Study On The Effect Of Land Fractionation On The Intensity Of Pesticide Application By Farmers

As the "umbrella" for crops,pesticides play an important role in stabilizing and increasing agricultural production.However,in recent years,due to the excessive use of pesticides,caused a large number of ecological and health problems.Although the use of pesticides in China has gradually decreased with the continuous promotion of the "two reduction" policy,the rate of decline has slowed down,while the overall use of pesticides is still at a high level.For a long time,land fragmentation has had many negative effects on agricultural production.So is the application of pesticides,one of the important agricultural production inputs,also affected by land fragmentation? If so,in what ways does land fragmentation affect the intensity of pesticide application?What can be done to mitigate or even eliminate the effects of land fragmentation?Exploring the above questions is of great practical significance to further promote pesticide reduction and achieve green and low-carbon agricultural development.Based on this,this paper explores the impact of land fragmentation on the intensity of pesticide application by farmers and the underlying mechanisms using735 questionnaire data from farmers in Hubei Province.First,the existing literature is summarized and analyzed to clarify the relationship between land fragmentation and farmers’ pesticide application behavior from a theoretical perspective,and the hypothesis is proposed in a targeted manner.Then,we use empirical data to test the hypothesis and employ a multiple regression model to explore the relationship between land fragmentation and farmers’ pesticide application intensity,and use a mediating effect model to investigate the influence of application methods and negative externalities of neighboring farmland.Finally,the moderating effect model was used to analyze the moderating role of social services in the influence of land fragmentation on the intensity of pesticide application by farmers.The main findings from this study are as follows.First,land fragmentation significantly increased the intensity of pesticide application by farmers.The higher the degree of land fragmentation cultivated by farmers,the higher the likelihood of increasing pesticide inputs in their rice production.In addition,heterogeneity analysis revealed that the effect of land fragmentation on pesticide application intensity was more pronounced for farmers who did not have part-time employment,had a small farming scale,and had a high degree of rice commercialization.Second,there are mediating effects of negative externalities of neighboring farmland and application methods in the effect of land fragmentation on the intensity of pesticide application by farmers.Land fragmentation increases the intensity of pesticide application by increasing the negative externalities of neighboring farms and changing the application methods of farmers,which in turn increases the intensity of pesticide application by farmers.Third,social services play a moderating role in the effect of land fragmentation on the intensity of pesticide application by farmers.Social services can significantly reduce the positive effect of land fragmentation on the intensity of pesticide application by farmers.Based on the above findings,this study proposes the following policy recommendations.First,the importance of land fragmentation should be increased and the impact of land fragmentation should be reduced by using differentiated strategies.The objective fact of land fragmentation needs to be fully considered when reducing the intensity of pesticide application,and adequate attention should be paid to the problem of land fragmentation in key populations.At the same time,policy rules should be formulated for different groups of people to accelerate the efficiency of promotion.Second,further promote pesticide reduction and refine policy approaches.Continue to promote pesticide reduction through new policies,optimize subsidy policies for biological pesticides,promote new types of pesticides,and promote farmers’ adoption of drone application to help farmers reasonably reduce farming costs.Third,promote social services and the concept of correct pesticide application.From the objective level,help farmers solve the problem of land fragmentation and reduce the incidence of pesticide over-application.From the subjective level to change farmers’ perceptions,to help farmers master the concept of scientific application and the correct way to deal with land fragmentation.