Vol.:(0123456789) Environment, Development and Sustainability https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-019-00580-5 1 3 Discriminant analysis of the participated farmers’ characteristics in the conservation agriculture project based on the learning transfer system Pouria Ataei 1  · Hassan Sadighi 2  · Mohammad Chizari 2  · Enayat Abbasi 2 Received: 8 September 2018 / Accepted: 30 December 2019 © Springer Nature B.V. 2020 Abstract The current study was carried out with the purpose of discriminant analysis of participated farmers’ characteristics in CA project based on learning transfer system in Iran. The study was a quantitative research that was conducted by a survey technique. The study popula- tion was consisted of all farmers who participated in extension training programs of CA in three provinces (Golestan, Fars and Khouzestan) of Iran (N = 1204). The sample study was selected by Krejcie and Morgan’s sampling table through stratifed random sampling method (n = 384). Data were collected through a questionnaire. Discriminant analysis was used to investigate farmers’ characteristics among three levels of weak, moderate and strong learning transfer. The fndings illustrated that nine variables of learning transfer sys- tem (personal capacity for transfer, supervisor support, opportunity to use, positive per- sonal outcomes, performance coaching, motivation to transfer, perceived content validity, transfer design and transfer efort–performance expectations) had signifcant efects on the level of farmers’ learning transfer. It can be concluded that the learning transfer system is an applicable tool to investigate farmers’ learning transfer in the agriculture sector. Accord- ingly, it recommends that follow-up plans must be designed to achieve both the CA aims and optimization of farmers’ learning transfer. Keywords Learning transfer system · Conservation agriculture · Farmers’ performance · Sustainable agriculture · Training programs * Pouria Ataei pouria.ataei@modares.ac.ir * Hassan Sadighi sadigh_h@modares.ac.ir Mohammad Chizari mchizari@modares.ac.ir Enayat Abbasi enayat.abbasi@modares.ac.ir 1 Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, College of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), 1497713111 Tehran, Iran 2 Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, College of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), 1497713111 Tehran, Iran