Farmer adoption of cover crops in the western Lake Erie basin

Abstract

Runoff from agricultural nutrient applications is the most significant human factor leading to phosphorus (P) loading and water quality issues in western Lake Erie. Recent research shows that cover crops, which can be effective at reducing nutrient runoff and preserving soil health, have a very low adoption rate among farmers living in the western Lake Erie basin compared to other recommended best management practices. In order to identify ways to improve outreach and engagement to increase adoption, we used multinomial logistic regression to assess the socioeconomic and psychological factors that influence farmers' willingness to adopt cover crops. The model indicates that farmers were more likely to be using cover crops already if they were more willing to take risks, more educated, owned more acreage, had a higher sense of control over nutrient loss, and had greater response efficacy (i.e., stronger beliefs about the effectiveness of cover crops at reducing P runoff). Farmers were more willing to adopt cover crops in the future if they were younger, had a stronger conservation identity, owned more acreage, had less gross farm income, and had greater response efficacy. Consistent with previous findings, emphasizing the effectiveness of cover crops at achieving relevant outcomes (e.g., reducing P loss, improving soil health, etc.) and highlighting how to achieve the benefits may be one way to encourage farmers to adopt this practice regardless of individual differences in education, land tenure, and other factors. A stronger belief in the benefits over time should help minimize the short-term risk associated with cover crop adoption, and decrease the uncertainty that many farmers associate with cover crop implementation.