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Ma Z, Huang H, Zhang X, Qin D, Li X. Can internet use promote farmers to adopt chemical fertilizer reduction and efficiency enhancement technology in China?-an empirical analysis based on endogenous switching probit model. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0308300. [PMID: 39213330 PMCID: PMC11364224 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0308300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
This study examines the impact of internet usage on farmer's adoption behavior of fertilizer reduction and efficiency enhancement technologies in China. Based on 1,295 questionnaires in Henan Province, this study constructs a counterfactual analysis framework and used endogenous switching probit model to analyze the effects and pathways of internet usage on farmer's adoption behavior of chemical fertilizer reduction and efficiency enhancement technologies. The results indicate that. (1) The proportion of farmers adopting chemical fertilizer reduction and efficiency enhancement technologies is 60.15%, while the proportion of farmers not adopting these technologies is 39.85%. (2) Internet usage directly influences farmers' adoption of fertilizer reduction and efficiency enhancement technologies. According to counterfactual assumption analysis, if farmers who currently use the Internet were to stop using it, the probability of them adopting these technologies would decrease by 28.09%. Conversely, for farmers who do not currently use the Internet, if they were to start using it, the probability of them adopting fertilizer reduction and efficiency enhancement technologies would increase by 40.67%. (3) Internet usage indirectly influences farmers' adoption behavior through mediating pathways of expected benefits and risk perception. In addition, social networks negatively moderate the impact of internet usage on farmers' behavior of chemical fertilizer reduction and efficiency enhancement technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhifei Ma
- Henan Key Laboratory for Synergistic Prevention of Water and Soil Environmental Pollution, School of Geographic Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, China
| | - Huan Huang
- Henan Key Laboratory for Synergistic Prevention of Water and Soil Environmental Pollution, School of Geographic Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, China
| | - Xiangmin Zhang
- Henan Key Laboratory for Synergistic Prevention of Water and Soil Environmental Pollution, School of Geographic Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, China
| | - Dongxue Qin
- Henan Key Laboratory for Synergistic Prevention of Water and Soil Environmental Pollution, School of Geographic Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, China
| | - Xiaodi Li
- Henan Key Laboratory for Synergistic Prevention of Water and Soil Environmental Pollution, School of Geographic Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, China
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Lin S, Wei K, Wang Q, Sun Y, Deng M, Tao W. Effects of Organic Fertilizer on Photosynthesis, Yield, and Quality of Pakchoi under Different Irrigation Conditions. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:1308. [PMID: 38794379 PMCID: PMC11125060 DOI: 10.3390/plants13101308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Water scarcity and the overuse of chemical fertilizers present significant challenges to modern agriculture, critically affecting crop photosynthesis, yield, quality, and productivity sustainability. This research assesses the impact of organic fertilizer on the photosynthetic attributes, yield, and quality of pakchoi under varying irrigation water conditions, including fresh water and brackish water. Findings reveal that the modified rectangular hyperbolic model most accurately captures the photosynthetic reaction to organic fertilization, outperforming other evaluated models. The maximum net photosynthesis rate (Pnmax), yield, soluble sugar (SS), and soluble protein content (SP) all exhibited a downward-opening quadratic parabolic trend with increasing amounts of organic fertilizer application. Specifically, under fresh-water irrigation, the optimal Pnmax, yield, SS, and SP were obtained at organic fertilizer rates of 65.77, 74.63, 45.33, and 40.79 kg/ha, respectively, achieving peak values of 20.71 µmol/(m2·s), 50,832 kg/ha, 35.63 g/kg, and 6.25 g/kg. This investigation provides a foundational basis for further research into the intricate relationship between water salinity stress and nutrient management, with the goal of crafting more sophisticated and sustainable farming methodologies. The insights gained could significantly influence organic fertilizer practices, promoting not only higher yields but also superior quality in agricultural outputs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Quanjiu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydraulics in Northwest Arid Region, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China; (S.L.)
