ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Understanding Farmers’ Behaviors and Driving
Factors Toward Phosphorus Security of Crop
Farming in Chaohu Watershed, China
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1
School of Earth and Environment, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China
2
Shool of Life Science, WuChang University of Technology, Wuhan 430223, China
Submission date: 2020-04-18
Final revision date: 2020-08-12
Acceptance date: 2020-08-18
Online publication date: 2020-12-10
Publication date: 2021-02-05
Corresponding author
Huijun Wu
School of Earth and Environment, Anhui University of Science and Technology, No. 168 Taifeng Road, 232001, Huainan, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2021;30(2):1865-1879
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ABSTRACT
Phosphorus (P) is not only an essential nutrient required for plant growth, but also a pollutant with
eutrophication. This brings a significant challenge to farmers, the main executive agent of farming. The
study develops a model to determine farmers’ behaviors impacting P security of farming, and analyzes
drivers of these behaviors. The results illustrate the farmers’ behaviors including sowing method,
application of compound fertilizer, application of phosphate fertilizer, harvesting method, application
of seed, and disposal of livestock manure have greatly impacted the P security in the farming system,
in turn. Concerning with the factors obviously driving these key behaviors, farmers’ income, prices
of goods, application skill, acceptance of skill training, mechanization level, and regulation of waste
disposal, etc. are explored, which are classified into four categories: market and purchasing, personal
characteristics, planting condition, and regulation. Thus, the study highlights the opportunities for
managing P, including improving mechanization level, raising farmers’ environmental awareness,
increasing efficiency of fertilizer application, optimizing planting condition, and improving capacity
of waste treatment. Moreover, conducting further research on impact mechanism from various
stakeholders, more environmental impacts, large temporal and spatial scales, and high quality of data
may be necessary in the future.