Influence of Transfer Plot Area and Location on Chemical Input Reduction in Agricultural Production: Evidence from China

Meiling Cui, Yang Guo () and Jiwei Chen
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Meiling Cui: School of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Yang Guo: School of Management, Jiangsu University, No. 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Jiwei Chen: School of Economics and Management, Nanjing Agriculture University, Nanjing 210095, China

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 9, 1-13

Abstract: The development of a farmland transfer market and the spatial characteristics of transfer plots are crucial factors influencing chemical input reduction in agricultural production with relation to the endowment of fragmented agricultural land resources. Through a theoretical discussion, this study analyzed the heterogeneity of transfer plots’ spatial characteristics and their effect on the intensity of chemical input in agricultural production in the process of farmland transfer. Plot-level survey data from the Heilongjiang, Henan, Zhejiang, and Sichuan provinces were used for empirical analysis. The results indicated that the values of pesticide and fertilizer input in the large plot group were CNY 10.154 and CNY 8.679 lower than those in the small plot group, respectively. Additionally, compared with non-adjacent plots, the per-unit area input was CNY 2.396 and CNY 6.691 lower in adjacent plots. This indicated that plot area expansion and location adjacence significantly reduced the intensity of pesticide application and fertilizer input in the plots. Simultaneously, location linkage reduced chemical input in agricultural production in small plots; however, the difference was unnoticeable in large plots. This study provides a theoretical basis for promoting farmland integration in China as well as introduces a specialized method for reducing agricultural chemical usage.

Keywords: plot spatial characteristics; chemical input reduction; pesticide input; fertilizer input; farmland transfer; farmland scale management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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