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Cheng J, Wang Q, Yu J. Life cycle assessment of potential environmental burden and human capital loss caused by apple production system in China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:62015-62031. [PMID: 36934186 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-26371-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
As one of the representative fruits of China, apple plays an important role in the overall agricultural production system. However, the large amount of chemical inputs in apple production has potential detrimental impacts on the environment and human health, and thus threatens the achievement of sustainable development goals. Therefore, a comprehensive evaluation of the environmental burden (EB) and human capital (refer to human lives) loss (HCL) caused by apple production system (APS) is urgently needed to suggest directions for improvement. A method widely used to measure impacts from both the use of resources and the emissions generated in the agriculture sector is the life cycle assessment (LCA). In this study, the EB and HCL caused by the APS have been determined from two phases using the LCA methodology in China. The results show that the leading cause of EB in the agricultural materials' production phase is nitrogen fertilizer (N) production, and in the farming phase is chemical fertilizer use. The top 5 major pollutants that cause potential damage to human health in APS are carbon dioxide (CO2), ammonia (NH3), nitrogen dioxide (N2O), nitrate (NO3), and sulfur oxides (SOx). The human health risk (HHR) is 5.84 × 10-2 disability-adjusted life year to cultivate 1 ha of the apple orchard 1 year, and the corresponding HCL is about 4230 Chinese yuan (CNY). Under the scenario analysis of a 15% reduction in chemical fertilizer use and a 20% increase in organic fertilizer (mainly dried sheep dung) use, most of the environmental impact categories have a decreasing trend, and the HCL decreased by 438 CNY of 10.36%. Therefore, chemical fertilizer (especially N) is the most critical environmental hotspot in APS, and our results suggest that the replacement of chemical fertilizers by organic fertilizers is an effective solution to reduce the potential EB and HCL and improve the sustainability of the APS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juanjuan Cheng
- College of Economics and Management, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Qian Wang
- College of Economics and Management, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Jin Yu
- College of Economics and Management, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, 712100, China.
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Liu M, Song F, Yin Z, Chen P, Zhang Z, Qi Z, Wang B, Zheng E. Organic fertilizer substitutions maintain maize yield and mitigate ammonia emissions but increase nitrous oxide emissions. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:53115-53127. [PMID: 36853529 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-25666-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Organic fertilizer can improve soil structure and enhance the nutrient content in soil and is beneficial to sustainable agricultural development. However, the influence of organic fertilizer substitutions on NH3 and N2O emissions from farmland is unclear. Thus, we set up an organic substitution field experiment in Northeast China. The experiment included six treatments: single application of chemical fertilizers (NPK: 250 kg N ha-1); NO10, 10% reduction in chemical nitrogen fertilizers (225 kg N ha-1) + chicken manure (25 kg N ha-1); NO20, 20% reduction in chemical nitrogen fertilizers (200 kg N ha-1) + chicken manure (50 kg N ha-1); NO30, 30% reduction in chemical nitrogen fertilizers (175 kg N ha-1) + chicken manure (75 kg N ha-1); NO40, 40% reduction in chemical nitrogen fertilizers (150 kg N ha-1) + chicken manure (100 kg N ha-1); and no-nitrogen fertilizer (CK). This experiment investigated the effects of partial substitution of chemical nitrogen fertilizer with organic fertilizer on NH3 and N2O emissions and nitrogen use efficiency in a maize field. The results showed that, compared with chemical N, organic fertilizer mitigated NH3 volatilization but promoted the soil N2O total emissions during the whole growth stage. NH3 cumulative volatilization decreased with the increase in the substitution rate of organic fertilizer. Compared with the NPK treatment, the cumulative volatilization of NH3 in the NO30 and NO40 treatments decreased by 15.24 and 17.92%, respectively. The NO40 treatment had the highest N2O emission in the whole growth stage, and the N2O emission of the NO40 treatment increased by 10.72% compared to the NPK treatment. Moreover, the yield, partial factor productivity (PFP), nitrogen harvest index (NHI), and apparent nitrogen recovery efficiency (NRE) of NO30 treatment were the highest of all treatments, and the yields, PFP, plant N accumulation, grain N accumulation, and the cumulative emissions of NH3 and N2O were similar to N20 treatment. In conclusion, nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency was enhanced, decreasing environmental pollution from livestock under organic fertilizer substitution conditions. We suggested 20% or 30% substitution rates of organic fertilizer were proper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Liu
- School of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
- Key Laboratory of Effective Utilization of Agricultural Water Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Fang Song
- School of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
- Key Laboratory of Effective Utilization of Agricultural Water Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Zhihao Yin
- School of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
- Key Laboratory of Effective Utilization of Agricultural Water Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Peng Chen
- College of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing, 211100, China
| | - Zhongxue Zhang
- School of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China.
