-PM). The results highlight that personal attitudes, such as perceived usefulness and subjective norm, positively influence the intention to adopt VRI. Additionally, the perceived ease of use positively affects intention, but it is moderated by subject experience.

A Path Model of the Intention to Adopt Variable Rate Irrigation in Northeast Italy / Canavari, Maurizio; Medici, Marco; Wongprawmas, Rungsaran; Xhakollari, Vilma; Russo, Silvia. - In: SUSTAINABILITY. - ISSN 2071-1050. - 13:4(2021), pp. 1879.1-1879.12. [10.3390/su13041879]

A Path Model of the Intention to Adopt Variable Rate Irrigation in Northeast Italy

Canavari, Maurizio;Medici, Marco;Wongprawmas, Rungsaran;
2021-01-01

Abstract

Irrigated agriculture determines large blue water withdrawals, and it is considered a key intervention area to reach sustainable development objectives. Precision agriculture technologies have the potential to mitigate water resource depletion that often characterises conventional agricultural approaches. This study investigates the factors influencing farmers’ intentions to adopt variable rate irrigation (VRI) technology. The Technology Acceptance Model 3 (TAM-3) was employed as a theoretical framework to design a survey to identify the factors influencing farmers’ decision-making process when adopting VRI. Data were gathered through quantitative face-to-face interviews with a sample of 138 fruit and grapevine producers from the Northeast of Italy (Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia). Data were analysed using partial least squares path modelling (PLS-PM). The results highlight that personal attitudes, such as perceived usefulness and subjective norm, positively influence the intention to adopt VRI. Additionally, the perceived ease of use positively affects intention, but it is moderated by subject experience.
2021
A Path Model of the Intention to Adopt Variable Rate Irrigation in Northeast Italy / Canavari, Maurizio; Medici, Marco; Wongprawmas, Rungsaran; Xhakollari, Vilma; Russo, Silvia. - In: SUSTAINABILITY. - ISSN 2071-1050. - 13:4(2021), pp. 1879.1-1879.12. [10.3390/su13041879]
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11381/2937412
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 5
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 3
social impact