What factors prevent sustainable agriculture science from being applied?: Understanding U.S. Extension professionals’ intentions to promote precision agriculture technologies

Abstract Sustainability relies upon physical and applied sciences synergy. When sustainable practices such as precision agriculture technologies (PATs) are promoted by agricultural Extension professionals and adopted by farmers, they will enhance land sustainability and community food security. Therefore, it is important to address the barriers that hinder agricultural professionals from promoting sustainable practices to stakeholders. This study surveyed 132 Extension professionals from the second-largest agricultural-producing region in the U.S. participated. The regression results revealed that performance expectancy (p < 0.001), social influence (p < 0.00), and facilitating conditions (p = 0.01) demonstrate significant predictability on Extension professionals' intention to promote PATs. Agricultural Extension professionals are motivated to promote PATs by their social influencers, by their beliefs that infrastructure support exists for them to use these technologies, and by the belief that the use of these technologies will bring rewards in terms of their performance in the future. Harnessing these factors is crucial for achieving sustainability in agriculture, as they directly motivate Extension professionals to help farmers adopt PATs that contribute to long-term sustainability, leading to the broader goal of sustainability in agriculture by promoting practices that optimize resource use and reduce environmental impact. This study revealed opportunities to improve the behavior of agricultural Extension professionals in introducing PATs to farmers, thereby increasing the adoption rate of PATs that can contribute to sustainable agriculture. Future research could investigate the long-term impact of professional development initiatives on the adoption of PATs into Extension services to provide strategies for sustaining innovation in agricultural extension practices.