- Key Laboratory of Effective Utilization of Agricultural Water Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China.
| | - Zhijuan Qi
- School of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
- Key Laboratory of Effective Utilization of Agricultural Water Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Bai Wang
- Heilongjiang Province Hydraulic Research Institute, Harbin, China
| | - Ennan Zheng
- School of Hydraulic and Electric Power, Heilongjiang University, Harbin, 150080, China
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Zhang B, Fu S. Do market pressure and social network affect farmers' adoption of low-carbon fertilization practices? Evidence from China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:51804-51815. [PMID: 36823460 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-25664-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Excessive applications of agricultural chemical fertilizers contribute to environmental pollution and climate change. Although chemical fertilizers ensure high grain yields, it is crucial to regulate fertilization practices and avoid excessive application to achieve sustainable agricultural development. The overall goal of this study is to examine how market pressure and social network affect farmers' adoption of low-carbon fertilization practice. Data analyses were based on 1255 observations collected from a field survey in Anhui Province of China in 2021. The results showed that 32.1% of farmers had adopted low-carbon fertilization practices. The findings showed that market pressure, including consumption pressure and sales pressure, had positive impacts on the farmers' adoption of low-carbon fertilization practices. Findings also revealed that consumption pressure has a more significant influence on farmers' adoption of low-carbon fertilization practices than sales pressure. Social network has a significant positive influence on the farmers' adoption of low-carbon fertilization practices. Further analysis revealed that organizational network has a more significant influence on farmers' adoption of low-carbon fertilization practices than production networks. Therefore, the government should utilize market pressure and strengthen farmers' social network to improve the adoption rate of low-carbon fertilization practices. The results and policy implications of this study are significant for sustainable agricultural development under climate change in China and other countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biao Zhang
- School of Economics, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang, 236037, Anhui, People's Republic of China
| | - Sang Fu
- School of Economics, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang, 236037, Anhui, People's Republic of China.
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Yi X, Zou Q, Zhang Z, Chang SHE. What Motivates Greenhouse Vegetable Farmers to Adapt Organic-Substitute-Chemical-Fertilizer (OSCF)? An Empirical Study from Shandong, China. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:1146. [PMID: 36673901 PMCID: PMC9859031 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20021146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
This paper reports on a study of the determinants of the adoption behaviour related to Organic-Substitute-Chemical-Fertilizer (OSCF) against the background of Green and Low-carbon Circular Agriculture (GLCA) by analysing a survey of 318 greenhouse vegetable farmers in Shandong Province, China. We use regression analyses to identify policy measures and farmers' psychological cognition of the determinants of adoption behaviour on farmers' psychological cognition. We use three indices for farmers' cognition, including economic value, resource capacity, and ecosystem impact, to examine the differences between training and subsidy. Our findings showed that two policy measures (training and subsidy) had a significant positive impact on vegetable farmers' fertilizer application. Farmers' cognition played a mediating role. We identified and discussed the influence of policy measures on farmers' behaviour and the mediating role of farmers' cognition. Hence, we suggest that local governments should strengthen farmers' training in relation to fertilizer application techniques and enhance farmers' cognition of organic fertilizer as a substitute for chemical fertilizer in terms of economic, resource and environment aspects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Yi
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
- Key Laboratory of Arable Land Quality Monitoring and Evaluation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Qinqi Zou
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Zewei Zhang
- Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Sheng-Han-Erin Chang
- Agricultural Production and Resource Economics, Technical University of Munich, Alte Akademie 14, 85354 Freising, Germany
