Risk preferences and the low-carbon agricultural technology adoption:Evidence from rice production in China

Climate change which is mainly caused by carbon emissions is a global problem affecting the economic development and well-being of human society.Low-carbon agriculture is of particular significance in slowing down global warming and reaching the goal of“carbon peak and carbon neutrality”.Therefore,taking straw incorporation as an example,this paper aims to investigate the impact of risk preferences on farmers’low-carbon agricultural technology(LCAT)adoption.Based on a two-phase micro-survey data of 1038 rice farmers in Jiangsu,Jiangxi,and Hunan provinces,this paper uses experimental economics methods to measure farmers’risk aversion and loss aversion to obtain the real risk preferences information of the farmers.We also explore the data to examine the actual LCAT adoption behavior of farmers.The results revealed that both risk aversion and loss aversion significantly inhibit farmers’LCAT adoption:more risk-averse or more loss-averse farmers are less likely to adopt LCAT.It is further found that crop insurance,farm scale and governmental regulations can alleviate the negative impact of risk aversion and loss aversion on farmers’LCAT adoption.Therefore,we propose that local governments need to promote low-carbon agricultural development by propagating the benefits of LCAT,extending crop insurance,promoting appropriate scale operations,and strengthening governmental regulations to promote farmers’LCAT adoption.

Literature Review of Agricultural Technology Extension

Agriculture,as the primary industry,is the foundation of national economy.Agricultural development directly influences political,economic,and cultural construction of a state.Agricultural technology is a key factor restricting agricultural development.How to implement the agricultural technology innovation,agricultural technology extension becomes particularly important.In this literature review,current situation of agricultural technology extension was elaborated.Besides,current research situation and fields of agricultural technology extension were discussed.In the literature collected,researches about agricultural technology extension mainly included following three aspects:(i)theories of agricultural technology extension;(ii)agricultural technology extension system;(iii)behavior and effects of agricultural technology extension.On the basis of research results of literature,prediction was made for the agricultural technology extension and policy recommendations were put forward for agricultural technology extension works.

Does Internet use promote the adoption of agricultural technology?Evidence from 1449 farm households in 14 Chinese provinces

China is characterized as ’a large country with many smallholder farmers’ whose participation in modern agriculture is key to the country’s modern agriculture development. Promoting smallholder farmers’ adoption of modern agricultural production technology is one effective way to improve the capabilities of smallholder farmers. This paper aims to explore the impact of Internet use on the adoption of agricultural production technology by smallholder farmers based on a survey of 1 449 smallholders across 14 provinces in China. The results suggest that Internet use can significantly promote technology adoption, with the probability of adopting new crop varieties, water-saving irrigation technology and straw-returning technology increasing by 0.200, 0.157 and 0.155, respectively. Furthermore, the effect of Internet use is found to be heterogeneous with a greater effect on smallholder farmers having low education levels, limited training, and high incomes. To increase agricultural production technology adoption by smallholders, rural Internet infrastructure and Internet use promotion should be the focus for the Chinese government.

Comparison of the Three Cooperative Types of Agricultural Technology Popularization Based on the Industrialization of Tomato Industry in Xinjiang Autonomous Region

In the process of industrialization of tomato industry in Xinjiang, the cooperative models of rural households and tomato processing enterprises are order type, mediated type and workshop type. The contents, closeness degree and stability of cooperation of them are different. Under different cooperation models, the closeness degree of pillar industry and rural households differs, as well as the speed and effect of the technology promotion. By comparing the situation of technology promotion under the three cooperative models, the results can be obtained. The workshop type can reduce the risks of adopting new technologies of farmers greatly; strengthen the internal motivation of farmers to adopt new technology, so it can attract more farmers. Therefore, the workshop type represents the developmental direction of industrialization of tomato industry in Xinjiang to a certain extent.

Farmers' Behaviors on Agricultural Technology Inputs and the Influencing Factors of Their Behaviors——Based on the Investigation of 276 Rural Households in Deyang City, Sichuan Province

On the basis of expounding farmers' behaviors on agricultural technology inputs studied by the foreign scholars; relying on the investigation data of 276 rural households in Deyang City, Sichuan Province and by using the Logistic Regression model, the farmers' behaviors on agricultural technology inputs and the influencing factors on their behaviors are analyzed. The results show the main factors that influence farmers; behaviors on agricultural inputs are whether they have the assistance of agricultural technology personnel; the choices of plantation; non-agricultural income; area of land management; the expectation on land ownership, whether it has township enterprises and the proportion of the non-agricultural labor forces and some other factors. The influencing degree of these factors descends from strong to weak. On the strength of the study results, the countermeasures on increasing local farmers' inputs on agricultural technology are put forward from the aspects of stabilizing rural land property, establishing scientific land transfer mechanism and intensifying the governmental functions of agro-technical station.

