Agricultural technology extension and social networks are the essential components of formal and informal institutions, respectively, and their influence on agricultural production has been the focus of academics. This article takes conservation tillage technology as an example, based on simple random unduplicated sampling, and uses survey data of 781 farmers in Heilongjiang, Henan, Shandong, and Shanxi provinces of China. This article empirically tests the interaction effects and heterogeneity of agricultural technology extension and social networks on farmers’ adoption of conservation tillage technology and analyzes their substitution effect or complementary effect. The results showed the following: (1) From a single dimension, both agricultural technology extension and social networks can significantly promote farmers’ adoption of conservation tillage technology, and the promotion effect of agricultural technology extension is greater. The average probability of farmers who accept agricultural technology extension and social networks adopting conservation tillage technology increases by 36.49% and 7.09%, respectively. (2) There is a complementary effect between agricultural technology extension and social networks in promoting farmers’ adoption of conservation tillage technology. The two functions complement and support each other, and this complementary effect is more evident in social networks’ reciprocity. (3) Further analysis reveals that the interaction effect between agricultural technology extension and social networks has significant group differences, technology type differences, and regional differences in farmers’ adoption of conservation tillage technology. Therefore, to facilitate the extension and application of conservation tillage technology, efforts need to be made in both agricultural technology extension and social networks, fully leveraging the complementary effects of the two. In addition, differentiated policies and measures should be adopted according to local conditions, and precise policies should be implemented for different groups and technologies.
The pivotal measure for reducing pollution and facilitating green and sustainable agriculture lies in the application of biopesticides to replace chemical pesticides. The argument still rests on whether the use of the Internet can assist farmers in selecting biopesticides or not. In light of 532 microscopic research datapoints from the largest rice-producing province in China, the Probit model was applied in this article to probe the influencing factors regarding the use of the Internet on their selection of the biopesticides by farmers, and the TAM-PR model was also adopted to explore its intrinsic mechanisms. According to the research findings, the use of the Internet directly contributed to the application of biopesticides, which can affect farmers’ decisions regarding biopesticides by means of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use in an indirect manner, and the mediating effect was 19.74% and 20.98%, respectively. The result regarding perceived risk was not significant. The use of the Internet has a remarkable effect on farmers with high incomes and large-scale operations, while it has an insignificant effect on farmers with low incomes and individual operations. It has a remarkable positive effect on farmers with high academic qualifications compared with those with low academic qualifications. Furthermore, personal, household-based production and village and green cognitive characteristics also have a significant influence on the application of biopesticides. Hence, it is of great significance to continuously facilitate the application of rural Internet usage, encourage environmentally friendly modes of production, and reduce agricultural pollution.
16 October 2026 in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
Agricultural resilience refers to the capacity of agricultural systems to respond to extreme weather events while maintaining food security and system stability, and it has become an important topic in sustainability research. Although the literature on agricultural resilience has expanded rapidly, comprehensive bibliometric assessments of this field remain limited. Based on 3221 articles published in the Web of Science Core Collection between 2003 and 2025, this study applies CiteSpace and SciMAT to systematically map the development of agricultural resilience research. This study assesses national research output, institutional contributions, collaboration networks, and keyword co-occurrence to map the knowledge structure and evolution. The results show that agricultural resilience research has progressed through three main stages: initial theoretical exploration, mid-term practical application, and recent integrative studies. Current research focuses on adaptability, ecosystem services, and integrated analytical frameworks. Despite this progress, challenges remain, including the absence of standardized measurement indicators and pronounced regional imbalances in research attention. Future studies should foster interdisciplinary collaboration, integrate technological innovation with policy analysis, and develop multi-scale assessment frameworks. These steps will guide region-specific adaptation strategies under climate uncertainty.