In China, wheat straw incorporation (WSI) is the most popular way of utilizing wheat straw. WSI can manage agricultural residues to improve soil quality and avoid open burning in fields. However, farmers have been reluctant to implement WSI, which hinders sustainability. This study collected first-hand data about 1027 wheat growers, and used a Logit model to explore the influence of perceived value, government regulation, and their interaction on farmer willingness to adopt WSI. The results also reveal the differences between farmers with different farm sizes, as well as differences in other characteristics impacting WSI willingness. The study found that implementing government regulations and increasing the positive perceived value by farmers can effectively improve farmer willingness to adopt WSI. For example, government subsidies and farmers’ perceptions about cost-related risks impact farmer willingness. There is an interaction effect between government regulation and perceived value with respect to farmer willingness. Policy outreach could effectively strengthen the positive impacts of farmers’ perception of social benefits on farmer willingness. Government subsidies could effectively weaken the negative impacts of farmers’ perception of cost-related and time-related risks on farmer willingness. Farmers with different sized farms are influenced differently by government regulation and perceived value. The willingness of large-scale farmers to adopt WSI is generally influenced by government regulation and perceived value; in contrast, the willingness of traditional farmers is mainly influenced by policy outreach and perceived economic benefits.

The harmonization of rural human -land relations, centered on the interaction between rural livelihoods and land use, is crucial for sustainable rural development. This study explores the relationship between rural households’ livelihood capital status and land use effects (LUEs) in Qufu City, Shandong Province, China. The analysis is based on data collected through a triangulation method, combining quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (interview) approaches. Using a coupling degree (CD) model and a coupling coordination degree (CCD) model within a human -land system framework, this study evaluates the coupling and coordination between rural households’ livelihoods and land use as subsystems. It also examines the impact of LUE and CCD on rural households’ livelihood strategies through Skinner’s reinforcement theory. Results indicate variable CD and CCD across households with different livelihood strategies. In particular, the CD for the four household types ranged from 0.9 to 1, denoting a high-level coupling stage, with off-farm employment-oriented households registering the highest degree of 0.996. In CCD, professional households achieved a high degree of 0.761, whereas the others displayed a medium coupling coordination stage between 0.5 and 0.7. Professional households and balanced households showed superior LUE and CCD, with more than 50% of these households planning to maintain their original strategies. By contrast, households with off-farm employment-oriented or conventional strategies exhibited low LUE and CCD, with fewer than 50% of these households planning to retain their initial strategies. Professional agriculture-based livelihood strategies help improve the livelihood levels of farmers and promote the rational use of cultivated land resources, thereby making them particularly attractive to households engaged in agricultural production. This research contributes insights valuable for promoting the sustainable development of rural households’ livelihoods and land use.