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Wang Y, Zhang W, Goodwin PH, Zheng SJ, Li X, Xu S. Effect of natural weed and Siratro cover crop on soil fungal diversity in a banana cropping system in southwestern China. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1138580. [PMID: 37032861 PMCID: PMC10073746 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1138580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Natural weed cover and a legume cover crop were examined to determine if they could impact soil fungal diversity as an indicator of soil quality in banana production. Methods Banana in Yunnan Province, China, was grown under three treatments: conventional tillage (bare soil), natural weed cover (primarily goosegrass (Eleusine indica (L.) Gaerth)), or a cover crop (Siratro (Macroptilium atropurpureum (DC.) Urb.)). Analysis of the soil fungal communities between 2017 and 2020 was done by Illumina Miseq high-throughput sequencing. Results Most significant effects were in the intercropping area for the treatments, whereas it was rarely observed in the furrow planted with banana. Based on the Shannon and Simpson diversity indices, soil fungal diversity in the intercropping area significantly decreased following planting banana in 2017 with all three treatments. However, both the Shannon and Simpson diversity indices showed that there were significant increases in fungal soil diversity in 2019 and 2020 with natural weed cover or Siratro compared to bare soil. At the end of the experiment, significant increases in fungal genera with Siratro compared to bare soil were observed with Mortierella, Acremonium, Plectophaerella, Metarhizium and Acrocalymma, and significant decreases were observed with Fusicolla, Myrothecium, Exserohilum, Micropsalliota and Nigrospora. Siratro resulted in higher stability of the soil fungal microbiome by increasing the modularity and the proportion of negative co-occurrences compared to bare soil. For fungal guilds, Siratro significantly increased saprotrophs_symbiotrophs in 2019 and 2020 and significantly decreased pathogens_saprotrophs in 2020 compared to bare soil. Discussion Using Siratro as a cover crop in the intercropping area of banana helped maintain soil fungal diversity, which would be beneficial for soil health with more symbiotrophs and less pathogens in the soil. However, further research is needed to determine the long-term impact of weed or Siratro cover crop on the fungal soil ecosystem and growth of banana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongfen Wang
- Institute of Tropical and Subtropical Cash Crops, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Baoshan, Yunnan, China
| | - Wenlong Zhang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control of Agricultural Transboundary Pests, Agricultural Environment and Resources Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Paul H. Goodwin
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Si-Jun Zheng
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control of Agricultural Transboundary Pests, Agricultural Environment and Resources Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Bioversity International, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Xundong Li
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control of Agricultural Transboundary Pests, Agricultural Environment and Resources Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- *Correspondence: Li Xundong,
| | - Shengtao Xu
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Green Prevention and Control of Agricultural Transboundary Pests, Agricultural Environment and Resources Institute, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Xu Shengtao,
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Ren Z, Jiang H. Risk cognition, agricultural cooperatives training, and farmers' pesticide overuse: Evidence from Shandong Province, China. Front Public Health 2022; 10:1032862. [PMID: 36478731 PMCID: PMC9720126 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1032862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Pesticides are widely and excessively used in the world. Reducing pesticide overuse is an important measure to protect the environment and human health. Methods Based on the survey data of 518 farmers in Shandong Province, China, using the Logit model to empirically test the effect of risk cognition on farmers' pesticide overuse behavior and the moderating effect of cooperatives training on the effect of risk cognition on farmers' pesticide overuse behavior. Results and discussion We found that 21.24% of farmers overused pesticides. The three dimensions of risk cognition have significant negative effects on farmers' behavior of excessive pesticide use, among which the human health risk cognition has the largest impact (0.74), followed by food safety risk cognition (0.68) and ecological environment risk cognition (0.63). Cooperatives training has a positive moderating effect on the relationship between risk cognition and pesticide overuse behavior, that is, when risk cognition matches farmers participating in cooperatives training, the effect on reducing pesticide overuse is more significant. Years of education, planting scale and detection frequency of pesticide residues have significant effects on farmers' pesticide overuse. Conclusions The government should help farmers reduce pesticide overuse by improving risk cognition, developing agricultural cooperatives and perfecting guarantee conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong Ren
- Business School, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Haonan Jiang
- Warwick Manufacturing Group, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom,*Correspondence: Haonan Jiang
