Eanes Francis R, Singh Ajay S, Bulla Brian R, Ranjan Pranay, Prokopy Linda S, Fales Mary, Wickerham Benjamin, Doran Patrick J
Department of Environmental Studies, Bates College, 7 Andrews Rd, Lewiston, ME, 04240, USA.
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Purdue University, 195 Marsteller St, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
Environ Manage. 2017 Nov;60(5):974-988. doi: 10.1007/s00267-017-0927-z. Epub 2017 Aug 30.
Nonpoint source pollution from agricultural land uses continues to pose one of the most significant threats to water quality in the US, with measurable impacts across local, regional, and national scales. The impact and the influence of targeted conservation efforts are directly related to the degree to which farmers are familiar with and trust the entities providing the information and/or outreach. Recent research suggests that farmers consistently rank independent and retail-affiliated crop advisers as among the most trusted and influential sources for agronomic information, but little is understood about whether farmers are willing to receive advice from crop advisers on the use of practices that conserve soil and water, and, if so, whether crop advisers will be perceived as influential. We present survey data from farmers (n = 1461) in Michigan's Saginaw Bay (Lake Huron) watershed to explore these questions. Results suggest that farmers view crop advisers as trustworthy sources of information about conservation, and influential on management practices that have large conservation implications. We discuss these results, along with perceived barriers and opportunities to crop advisers partnering with traditional conservation agencies to enhance the impact of voluntary conservation programs.
农业用地的非点源污染仍然是美国水质面临的最重大威胁之一，在地方、区域和国家层面都产生了可衡量的影响。针对性保护措施的影响和作用，直接取决于农民对提供信息和/或推广服务的机构的熟悉程度和信任程度。近期研究表明，农民一直将独立的和与零售相关的作物顾问列为最值得信赖且最具影响力的农艺信息来源，但对于农民是否愿意接受作物顾问关于水土保持措施使用的建议，以及如果愿意，作物顾问是否会被视为有影响力，人们了解甚少。我们展示了来自密歇根州萨吉诺湾（休伦湖）流域农民（n = 1461）的调查数据，以探讨这些问题。结果表明，农民将作物顾问视为有关保护的可靠信息来源，并且在对水土保持有重大影响的管理实践方面具有影响力。我们讨论了这些结果，以及作物顾问与传统保护机构合作以增强自愿性保护计划影响时所面临的感知障碍和机遇。
