Impact of social networks on fertilizer use efficiency in China: How does green fertilization technology work?

Impact of social networks on fertilizer use efficiency in China: How does green fertilization technology work? | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Impact of social networks on fertilizer use efficiency in China: How does green fertilization technology work? Fangyuan Chang, Li Liu, Yu Wang, Jundi Liu, Xiuguang Bai This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2710431/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 02 Sep, 2023 Read the published version in Environmental Science and Pollution Research → Version 1 posted 6 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Improving fertilizer use efficiency (FUE) is an effective way to reduce the fertilizer use and non-point source pollution in agriculture production in China. Existing research related to fertilizer use efficiency ignores the impact of famers’ social networks, which can significantly affect the fertilizer use and its efficiency. This study examined how farmers' social networks and adoption of green fertilization technology mediate the impact FUE in kiwifruit production in Shaanxi province, China. The results show that the kiwifruit production had a low FUE, with an average value of 0.333. Social networks positively influenced FUE, with network trust and learning having the greatest impact. Adoption of green fertilization technology mediated the social network's influence on FUE, mainly promoted by network trust and learning. Farmers’ experience in agricultural production, joining cooperative society, the quantity of village agricultural supply points had a significant positive impact on FUE, while age and gentle of the head of household had a significant negative impact of FUE. Planting scale had a U-shape impact on FUE. Policies aimed at improving FUE and reducing non-point source pollution should, therefore, focus on strengthening social networks and encouraging green fertilization technology adoption, are essential for reducing non-point source pollution and promoting sustainable agricultural production. Social networks Fertilizer use efficiency Mediator effect Green fertilization technology adoption Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 02 Sep, 2023 Read the published version in Environmental Science and Pollution Research → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Major Revision 06 Jun, 2023 Reviewers agreed at journal 08 May, 2023 Reviewers invited by journal 08 May, 2023 Editor invited by journal 24 Apr, 2023 Editor assigned by journal 13 Apr, 2023 First submitted to journal 03 Apr, 2023 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-2710431","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":198336145,"identity":"aa3767f2-51be-452e-b14b-92c0d0cce3db","order_by":0,"name":"Fangyuan Chang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Northwest A\u0026F University","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Fangyuan","middleName":"","lastName":"Chang","suffix":""},{"id":198336146,"identity":"c6b34b1a-2414-4a3b-a0a9-d4796362b694","order_by":1,"name":"Li Liu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Shaanxi Normal University","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Li","middleName":"","lastName":"Liu","suffix":""},{"id":198336147,"identity":"03964a87-354b-4b20-9c29-d6b853a8dd6b","order_by":2,"name":"Yu Wang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Northwest A\u0026F University","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yu","middleName":"","lastName":"Wang","suffix":""},{"id":198336148,"identity":"e0fac06b-ed13-428b-bbef-64fe024aa199","order_by":3,"name":"Jundi Liu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Northwest A\u0026F University","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jundi","middleName":"","lastName":"Liu","suffix":""},{"id":198336149,"identity":"0090ec45-c51e-44a4-bfb4-2530066a8753","order_by":4,"name":"Xiuguang Bai","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABAUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACAwbGBgaGChsefghfDogTiNFyJk1OsgHMNyZGCxAwth0yNjhArBZz9sNtkl/bDiRuvt1j/JmnxoCBnz3HgOHnDtxaLHsSm41lzt1J3HbnjJk0zzEDBsmeNwaMvWfwOOxAYuNjibJnidtu5G5j5mH7w2BwI8eAmbENj5bzDxsOS7AdTtw8I3fzZ55/Bgz2BLXcSGx8+KHtsLGBRO4Gad42AwYDCQJaLGc8bDYGBbLEjfxvknP7DHgkzjwrONiLR4s5f/ozyR+gqJyRlvzhzTcDOf725I0PfuLRAgLMPEgcMPsAfg3AmPxBSMUoGAWjYBSMbAAAG7VVydck1iYAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0140-208X","institution":"Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University","correspondingAuthor":true,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xiuguang","middleName":"","lastName":"Bai","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2023-03-19 12:06:33","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-2710431/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2710431/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-29508-3","type":"published","date":"2023-09-02T15:10:37+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":42782364,"identity":"ea8cd582-be6a-4ae5-ba86-76e671ad4bf0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2023-09-07 15:16:54","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":443671,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"renamed8c55d.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-2710431/v1_covered_fbba4668-db7b-4f80-b6ca-1e0ba74e007b.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"Impact of social networks on fertilizer use efficiency in China: How does green fertilization technology work?","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":true,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"environmental-science-and-pollution-research","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"espr","sideBox":"Learn more about [Environmental Science and Pollution Research](https://www.springer.com/journal/11356)","snPcode":"11356","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/11356/3","title":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Social networks, Fertilizer use efficiency, Mediator effect, Green fertilization technology adoption","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-2710431/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2710431/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eImproving fertilizer use efficiency (FUE) is an effective way to reduce the fertilizer use and non-point source pollution in agriculture production in China. Existing research related to fertilizer use efficiency ignores the impact of famers\u0026rsquo; social networks, which can significantly affect the fertilizer use and its efficiency. This study examined how farmers' social networks and adoption of green fertilization technology mediate the impact FUE in kiwifruit production in Shaanxi province, China. The results show that the kiwifruit production had a low FUE, with an average value of 0.333. Social networks positively influenced FUE, with network trust and learning having the greatest impact. Adoption of green fertilization technology mediated the social network's influence on FUE, mainly promoted by network trust and learning. Farmers\u0026rsquo; experience in agricultural production, joining cooperative society, the quantity of village agricultural supply points had a significant positive impact on FUE, while age and gentle of the head of household had a significant negative impact of FUE. Planting scale had a U-shape impact on FUE. Policies aimed at improving FUE and reducing non-point source pollution should, therefore, focus on strengthening social networks and encouraging green fertilization technology adoption, are essential for reducing non-point source pollution and promoting sustainable agricultural production.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Impact of social networks on fertilizer use efficiency in China: How does green fertilization technology work?","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2023-05-10 08:06:19","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-2710431/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Major Revision","date":"2023-06-06T05:07:28+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2023-05-09T03:46:21+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2023-05-08T14:23:19+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","date":"2023-04-24T13:19:04+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2023-04-13T05:39:48+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","date":"2023-04-03T09:55:37+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"environmental-science-and-pollution-research","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"espr","sideBox":"Learn more about [Environmental Science and Pollution Research](https://www.springer.com/journal/11356)","snPcode":"11356","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/11356/3","title":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"01b01dd0-ac13-46f2-a506-03de9db19dd6","owner":[],"postedDate":"May 10th, 2023","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2023-09-07T15:14:56+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-2710431","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-29508-3","journal":{"identity":"environmental-science-and-pollution-research","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Environmental Science and Pollution Research"},"publishedOn":"2023-09-02 15:10:37","publishedOnDateReadable":"September 2nd, 2023"},"versionCreatedAt":"2023-05-10 08:06:19","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s11356-023-29508-3","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-29508-3","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-2710431","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-2710431","identity":"rs-2710431","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"WrCJVZZCHTDjtuVLN7oU0","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}