| At present,the restriction of resources and environment has increasingly become an important factor hindering China’ agricultural transformation.Developing new resource conservation technologies is the key strategic to realize the coordinated development of resources and environment and to promote the sustainable development of Chinese agriculture.However,the diffusion of any new agricultural technologies in rural areas is not without resistance,and farmers with limited knowledge are bound to be influenced by their social networks in the process of adopting resource conservation technologies.From the perspectives of social network,based on the hypothesis of farmers with limited knowledge and the review of relevant research,this study theoretically discusses the impact of social networks on farmers’ adoption of new resource conservation technologies in different dimensions,and influencing mechanism of social networks on farmers’ adoption of new resource conservation technologies.Then,taking the drip fertigation system(DFS)as a case,through the detailed observation of the social network and technical cognition of banana farmers in the sample area,reasonable indicators are constructed to measure the social network and technical cognition of banana farmers.Based on the survey data of 632 banana farmers in Guangdong,Hainan and Yunnan provinces,firstly,this study uses Logistic model to examine the impact of banana farmers’ social networks and technical cognition on their adoption decisions of DFS.Secondly,a mediation model is used to analyze the logical relationship between social networks,technical cognition and banana farmers’ adoption decisions of DFS.Finally,the influence mechanism about the impact of social networks on banana farmers’ adoption decisions of DFS is analyzed and compared in different sample areas.The main conclusions of this study are as follows:(1)Banana farmers’ social networks and technical cognition can significantly promote their adoption of DFS in production practices.Considering the robustness of the model,the result indicates that social networks and technical cognition can significantly promote banana farmers’ first adoption time of DFS.(2)The mediation model examines the influence mechanism of social networks on banana farmers’ adoption decisions of DFS.The results show that the “tendency”,“scope” and “mutual help” of social networks can improve banana farmers’ perception of “technology transition gradient” and “technology cognitive embeddedness”,thereby affecting banana farmers’ adoption decisions of DFS.(3)The impact of social network on banana farmers’ DFS adoption decision was heterogeneous among different regions.The regional heterogeneity analysis shows that the “technology transition gradient” and “technology cognitive embeddedness”still play the mediating role of the “mutual help” of social networks affecting banana farmers’ adoption decisions of DFS in Hainan province.However,in Guangdong province,the "strength" of social networks has a negative effect on banana farmers’ adoption decisions of DFS and technical cognition.In Yunnan province,the “prestige”of social networks has a negative effect on banana farmers’ adoption decisions of DFS and technical cognition.Based on the theoretical analysis and the above research conclusions,this study suggests that the rapid extension of new resource conservation technologies in rural areas of China should focus on farmers’ demand for technology use knowledge and the embeddedness of technologies in local cultural traditions.At the same time,we should consider the influence of farmer’s social networks on their adoption of new agricultural technologies,and the arrangement of new agricultural technologies extension should be considered from the perspective of farmer’s social networks.From the dual perspectives of social networks and technical cognition,this study offers the following reflections and suggestions,which may make the extension of new agricultural technologies with half the effort,accelerate the high-quality transformation and development of Chinese agriculture,and further promote the rural revitalization strategy.(1)The social network of banana farmers should be fully considered in the extension of DFS.In particular,we should pay attention to the heterogeneous influence of social networks on the banana farmers’ adoption decisions of DFS in different regions.In the process of DFS extension,we should pay attention to the attitude and tendency of conservative banana farmers to adopt DFS.Encourage banana farmers to exchange planting management knowledge with other farmers and help each other in agricultural production practice,and establish close social network connections.(2)We should pay attention to the change in banana farmers’ technical cognition of DFS.Governments or agro-technical extension agencies should consider the needs of banana farmers for knowledge of DFS and the embeddment of DFS in local cultural traditions.Considering the important role of farmers’ technical cognition of DFS in technology promotion,cooperation,agricultural training and guidance should be adopted to enhance the interaction between farmers and strengthen their common cognition of DFS,so as to speed up the spread of DFS in rural areas.(3)We should pay attention to the effect of interactive learning of banana farmers.Social networks also have a "negative effect" in the process of promoting the dissemination of agricultural knowledge.In the process of new technology extension,the government should further improve the promotion service system,provide an environment and platform for mutual exchange and help for banana farmers,and improve the effect of interactive learning for banana farmers. |