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Liu Y, Shi K, Liu Z, Qiu L, Wang Y, Liu H, Fu X. The Effect of Technical Training Provided by Agricultural Cooperatives on Farmers' Adoption of Organic Fertilizers in China: Based on the Mediation Role of Ability and Perception. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:14277. [PMID: 36361156 PMCID: PMC9654095 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192114277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Organic fertilizers can be crucial in promoting sustainable agricultural development, but they are not used in a wide-ranging way among smallholder farmers in many developing countries. In China, cooperatives are considered essential subjects of agricultural technical training, but it is more common to join cooperatives without participating in their technical training. Thus, joining cooperatives or not cannot simply be used to assess the role of cooperatives in influencing the farmers' production behavior. Based on survey data of 1160 citrus farmers in Sichuan Province, China, this study estimated the effect of the technical training provided by agricultural cooperatives on farmers' adoption of organic fertilizers, taking into account the farmers' ability and perception as the mediation variables. The findings showed that participating in the technical training provided by agricultural cooperatives could significantly enhance the likelihood that farmers will adopt organic fertilizers. The impact was 81.6% in influencing the farmer's abilities and 7.64% in their perceptions of organic fertilizers. Furthermore, other variables, such as farm sizes, land transfers, and education levels, also make a difference in the effectiveness of the agricultural cooperatives' technical training. This study provides support for developing pertinent policies to promote the complete adoption of agricultural cooperatives' technical training functions and the widespread use of organic fertilizers.
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Begho T, Eory V, Glenk K. Demystifying risk attitudes and fertilizer use: A review focusing on the behavioral factors associated with agricultural nitrogen emissions in South Asia. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.991185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fertilizer use is environmentally unsustainable in South Asia. Ideally, farmers would follow optimal fertilization rates for crops based on scientific recommendations. However, there is ample evidence on why farmers under-fertilize or over-fertilize their crops. Important amongst them is that farmers' attitude to risk influences decisions on fertilizer use. This paper reviews studies on the effects of risk attitude on fertilizer use, the timing of application, and application intensity. We observe that the use of fertilizer is affected by perceptions of fertilizer as a risk-enhancing or risk-reducing input. In order to influence the future fertilizer decisions of farmers, several policy measures are suggested. Among these, gradual withdrawal of fertilizer subsidies, repurposing subsides toward improved technologies that increase productivity, improves nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and reduce emission, providing enhanced-efficiency fertilizers and eliminating the fraudulent practice of fertilizer adulteration may be the most appropriate in a South Asian context.
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Nong Y, Zhao M, Chien H. Path relationship of consumers' perceived susceptibility and severity of health problems with their purchase of buckwheat functional foods in China. Heliyon 2022; 8:e10671. [PMID: 36185141 PMCID: PMC9520211 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the nutritional and health benefits of buckwheat foods have been widely discussed and evaluated, studies on consumer perceptions of the health benefits of buckwheat functional foods and how these perceived benefits influence their consumption are scarce. On the basis of the theory of planned behavior, this study aimed to explore consumers' purchase intention and behavior toward buckwheat functional foods while assessing the impact of their perceived susceptibility and severity of health concerns on the purchase decisions for such foods. Using data from 1077 participants collected in person from Southwest China, we compared the influencing factors between consumer groups based on whether they were aware of the nutritive and health benefits of buckwheat. The results indicated that, apart from consumers' perceived behavioral control, their perceived susceptibility and perceived severity of three selected common health problems, perceived value and efficacy of buckwheat, and subjective norms were strong predictors of consumers' purchase decisions. Moreover, perceived susceptibility and severity were effective antecedents of the perceived value and efficacy of buckwheat, respectively. Consumers aware of buckwheat's nutritive and health benefits of buckwheat were less affected by perceived efficacy. This study highlights that the higher the susceptibility to the three selected common health problems, the greater the internal and behavioral changes toward the purchase of buckwheat functional foods. These findings reveal factors affecting consumers' healthy eating beliefs, which can be beneficial for both policymakers and marketers in formulating healthy diet policies and strategies in developing countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixin Nong
