The diffusion of minimum tillage in agricultural China : a study of the factors influencing the farmers’ choice of tillage system

Abstract: The Chinese government´s aim to be self-sufficient in food production in combination with the increased food consumption in China has put high pressure on the productivity within the Chinese agricultural sector (He j et al, 2010). In order to increase the productivity, modernization and adoption of new farming techniques are essential. The opportunity to adopt and import foreign technology has lately been possible in China, as more authority and decision rights have been given to the individual farmers and the country has opened up for foreign trade (Zheng, 2012 & Fan, 1991). A more open Chinese market enables new opportunities for foreign agricultural companies to expand their businesses by introducing their products to Chinese farmers. But to succeed with this strategy the Chinese farmers must be willing to adopt these, for them new innovations. Minimum tillage is a tillage practice used worldwide that is suitable in northern China where drought and erosion are the main problems in the crop production (pers.com., Arvidsson, 2012). Potential users’ opinion of new innovations such as minimum tillage is closely related to adoption (Rogers, 2003). This study aims to increase the understanding of the diffusion of the minimum tillage practice, by examine the Chinese farmers’ opinion of it. The study is based on qualitative interviews conducted in the two provinces Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia located in northern China. Interviews with eight farmers were held, where different aspects regarding the opinion of minimum tillage were examined. This study reveals that there are big differences in how the minimum tillage practice is perceived. In the Heilongjiang Province, where the practice has been adopted the farmers find it to be a suitable solution to their existing problems and a general positive opinion of the practice is stated. In the Inner Mongolia Province, where the practice has not been adopted, the farmers do not find the practice to be a suitable solution to their existing problems and in general they have a negative opinion of the practice. The farmers in both areas perceive the external factors such as governmental support to be positive towards minimum tillage, and they find the practice possible to implement in their farm organisations. However, these factors are not found to explain the adoption decision exclusively. It is instead the perceived economic and biological benefits in tandem with the influences from neighbours that are found to affect the opinions to a large extent.