@article{Westra:13380,
      recid = {13380},
      author = {Westra, John V. and Olson, Kent D.},
      title = {FARMERS' DECISION PROCESSES AND ADOPTION OF CONSERVATION  TILLAGE},
      address = {1997},
      number = {1701-2016-139452},
      series = {Staff Paper P97-09},
      pages = {35},
      year = {1997},
      abstract = {In a transect survey of crop residue levels in 1995 and  1996, two Minnesota counties had very different percentages  of cropland with desired residue cover even though the soil  types were similar.  To gain a better understanding of the  reasons behind this difference, the farmers in these two  counties were surveyed about their use or lack of use of  conservation tillage practices.  A statistical logit  analysis of survey responses showed farmers are more apt to  adopt conservation tillage if they are larger; are more  concerned about erosion on their land; have made a recent  major investment in the farm; use other producers for  tillage information; have the management skill for  conservation tillage; and believe conservation tillage will  fit with their production goals and the physical setting of  their farm. Two counterintuitive findings are the negative  effects of the ease of finding information and the degree  of control of the adoption decision.  The costs and labor  requirements of conservation tillage were important but not  as statistically significant as those factors just listed.   Some variables, that are often listed as potentially  important factors, were not found to be important in this  survey.  These included the long-term viability of the  farm; the age, education, and experience of the farmer; the  debt level of the farm; whether a family member wanted to  continue farming; the proportion of land rented; the use of  other sources for tillage information; the complexity of  conservation tillage practices; the producer's planning  horizon; the risk of negative returns; the availability of  support for conservation tillage systems; and the quality  of conservation tillage information.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/13380},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.13380},
}