- Fudan Postdoctoral Fellowships in Applied Economic Studies, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan
- Guangxi Beibu Gulf Bank Postdoctoral Innovation and Practice Base, Nanning, Guangxi, 530028, China
| | - Minjuan Zhao
- Northwest A&F University, 3 Taicheng Road, Yangling, 712100, China
| | - Hsiaoping Chien
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan
- Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, Tsukuba, 305-8686, Japan
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Impact of the Cultivated-Land-Management Scale on Fertilizer Reduction—Empirical Evidence from the Countryside of China. LAND 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/land11081184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Reducing the application of chemical fertilizers can improve the quality and promote the sustainable use of cultivated land, which is part of the green and sustainable development of agriculture. Based on the 2019 China Rural Household Panel Survey data, this article evaluated the impact of cultivated-land-management scale on fertilizer reduction via the OLS regression method. The results showed that, after controlling for other factors, the scale of cultivated land management is a strong factor affecting the intensity of fertilizer application by Chinese farmers. According to the results of quantitative analysis, the amount of fertilizer applied per hectare decreased by 20.6% for every 1 ha increase in the average grain sown area per household. The study also found that employing workers in agricultural production and operation can help achieve the aim of fertilizer reduction, but the fact that the head of the household is male, the increase in total household income and the increase in the proportion of household agricultural labor are not conducive to fertilizer reduction. A mechanism-of-action test showed that the expansion of the scale of cultivated land management can drive the reduction of chemical-fertilizer use by urging farmers to adopt agricultural technology and mechanized fertilization. Extensive research found that the fragmentation of cultivated land increased the amount of fertilizer applied per hectare by farmers. Therefore, the fragmentation of cultivated fields is a barrier to decreasing fertilizer application.
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The Impact of Environmental Regulations and Social Norms on Farmers’ Chemical Fertilizer Reduction Behaviors: An Investigation of Citrus Farmers in Southern China. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14138157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
This study investigates how environmental regulations and social norms affect farmers’ chemical fertilizer reduction behaviors (CFRBs) and investigates the mediating role played by social norms and the moderating role played by social networks. As the analysis tool, a structural equation model is employed to analyze the data collected from a questionnaire survey with 402 valid samples of Chinese citrus growers. This study reveals that (1) environmental regulations and social norms have a significant effect on farmers’ CFRBs; (2) injunctive social norms are a partial mediator of the relationship between incentive-based environmental regulations and farmers’ CFRBs; (3) social networks play a positive moderating role in the relationship between injunctive social norms and farmers’ CFRBs; and (4) large-scale farmers’ CFRBs are more susceptible to the impact of environmental regulations and social norms than small-scale farmers. The result of this study provides a significant scientific foundation for the Chinese agricultural sector to develop policies to combat soil pollution in agriculture.
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How Agricultural Extension Services Improve Farmers’ Organic Fertilizer Use in China? The Perspective of Neighborhood Effect and Ecological Cognition. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14127166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Improving farmers’ usage of organic fertilizer is critical for the green and high-quality development of China’s agriculture. Based on 492 mango farmers’ survey data in Hainan Province, this paper uses an endogenous switching regression (ESR)model, empirically analyzes the impact of agricultural extension services on farmers’ willingness to use organic fertilizer, and further investigates the mediating role of ecological cognition and the moderating role of neighborhood effect in the influence mechanism. Results show agricultural extension services have a significant positive effect on farmers’ willingness to use organic fertilizer, ecological cognition has a partial mediating effect in the influence mechanism, which accounts for 17.84% of the total effect. The neighborhood effect has a positive moderating effect in the influence mechanism of ecological cognition on farmers’ willingness to use organic fertilizer. These results imply that agricultural extension services play a significant role in China’s sustainable agricultural development and by improving their awareness and taking advantage of the neighborhood effect, we can stimulate farmers’ willingness to green production. The study also puts forward policy recommendations on further promoting farmers’ use of organic fertilizer.
