Green Manure Planting Incentive Measures of Local Authorities and Farmers’ Perceptions of the Utilization of Rotation Fallow for Sustainable Agriculture in Guangxi, China

Leonard Ntakirutimana,Fuduo Li,Changbin Yin,Xianlei Huang,Shu Wang

doi:10.3390/su11102723

Abstract

Planting green manure in fallow croplands in winter can bring various economic and environmental benefits, including increased food production, carbon capture and sequestration, soil retention, sandstorm prevention, water retention, and provision of habitat for biodiversity. However, the increased production cost of planting green manure reduces farmers’ willingness to adopt this approach, which is unfavorable for its sustainability. This research aims to investigate the influence of instrumental variables on farmers’ perceptions of sustainable agriculture practices, especially the use of rotation fallow, and tries to understand the relationship between farmers’ perceptions of using rotation fallow and planting green manure under incentive measures adopted by local authorities in Guangxi Province, China. Using simultaneous equation models, the results show that subsidies and planting training were the most important drivers for restoring green manure planting in the target region. These incentive measures could be further enhanced as a priority to restore green manure planting. The study also finds that socioeconomic factors such as farmer’s income, area of farmland, and labor for agricultural production have a certain influence on planting green manure planting and on farmers’ perceptions of using rotation fallow as a form of sustainable agriculture practice.

Highlights

In China, the past half-century has seen remarkable growth in food production
Modifying traditional agricultural practices could help households by finding opportunities to increase family income and, at a high enough degree, to substantially alleviate poverty [38]. This lack of interest by farmers to adopt green manure planting and use rotation fallow contradicts the goal of the government of China to raise rural farmers’ incomes and protect the environment by planting green manure and using rotation fallow as a sustainable agriculture practice
We carried out an analysis of the endogenous and exogenous factors that influence green manure planting and farmers’ perceptions

Summary

Introduction

In China, the past half-century has seen remarkable growth in food production. In 2016, about 621.4 million tons of grain was produced. Soil degradation in China has affected more than 466 million hectares It is one of the most serious agricultural, environmental [1], and socioeconomic problems [2]. The use of chemical fertilizers went from 8.8 million tons in 1978 to 58.6 million tons in 2017, a 6.7-fold increase [3] This excessive utilization generated many environmental problems, such as greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, weak quality of agricultural production, and loss of biodiversity [4]. More than 40% of arable land has been affected by soil degradation (loss of soil nutrients, salinization, acidification, and weakened ecosystem services) [5] The implications of such phenomena have been food insecurity, negative effects on the environment, and loss of ecosystem services [1]. It is necessary to plant green manure and use rotation fallow to improve soil quality and protect the environment

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Conclusion