IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0167612.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Potential for Conservation Tillage Adoption in the San Joaquin Valley, California: A Qualitative Study of Farmer Perspectives and Opportunities for Extension

Author

Listed:
  • Anne V Bossange
  • Kandace M Knudson
  • Anil Shrestha
  • Ronald Harben
  • Jeffrey P Mitchell

Abstract

Conservation tillage (CT) systems have a number of potential benefits including lower crop production costs and the ability to reduce soil erosion that have made them common in several regions of the world. Although CT systems have been researched and successfully implemented on some farms in California’s San Joaquin Valley (SJV), overall adoption is low and the reasons for the region’s comparatively low rates of adoption are not known. In 2011, we conducted written surveys and interviews with SJV farmers to identify characteristics of farmers who adopt or do not adopt CT, to determine reasons for non-adoption of CT, and to learn how successful CT adoption takes place in the SJV. We found that a universally acceptable definition of CT needs to be developed in order for effective research, outreach and communication on CT. Our research, which examined CT adoption within the expected progression of the diffusion of innovation model, suggested that larger and less diverse farms were more likely to use CT. Most farmers expressed transition to CT as a continuous learning process. Further, we conclude that gaining meaningful experience with CT practices by researchers in the local context is also a large component of successful adoption.

Suggested Citation

  • Anne V Bossange & Kandace M Knudson & Anil Shrestha & Ronald Harben & Jeffrey P Mitchell, 2016. "The Potential for Conservation Tillage Adoption in the San Joaquin Valley, California: A Qualitative Study of Farmer Perspectives and Opportunities for Extension," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(12), pages 1-21, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0167612
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167612
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0167612
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0167612&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0167612?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Amir K. Abadi Ghadim & David J. Pannell & Michael P. Burton, 2005. "Risk, uncertainty, and learning in adoption of a crop innovation," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 33(1), pages 1-9, July.
    2. Bitsch, Vera, 2005. "Qualitative Research: A Grounded Theory Example and Evaluation Criteria," Journal of Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics Association of Georgia, vol. 23(01), pages 1-17.
    3. Amir K. Abadi Ghadim & David J. Pannell, 1999. "A conceptual framework of adoption of an agricultural innovation," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 21(2), pages 145-154, October.
    4. Fleming, Aysha & Vanclay, Frank, . "Using Discourse Analysis to Improve Extension Practice," Extension Farming Systems Journal - EFS Journal, Australasian Farm Business Management Network, vol. 5(01).
    5. Knowler, Duncan & Bradshaw, Ben, 2007. "Farmers' adoption of conservation agriculture: A review and synthesis of recent research," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 25-48, February.
    6. Klerkx, Laurens & Aarts, Noelle & Leeuwis, Cees, 2010. "Adaptive management in agricultural innovation systems: The interactions between innovation networks and their environment," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 103(6), pages 390-400, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wood, Liza & Lubell, Mark & Rudnick, Jessica & Khalsa, Sat Darshan S. & Sears, Molly & Brown, Patrick H., 2022. "Mandatory information-based policy tools facilitate California farmers’ learning about nitrogen management," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).
    2. Avery Lavoie & Chloe B. Wardropper, 2021. "Engagement with conservation tillage shaped by “good farmer” identity," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 38(4), pages 975-985, December.
    3. Omololu John Idowu & Sifat Sultana & Murali Darapuneni & Leslie Beck & Robert Steiner & Mohammed Omer, 2020. "Tillage Effects on Cotton Performance and Soil Quality in an Irrigated Arid Cropping System," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-14, November.
    4. Si, Ruishi & Lu, Qian & Aziz, Noshaba, 2021. "Does the stability of farmland rental contract & conservation tillage adoption improve family welfare? Empirical insights from Zhangye, China," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    5. Yuzhong Zhang & Xianying Xu & Hujun Liu & Li Wang & Danni Niu, 2023. "Study on Sustainability of Shelter Forest Construction and Protection Behavior of Farmers in the Sandstorm Area of Hexi Corridor, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-18, March.
    6. Church, Sarah P. & Lu, Junyu & Ranjan, Pranay & Reimer, Adam P. & Prokopy, Linda S., 2020. "The role of systems thinking in cover crop adoption: Implications for conservation communication," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    7. Jack Jameson & Kevin McDonnell & Vijaya Bhaskar Alwarnaidu Vijayarajan & Patrick D. Forristal, 2024. "Knowledge Exchange and Innovation Adoption Preferences of Arable Growers in Ireland’s Atlantic-Influenced Climate," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-23, February.
    8. Jing Hou & Bo Hou, 2019. "Farmers’ Adoption of Low-Carbon Agriculture in China: An Extended Theory of the Planned Behavior Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-20, March.
    9. repec:ags:aaea22:335830 is not listed on IDEAS