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Ahmad D, Afzal M. Flood hazards and agricultural production risks management practices in flood-prone areas of Punjab, Pakistan. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:20768-20783. [PMID: 34741746 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-17182-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Climate induced disasters, more specifically floods, have caused severe damage to the agriculture sector in Pakistan. These climatic risks have constrained the farming community to adopt risk management strategies to overcome such climate change risks. This research work attempted to examine the association of risk management tools with farmers' perception of risk, risk averse attitude, and various socioeconomic factors. The study has employed the sample data of 398 farmers from two high-risk flood-prone districts of Punjab, Pakistan. The multivariate probit model was used in this study to investigate the association of dependent and independent variables. The findings of the study indicated that small farmers consider heavy rains and floods severe risks to their agricultural production and are more risk averse than large farmers. Estimates of a multivariate probit model interpreted as age of farmer (0.036), heavy rains risk perception (0.597), and landholding size (0.114) were positively related with the risk management tool of depletion of assets. Farmers' education (0.056), off-farm income (3.47), age (0.018), and risk averse attitude of farmer (0.687) were positive, whereas experience of farming (-0.037) was negatively linked with reduction of consumption. Furthermore, experience of farming (0.005), risk averse attitude (0.493), heavy rains (0.481), and flood risk perception (0.536) were positively related with diversification adoption. The flood-prone farming community is more vulnerable to these climatic risks and rely on traditional strategies for risk management. There is a need to adopt crop diversification based on developing research capacity for innovative crop varieties having resistance to floods and climate change affects. Some significant policy measures, such as a more resilient scenario of climate change and floods, need to stimulate activities of enterprise diversification, opportunities of diversifying employment, and strengthening activities of off-farm employment for the sound livelihood of flood-prone farmers and to minimize severe affects of climatic risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilshad Ahmad
- Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus, Islamabad, Pakistan.
| | - Muhammad Afzal
- Department of Economics, Preston University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan
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Exploring the Influence Mechanism of Farmers’ Organic Fertilizer Application Behaviors Based on the Normative Activation Theory. LAND 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/land10111111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This paper establishes an analysis framework to investigate the effect of the awareness of consequences and the ascription of responsibility on farmers’ organic fertilizer application behaviors (OFABs). Using questionnaire survey data from Hubei Province, one of the main grain-producing areas in China, this study employed both mediating effects and moderating effect analytical methods to analyze the influencing mechanism of the awareness of consequences and ascription of responsibility on farmers’ OFABs. The results show that, firstly, the awareness of consequences and ascription of responsibility have a significant positive impact on farmers’ OFABs. The improvement in farmers’ awareness of consequences and ascription of responsibility can effectively promote the utilization of organic fertilizers for enhanced ecological production. Secondly, the awareness of consequences and ascription of responsibility have a significant positive impact on farmers’ OFABs through individual farmers’ personal norms. Increasing farmers’ awareness of consequences and ascription of responsibility firstly stimulates their personal norms; then, personal norms have a positive impact on farmers’ OFABs. Thirdly, farmers’ social norms can positively regulate the relationship between personal norms and their OFABs. The higher the social norms of farmers, the more their social norms can have a positive regulating effect on their OFABs. Therefore, in the future, it will be necessary to vigorously promote farmers’ awareness of consequences and ascription of responsibility, in order to enhance farmers’ social norms, and to improve the level of farmers’ social norms, in order to greatly promote farmers’ engagement in OFABs. This will ultimately better promote rural ecological environmental protection and ecological civilization construction.