Practice and Thinking of Agricultural Science and Technology Experts Serving the Grassroots to Promote Rural Revitalization

Provincial agricultural research institutes are local agricultural research institutions.They are familiar with local agricultural and ru-ral conditions,and have advantages in scientific and technological achievements,technical reserves and the construction of scientific and tech-nological talent support systems.In the process of promoting the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy,all the responsibilities and obligations of the agricultural research institute are to identify the focus of scientific and technological support and talent support in rural revital-ization,and break the bottleneck and constraints of rural revitalization.By sorting out the current situation of agricultural science and technolo-gy experts serving the grassroots in the problem of talent support for rural revitalization,this paper analyzed the existing problems and put for-ward countermeasures and recommendations.

The Study of Mutual Benefits and Potential in China-Mongolia Agricultural Trade

This article aims to explore the mutual benefits and potential of agricultural trade between China and Mongolia,analyzing the current situation of agricultural resources,trade history,and policy environment of the two countries.The study finds that China-Mongolia agricultural trade shows significant economic complementarity.Trade activities not only promote economic growth in both countries but also deepen social and cultural exchanges.However,technical standards,political risks,and logistics costs remain major challenges facing trade cooperation.By strengthening policy coordination,investing in agricultural technology and infrastructure,and expanding the variety and markets of trade,the potential for cooperation in China-Mongolia agricultural trade can be further enhanced.These measures will help improve the efficiency and benefits of bilateral trade,achieving a win-win development.

Guarantee Strategy for the Safety of Agricultural Industry in Hunan Province

The safety of agricultural industry in Hunan Province shows an upward trend from"basically safe"to"very safe",but the state in the"safe"or"very safe"range is still unstable.In view of this,Hunan Province should guarantee the agricultural production ability,cultivate and enhance the core competitiveness of agriculture,firmly grasp the agricultural control power,attach importance to the export quality of agri-cultural products and other aspects to ensure the safety of agricultural industry.

Present Situation of Rural Regional Development and Agricultural Extension Policy

The formulation of agricultural extension policy and the development of rural regional economy present the relationship of mutual existence,mutual influence and mutual promotion.Therefore,it is necessary to study the agricultural extension policy according to the current situation of rural regional development.Agricultural technology extension system is an organization set up at county and township levels to provide farmers with scientific research achievements and practical technical services on planting,animal husbandry,fishery,forestry,agricultural machinery and water conservancy,and it is an important carrier for implementing the strategy of developing agriculture through science and technology.On the basis of expounding the value and significance of rural regional economic development,this paper analyzes the problems existing in China s rural regional development from the aspects of rural infrastructure and public services,rural labor force s cultural and scientific level,rural grass-roots extension system,etc.,and puts forward corresponding measures against the problems.This study has certain theoretical reference value for promoting the all-round development of China s rural economy and realizing the great strategy of rural revitalization in China.

Effectiveness of sloping agricultural land technology on soil fertility status of mid-hills in Nepal

Hedgerows with intercropping systems were established at the ICIMOD test and demonstration site at Godawari to assess the effective- ness of Sloping Agricultural Land Technology （SALT） in reducing run- off water volume, controlling soil loss, increasing crop production, and improving soil fertility in the mid-hills of Nepal. Runoff water volume （1996-2002）, soil loss （1996-2002） and maize yield （1995-2001）, and soil fertility-related parameters were assessed on SALT models with three factors： the type of nitrogen-fixing plant, the farmers＇ practice, and fertilizer use. Results showed a significant effect of Alnus nepalensis and/or Indigofera dosua on runoff water volume, soil loss, crop produc- tion, soil water retention, and soil nutrients （NPK）. Farmers＇ practice and fertilization did not play a significant role in reducing runoff water and soil loss. However, farmers＇ practice significantly increased crop produc- tion. Therefore, integrating soil conservation approaches on SALT sys- tems enhances stable economic output to hills and mountain farmers.

