Determinants of minimal soil disturbance adoption over time and in the face of climate vulnerability

Abstract

ABSTRACT Minimal soil disturbance (MSD) can reduce soil degradation and ensure agricultural sustainability. This study examines MSD adoption status (i.e. long-term non-adoption, dis-adoption, late-adoption and long-term adoption) and their determinants. Datasets of 1,659 Bangladeshi rice-farm households were utilized from the Bangladesh Integrated Household Surveys of 2013, 2016 and 2020. Long-term non-adopters (58%) are those who did not practice MSD in any survey years, dis-adopters (23%) are the households who abandoned MSD after practicing in a given period of time, late-adopters (13%) are the households who adopted later than their peer, and long-term adopters are the households (6%) who practiced MSD for three survey years. We used an ordered logit model to find out the determinants of four types of adoption. Heavy rainfall (p < 0.05) and storm vulnerability (p ≤ 0.01) decrease the likelihood of long-term adoption of MSD. Farmers are more likely to be long-term adopters with increasing salinity vulnerability and improving soil organic matter (SOM) level in farm-fields (p ≤ 0.01). Larger farm-size (p ≤ 0.1) and higher education years of female household members also increase long-term adoption, implying that strengthening farm-households’ socio-economic status is the driver of MSD adoption. This study suggests designing and implementing policies, tailored based on different climate hazards vulnerability to improve MSD adoption.