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Subsidy as An Economic Instrument for Environmental Protection: A Case of Global Fertilizer Use. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13169408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Fertilizer subsidies may constitute a key economic tool with which to provide food for the growing population. Therefore, this work aimed to (i) assess the effectiveness of subsidized chemical (NPK) fertilizer use in food production by comparing the crop output between developed and developing regions and (ii) examine the benefits of organic fertilizer and the need for its use in developing regions such as Africa. Secondary data from 2000 to 2019 on global subsidized fertilizer use, crop production, income, and other agro-environmental parameters, such as climate and soil, were collected from the international databases of the World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Forest Resources Assessment (FRA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and World Income Inequalities Database (WID), as well as countries’ national statistics. Data were analyzed using qualitative, quantitative, and geospatial software and techniques, such as SPSS, averages, multivariate analysis, and spatial analytical Geographic Information System (GIS) tools. The results reveal that the total global fertilizer use continuously increased from 79 million tonnes in 2000 to 125 million tonnes in 2019. Subsidized fertilizer use and crop production increased with countries’ economic status. For example, countries or regions with more economic resources tended to have higher fertilizer subsidies. More than 95% of North American and European countries recorded the highest total chemical fertilizer use, ranging from 855,160 to 18,224,035 kg ha−1. In terms of organic fertilizer production, the percentage contribution in Africa relative to global production was only 2%, which was about 932,538 million tonnes below the production yield in North America. More organic fertilizer and less inorganic fertilizer should be encouraged instead of the total eradication of chemical fertilizers. This is especially applicable to developing countries, where food production is low due to poor soil and high food demand owing to a harsh environment and rapid population growth.
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Oyetunde-Usman Z, Ogunpaimo OR, Olagunju KO, Ambali OI, Ashagidigbi WM. Welfare Impact of Organic Fertilizer Adoption: Empirical Evidence From Nigeria. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2021.691667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Soil fertility depletion is acknowledged to adversely influence agricultural productivity and welfare status of rural farming households. Studies have shown that organic fertilizer utilization tends to rejuvenate the soil, thereby enhancing its productive capacity. This study seeks to estimate the welfare impact of organic fertilizer adoption among agricultural households using the 2018/2019 Nigeria General Household Survey (GHS). The novelty of this study is in the use of propensity score matching (PSM) and endogenous treatment regression (ETR) to address biases that may arise from both observed and unobserved factors. Results show that the adoption of organic fertilizers positively and significantly impacts the welfare of farmers, particularly when sources of unobserved characteristics of agricultural households are accounted for. The heterogeneity impact results show that female household heads, agricultural households that had access to credit, and farm household residents in the southern region of Nigeria significantly gained more from the adoption of organic fertilizers. In addition, a check for time effect reveals that the adoption of organic fertilizers does not result in an immediate welfare effect; the effect is, however, positive and significant over time. This suggests that adoption does not only improve soil and mitigate against climate impact, but it also has a higher likelihood of providing long-term and sustainable welfare impact for agricultural households. The results point to the need for policies and programs to promote and sustain the adoption of organic fertilizers among agricultural households through addressing existing institutional barriers such as extension and credit facilities.
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Do Agricultural Machinery Services Facilitate Land Transfer? Evidence from Rice Farmers in Sichuan Province, China. LAND 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/land10050466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Agricultural machinery services play an increasingly important role in the land transfer market, especially in developing countries. Prior studies have explored the impact factors of machinery use on agricultural production and land transfer, respectively. However, little research has focused on the relationship between the adoption of agricultural machinery services and the land transfer of rice farmers. To bridge this gap, this study investigated the correlation between machinery services and land transfer, using unique survey data of 810 rice farmers collected from Sichuan province in China. Additionally, this study further explored the impact mechanism on land transfer of rural households with IV-Probit and IV-Tobit models. The empirical results show the following: (i) Agricultural machinery services have a significantly positive and robust effect on both the incidence and area of rice farmers’ land transfer-in, while the impact degree is different. Specifically, with other conditions remaining unchanged, and with a 1% increase in the proportion of machinery services, the average probability of land transfer-in of rice farmers increased by 2.4%, and the area of land transfer-in increased by 13.4 mu, on average. (ii) For control variables, head education, agricultural certificates and whether the majority of land, are in a flat area have positive impacts on land transfer-in behavior. Yet, age and off-farm labor have a negative impact on land transfer-in area. Moreover, our findings highlight the importance of agricultural machinery services in stimulating the development of rural land rental markets.
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