Spatial Heterogeneity of Agricultural Science and Technology Parks Technology Diffusion: A Case Study of Yangling ASTP

Agricultural science and technology parks(ASTPs) represent an important growth pole in China’s agricultural modernization.Clarifying their diffusion laws can optimize the technological diffusion process and improve its efficiency. Our study uses disaggregated spatial information in its model to analyze ASTP technology diffusion in a heterogeneous space. We constructed a comprehensive index system to evaluate the diffusion environmental quality and introduced the heterogeneous diffusion equation to calculate the technological diffusion probability. We applied this framework to a real-world scenario: the apple planting technology diffusion of the Yangling ASTP in the Loess Plateau, China. The results indicated: (1)the technological diffusion environment of the Loess Plateau advantageous apple producing area showed strong spatial heterogeneity caused by climate, topography, and external transportation links.(2) Under the combined effects of distance and spatial heterogeneity, the spatial diffusion pattern of the Yangling ASTP apple technology was expansion diffusion supplemented by hierarchical diffusion and banded diffusion, and (3) ASTP technology diffusion showed a strong distance attenuation effect, and the frictional effect of distance can be decreased by improving the diffusion environmental quality. These laws can promote regional balanced ASTP-driven development.

Designing and Realization of Database Platform of County Agricultural Production Technology in Yunnan Province

According to the objective reality in Yunnan Province,such as great difference of weather,a great proportion of minorities,technological backwardness of agricultural production,low conversion rate of research accomplishments,and a limited number of agricultural technical personnel,ASP.NET technique and SQL Server 2005 database technique are adopted.Database platform of county agricultural production technology in Yunnan Province is established by using B/S structure.This platform includes presentation layer,application layer,and data layer,involving regional information,technology column information,technology classification information,technology content and other databases.It has six functional modules,namely information browse,system management,regional maintenance,technical section maintenance,category maintenance and technical information release,integrating crop cultivation,livestock breeding,economic forest management,plant protection,agricultural products processing,agricultural machinery use and other agricultural technical information.This platform can exchange information dynamically with the client,perform the query request from users,and send the result to users.This database platform has friendly interface,profuse information,high pertinency and so on,which offers rich and reliable information resources to farmers,agricultural technical personnel,and government.At present,this platform has been popularized in some areas of Yunnan Province and has obtained good results.

Safeguard Measures for the Development of Agricultural Science and Technology Parks

Healthy development of agricultural science and technology parks needs perfect operation mechanism. On the basis of current situations,this paper came up with several safeguard measures for improving the operation mechanism of agricultural science and technology parks,mainly including organization operation mechanism,technological guarantee mechanism,fund guarantee mechanism,and talent guarantee mechanism.

Thoughts on Science and Technology Service in Provincial Agricultural Research Institutes under the New Normal:Taking Changli Institute of Pomology of Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences as an Example

In the context of the new normal of high-quality agricultural development,it is necessary to accelerate the comprehensive connection of scientific and technological services of provincial agricultural research institutes and industries,and mobilize the enthusiasm of scientific and technological service personnel.Under the new normal,traditional service types are single,technology promotion and training are becoming narrower and narrower.This article analyzed the problems in scientific and technological services of provincial agricultural research institutes,including lack of comprehensive demonstration bases,not close cooperation between scientific and technological and the government and new business entities,and lack of incentive mechanism.Finally,it came up with some pertinent recommendations such as improving supporting mechanism construction,making classified evaluation,and changing the scientific and technological service concepts.

Current Situations and Recommendations for Development of Agricultural Sci-Tech Park District of Luzhou City

The agricultural science and technology park is a demonstration carrier for the assembly and integration of agricultural technology,the transformation of scientific and technological achievements and the modern agricultural production. It is an inevitable choice and important way to realize the transformation from traditional agriculture to modern agriculture. This paper reviewed the construction background,functional characteristics and development history of agricultural science and technology parks. It analyzed the current development situations of the provincial agricultural science and technology parks in Jiangyang District,Luzhou City of Sichuan Province. Then,it summarized its experience in park construction and compared with surrounding national and provincial agricultural science and technology parks. It found existing problems including insufficient industry-university-research integration,low level of agricultural intensification,weak functions of public service platforms and brand effect,and insufficient exploration of tourism resources. In view of these problems,it came up with recommendations for development of agricultural Sci-Tech Park District of Luzhou City,including gathering scientific and technological resources,enhancing scientific and technological support,strengthening the high-quality development of the park economy,and building a national 4 A-level excellent scenic spot.

