Influence of Information Sources on Technology Adoption in Apple Production in China

Linjia Yao, Gang Zhao (), Changqing Yan, Amit Kumar Srivastava, Qi Tian, Ning Jin, Junjie Qu, Ling Yin, Ning Yao, Heidi Webber, Eike Luedeling and Qiang Yu ()
Additional contact information
Linjia Yao: College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Gang Zhao: College of Soil and Water Conservation Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Changqing Yan: College of Intelligent Equipment, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Taian 271019, China
Amit Kumar Srivastava: Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation, University of Bonn, Katzenburgweg 5, 53115 Bonn, Germany
Qi Tian: College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Ning Jin: Department of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Shanxi Institute of Energy, Jinzhong 030600, China
Junjie Qu: Guangxi Crop Genetic Improvement and Biotechnology Key Laboratory, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning 530007, China
Ling Yin: Guangxi Crop Genetic Improvement and Biotechnology Key Laboratory, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning 530007, China
Ning Yao: College of Water Resources and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Heidi Webber: Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Eberswalder Straße 84, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany
Eike Luedeling: Horticultural Sciences, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation, University of Bonn, Auf dem Hügel 6, 53121 Bonn, Germany
Qiang Yu: College of Soil and Water Conservation Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 16, 1-25

Abstract: China holds the largest apple cultivation area globally, yet yields per hectare remain relatively low. Despite substantial government investment in modern orchard technologies, adoption remains limited among farmers. This study investigates the economic and sociological drivers of technology uptake, focusing on how information sources shape adoption behavior. Based on 382 farmer surveys across major apple-producing provinces, the study examines (1) farmers’ preferences for agricultural information sources, (2) the influence of demographic characteristics on those preferences, and (3) the differential effects of specific sources on the adoption of key technologies, including dwarf rootstocks and virus-free seedlings. Results show that agri-chemical dealers (ACDs) and farmer peers (FPs) are the most commonly used information channels. Access to advice from local experts (EXPs) significantly increases the likelihood of adopting dwarf rootstocks, while information from ACDs promotes the use of virus-free seedlings. In contrast, reliance on personal farming experience is negatively associated with technology uptake. These findings highlight the need to strengthen formal information dissemination systems and better integrate trusted local actors like ACDs and EXPs into agricultural extension. Targeted information delivery can improve adoption efficiency, promote evidence-based decision-making, and support the modernization and sustainability of China’s apple sector.

Keywords: apple production; technology adoption; agricultural extension; information networks; rural sociology (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: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/16/1785/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/16/1785/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jagris:v:15:y:2025:i:16:p:1785-:d:1729121

Access Statistics for this article

Agriculture is currently edited by Ms. Leda Xuan

More articles in Agriculture from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().