Factors influencing farmers’ decisions on nitrogen fertilizer application in the Liangzihu Lake basin, Central China

Jin Zhang (), Günther Manske, Pi Qi Zhou, Bernhard Tischbein, Mathias Becker and Zhao Hua Li
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Jin Zhang: Hubei University
Günther Manske: University of Bonn
Pi Qi Zhou: Union Hospital affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Bernhard Tischbein: University of Bonn
Mathias Becker: Universität Bonn
Zhao Hua Li: Hubei University

Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, 2017, vol. 19, issue 3, No 2, 805 pages

Abstract: Abstract Overuse of nitrogen (N) fertilizers in agriculture activities has caused severe water pollution in China. The lack of data at producer level hampers decision makers in the development and implementation of efficient policies to curb excessive N-fertilizer use. In a survey of 300 farm households in the Liangzihu Lake basin, we identified factors associated with farmers’ decisions on N-fertilizer use and application rate. Household survey and multiple linear regression models indicate that the average application rate in the study region is 229 kg N ha−1, which exceeds the recommended rate for maximum profit for cereal crops (maize, wheat, and rice) in China of 150–180 kg N ha−1. High N-application rates are associated with low farmland productivity (coefficient = −15.66, p = 0.02), a high share of off-farm income (coefficient = 27.14, p = 0.003), and a low education level of the household head (coefficient = −10.83, p = 0.039). Neither physical infrastructure nor access to input markets appears to be related to N-application rates. It may be concluded that excessive use of N in agriculture of Central China is mainly a problem of insufficient awareness and high share of off-farm income.

Keywords: Chemical fertilizer; Farmers’ behaviour; Fertilizer management; Nitrate pollution; Overuse (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1007/s10668-016-9765-z

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