title: The Potential for Conservation Tillage Adoption in the San Joaquin Valley, California: A Qualitative Study of Farmer Perspectives and Opportunities for Extension.
abstract: Conservation tillage (CT) systems have a number of potential benefits including lower crop production costs and the ability to reduce soil erosion that have made them common in several regions of the world. Although CT systems have been researched and successfully implemented on some farms in California's San Joaquin Valley (SJV), overall adoption is low and the reasons for the region's comparatively low rates of adoption are not known. In 2011, we conducted written surveys and interviews with SJV farmers to identify characteristics of farmers who adopt or do not adopt CT, to determine reasons for non-adoption of CT, and to learn how successful CT adoption takes place in the SJV. We found that a universally acceptable definition of CT needs to be developed in order for effective research, outreach and communication on CT. Our research, which examined CT adoption within the expected progression of the diffusion of innovation model, suggested that larger and less diverse farms were more likely to use CT. Most farmers expressed transition to CT as a continuous learning process. Further, we conclude that gaining meaningful experience with CT practices by researchers in the local context is also a large component of successful adoption.
authors.affiliation: Department of Land, Air and Water Resources Department, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Anne V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Bossange
authors.affiliation: John Muir Institute of the Environment, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Kandace M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Knudson
authors.affiliation: Plant Science Department, California State University, Fresno, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shrestha
authors.affiliation: California Association of Resource Conservation Districts, Arroyo Grande, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Harben
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Jeffrey P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D002140:California; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D018556:Crops, Agricultural; D000067565:Farmers; D006801:Humans; D012987:Soil
chemical_list: D012987:Soil