Independent Researcher, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
School of Earth and Sustainability, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA.
Environ Manage. 2023 Sep;72(3):614-629. doi: 10.1007/s00267-023-01823-y. Epub 2023 May 11.
Increased funding and resources have become available in recent years for agricultural producers to plant cover crops to improve soil health and prevent nutrient loss and erosion; however, cover crop adoption remains relatively low and has been uneven across different Midwestern counties. This study employed a controlled comparison method to investigate the social factors affecting cover crop adoption in Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. In each state, the authors compared pairs of neighboring counties, where one county was a relatively higher adopter and the other was a lower adopter of cover crops, while controlling for variations in climate conditions. Results show that there were multiple factors explaining the difference in cover crop adoption among county pairs. Social factors included attitudes toward cover crops; conservation agency influence; presence of cover crop experts, advocates, and/or entrepreneurs; and collaboration between agencies and the private sector. Other important factors included topography, cattle raising, organic production, and local incentive-based programs. Among these, collaborations between agencies and the private sector played the most important role in explaining why some counties had higher rates of cover crop adoption compared to their neighbors.
近年来，农业生产者可获得更多的资金和资源来种植覆盖作物，以改善土壤健康状况，防止养分流失和侵蚀；然而，覆盖作物的采用率仍然相对较低，且在不同的中西部县之间不均衡。本研究采用对照比较的方法，研究了影响爱荷华州、伊利诺伊州和印第安纳州覆盖作物采用的社会因素。在每个州，作者比较了一对相邻的县，其中一个县是覆盖作物的相对较高采用者，另一个县是较低采用者，同时控制了气候条件的变化。结果表明，有多个因素可以解释县对之间覆盖作物采用的差异。社会因素包括对覆盖作物的态度；保护机构的影响；覆盖作物专家、倡导者和/或企业家的存在；以及机构与私营部门之间的合作。其他重要因素包括地形、牛养殖、有机生产和基于激励的本地计划。在这些因素中，机构与私营部门之间的合作在解释为什么一些县的覆盖作物采用率高于其邻居方面发挥了最重要的作用。
