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Modelling Fertilizer Use in Relation to Farmers’ Household Characteristics in Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China

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Listed:
  • Lihua Ma

    (College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China)

  • Jiupai Ni

    (College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China)

  • Luuk Fleskens

    (Soil Physics and Land Management Group, Wageningen University, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands)

  • Han Wang

    (College of Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK)

  • Yunqing Xuan

    (College of Engineering, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK)

Abstract

Non-point source pollution from excessive use of fertilizers in agriculture is a major cause of the eutrophication problem in China. Understanding farmers’ decision-making concerning fertilization and identifying the influencing factors in this process are key to tackling overfertilization and related pollution issues. This paper reports a study on modelling decisions about fertilizer use based on data collected from 200 farmer households in the Three Gorges Reservoir area of China, using a well-fitted artificial neural network (ANN) with incorporated variance-based sensitivity analysis. The rate of fertilizer use estimated from the model is in good agreement with observed data. The model is further validated and tested by comparing the simulated and observed values. Results show that the model is able to identify the influencing factors and their interactions causing the variation in fertilizer use and to help pinpoint the underlying reasons. It is found that the farmers’ fertilization behavior is greatly affected by the area of cultivated land, followed by the interaction among farmers’ education level, annual income, and awareness of the importance of environmental protection. Future land consolidation is one of several ways to achieve more sustainable fertilization strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Lihua Ma & Jiupai Ni & Luuk Fleskens & Han Wang & Yunqing Xuan, 2021. "Modelling Fertilizer Use in Relation to Farmers’ Household Characteristics in Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-17, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jagris:v:11:y:2021:i:6:p:472-:d:559505
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Wenhao Song & Chunhui Ye, 2022. "Impact of the Cultivated-Land-Management Scale on Fertilizer Reduction—Empirical Evidence from the Countryside of China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-15, July.
    2. Wijdane Rhioui & Jamila Al Figuigui & Rachid Lahlali & Salah-Eddine Laasli & Abdellatif Boutagayout & Moussa El Jarroudi & Saâdia Belmalha, 2023. "Towards Sustainable Vegetable Farming: Exploring Agroecological Alternatives to Chemical Products in the Fez-Meknes Region of Morocco," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-23, April.
    3. Venkatachalam Kasthuri Thilagam & Sandrasekaran Manivannan & Om Pal Singh Khola, 2023. "Deriving Land Management Practices for Reduced Nutrient Movement from an Agricultural Watershed Using the AGNPS Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-14, February.
    4. Kaiwen Chen & Shuang’en Yu & Tao Ma & Jihui Ding & Pingru He & Yao Li & Yan Dai & Guangquan Zeng, 2022. "Modeling the Water and Nitrogen Management Practices in Paddy Fields with HYDRUS-1D," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-18, June.
    5. Jiahong Yuan & Xiaoyu Li & Zilai Sun & Junhu Ruan, 2021. "Will the Adoption of Early Fertigation Techniques Hinder Famers’ Technology Renewal? Evidence from Fresh Growers in Shaanxi, China," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-17, September.
    6. Hao Li & Huina Liu & Wei-Yew Chang & Chun Wang, 2023. "Factors Affecting Farmers’ Environment-Friendly Fertilization Behavior in China: Synthesizing the Evidence Using Meta-Analysis," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, January.

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