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Canales Medina, Elizabeth & Bergtold, Jason S. & Williams, Jeffery R., 2017. "Modeling the factors affecting farmers’ timing of adoption of in-field conservation cropping practices," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258558, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    2. Pannell, David J. & Pardey, Philip G. & Hurley, Terrence M., 2020. "Private Incentives for Sustainable Agriculture: Principals and Evidence for Sustainable Agricultural Change," Working Papers 304700, University of Western Australia, School of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
    3. Greiner, Romy & Miller, Owen & Patterson, Louisa, 2008. "The role of grazier motivations and risk attitudes in the adoption of grazing best management practices," 2008 Conference (52nd), February 5-8, 2008, Canberra, Australia 6002, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    4. Cameira, Maria do Rosário & Rodrigo, Isabel & Garção, Andreia & Neves, Manuela & Ferreira, Antónia & Paredes, Paula, 2024. "Linking participatory approach and rapid appraisal methods to select potential innovations in collective irrigation systems," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 299(C).
    5. Senthold Asseng & David Pannell, 2013. "Adapting dryland agriculture to climate change: Farming implications and research and development needs in Western Australia," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 118(2), pages 167-181, May.
    6. Caroline Roussy & Aude Ridier & Karim Chaïb, 2014. "Adoption d’innovations par les agriculteurs : rôle des perceptions et des préférences," Post-Print hal-01123427, HAL.
    7. Beatrice Dingha & Leah Sandler & Arnab Bhowmik & Clement Akotsen-Mensah & Louis Jackai & Kevin Gibson & Ronald Turco, 2019. "Industrial Hemp Knowledge and Interest among North Carolina Organic Farmers in the United States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-17, May.
    8. Mohamed Ghali & Maha Ben Jaballah & Nejla Ben Arfa & Annie Sigwalt, 2022. "Analysis of factors that influence adoption of agroecological practices in viticulture," Review of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Studies, Springer, vol. 103(3), pages 179-209, September.
    9. Marshall, Graham R., 2009. "Polycentricity, reciprocity, and farmer adoption of conservation practices under community-based governance," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(5), pages 1507-1520, March.
    10. Ridier, Aude & Ben El Ghali, Mohamed & Nguyen, G. & Kephaliacos, Charilaos, 2013. "The role of risk aversion and labor constraints in the adoption of low input practices supported by the CAP green payments in cash crop farms," Revue d'Etudes en Agriculture et Environnement, Editions NecPlus, vol. 94(02), pages 195-219, June.
    11. Han, Guang & Niles, Meredith T., 2023. "An adoption spectrum for sustainable agriculture practices: A new framework applied to cover crop adoption," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    12. Jessica Rudnick & Mark Lubell & Sat Darshan S. Khalsa & Stephanie Tatge & Liza Wood & Molly Sears & Patrick H. Brown, 2021. "A farm systems approach to the adoption of sustainable nitrogen management practices in California," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 38(3), pages 783-801, September.
    13. Elizabeth Canales & Jason S. Bergtold & Jeffery R. Williams, 2020. "Conservation practice complementarity and timing of on‐farm adoption," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 51(5), pages 777-792, September.
    14. Micheels, Eric T., 2015. "Pr - Factors Affecting Absorptive Capacity Among Western Canadian Grain Farms," 20th Congress, Quebec, Canada, 2015 345757, International Farm Management Association.
    15. Marc Baudry & Edouard Civel & Camille Tévenart, 2023. "Land allocation and the adoption of innovative practices in agriculture: a real option modelling of the underlying hidden costs," EconomiX Working Papers 2023-1, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    16. Abdulla, Majd, 2009. "The impact of ownership on Iowa land owners' decisions to adopt conservation practices," ISU General Staff Papers 200901010800001913, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    17. Benitez-Altuna, Francisco & Trienekens, Jacques & Materia, Valentina C. & Bijman, Jos, 2021. "Factors affecting the adoption of ecological intensification practices: A case study in vegetable production in Chile," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    18. Alfons Weersink & Murray Fulton, 2020. "Limits to Profit Maximization as a Guide to Behavior Change," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(1), pages 67-79, March.
    19. Can, E. & Shrestha, S. & Wilson, P. & Barnes, A. & Ramsden, S., 2015. "Pr - Uptake Of Agricultural Innovations In Scottish Beef Farms: A Review Of Concepts, Challenges And Scientific Approaches," 20th Congress, Quebec, Canada, 2015 345767, International Farm Management Association.
    20. Graf, Sarah Lena & Oya, Carlos, 2021. "Is the system of rice intensification (SRI) pro poor? Labour, class and technological change in West Africa," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0167612. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.