An Empirical Research On Jiangsu Present Households Choosing New Varieties Of Grain Crops

This paper is to study the behavior of Jiangsu peasant households choosing new varieties of grain crops, using the technology choice and technological innovation diffusion theory. A survey of 318 households planting grain crops was conducted in order to analyze the factors influencing households to choose new varieties of grain crops. And the Logit models were employed to analyses micro-factors influencing households' willingness and choosing behavior.Technological choice actions are greatly influenced by macroeconomic environment. Because of the great importance of food production, government plays an important role in food production system. Through inspection on the changes of seed market of China and Jiangsu Province, policies greatly influence households' choice.Descriptive analysis on households' choice shows that, agricultural technology extension stations are the main channels to purchase grain crops' seeds and access to information. Households are mostly concerned with the quality and productivity of seeds. The characteristics of seeds (such as disease-resistant, lodging -resistant) would influence the choice.The findings of empirical research on households' choice indicate, family scale, land fragmentation, household income, previous year's cultivation, income from previous year's cultivation, agricultural technology extension activities, etc., have significant effects on households. And there are obvious differences between different areas of Jiangsu.The analysis on the households' willingness to choose new varieties of grain crops shows that, age of the head-household, volume of agricultural labor, agricultural technology extension activities, etc., have significantly positive effects on the behavior of choosing and land scale, household income, income from sales of the previous year and other factors, have significantly negative effects.By empirical research, this research mainly discloses macro and micro factors influencing peasant households' behavior, supplies some information to related institutions. To grasp the characteristics of households' choice of grain crops new varieties, and to research and development new varieties adapting to local ecological environment and peasant households being in urgent need of, will be greatly helpful to the sustainable agricultural development and food productivity of Jiangsu Province.