China National Engineering Research Center for Information Technology in Agriculture

China National Engineering Research Center for Information Technology in Agriculture （NERCITA） was established in 2001 with the approval of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China. As a national research institution, it mainly engages in research and development of agricultural and rural informatization engineering technology. Based on the requirements of agricultural and rural development of China, the major mission of NERCITA is to make key technology innovation, establish technical platform and develop significant products for agriculture, which focus on five aspects： intelligent information processing technology, remote sensing and geographic information system, precision agriculture, biological environment control engineering and automation technology as well as fast detection techniques of agricultural product security and the monitoring technology of farmland environmental quality. The ultimate goal is to provide a powerful technological support for agricultural modernization and rural development.

Problems in the Use of Pesticides by Farmers and Countermeasures

Pesticide safety is an important guarantee for food security.At present,there are many problems in the process of choosing pesticides by farmers,such as low discernment ability and difficulty in retroactive blame,slow replacement of medical equipment,slow promotion of technology assistance,lack of professional knowledge,difficult to grasp the key points of application,improper use of pesticides,large resistance to reducing quantity and increasing efficiency,etc.In order to use pesticides rationally and realize safe production,countermeasures and suggestions on pesticide application are put forward from the aspects of drug development and application,promotion of biopesticides,change of farmers concept and cultivation of new farmers.

A Framework for Introducing Precision Agriculture Technologies in Egypt

Precision Agriculture(PA)has been used in many countries and serving the agricultural sectors.The use of PA solutions intervened with many agricultural businesses and supported decision making using data analytics.Precision Agriculture depends on weather,soil,plants,and water information that are essential for farming.Precision Agriculture depends on the use of several technologies such as image sensors,vision machines,drones,robots,machine learning,and artificial intelligence.The use of Precision Agriculture Technologies(PAT)depends on integration between devices,sensors,and systems to ensure the proper implementation of activities.This paper is generated from research on the applicability of PA in in Egypt that ended with a proposed framework for proper implementation of it.The conducted research depended on a survey,focus group discussions,and an online questionnaire that reached 271 respondents from 19 Egyptian governorates.The framework has been developed to enhance the role of an initiative leader to promote PAT through collaboration with other stakeholders in the agricultural sector.The proposed framework can be used by governmental,non-governmental entities,universities and private sector institutions and could be used at countries facing issues with land fragmentation,limited access to information,limited access to agricultural extension services,and increase in agricultural input’s prices.

The Agricultural Cooperation Between China and Israel-Case Study of Projects in Shandong Province

China and Israel are highly complementary in the field of agriculture.China has a large population engaged in agriculture while Israel has advanced agricultural technology which meets the needs of China’s agricultural development.Since the establishment of diplomatic relations thirty years ago,agricultural cooperation between the two countries has gradually expanded and now focuses on technological innovation.The Sino-Israel agricultural cooperation project in Shandong reflects the main characteristics of the cooperation-agricultural science and technology,with multi-level participants.Agricultural cooperation is mutually beneficial and a win-win situation for both countries.With intensified competition between major powers in science and technology,however,China and Israel need to pay closer attention to the influence of third party countries in their agricultural technology cooperation.In addition,the protection of intellectual property rights,and the adaptability of imported technologies by China are issues that China and Israel need to address in their future agricultural cooperation.

A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON THE VARIATION FEATURES OF GRAIN YIELD OF CHINA IN RECENT 40 YEARS

Based on grain yield data of China, the vanation features of grain yield in China in recent 40 years and their relationships with the associated factors were analyzed. Results show that the total grain yield increased gradually, and its interannual variation is influenced principally by unit area crop yield (about 70 percent in average). The influences of agricultural technology, social factors and weather conditions on thet area crop yield can be separated because of their unique variation trends and time scales. The influence of agricultural technology is in a smoothly and gradually incremental trend, and the influence of the social factors is oscillated with three waves in recent 40 years, and the influence of weather conditions is fiuctuated sharply from year to year. Their mean effects on the inter-annual variation of unit area crop yield are about 35 to 40 percent, 10 to 15 percent and 50 percent respectively. In the view point of predictions, the effects of weather conditions are much more important.