Reducing agrochemical inputs while maintaining productivity is essential for sustainable agriculture and food security. To bridge the gap between conventional and organic systems and inform evidence-based promotion strategies, this study examines how farmers with different existing farming systems perceive and respond to an intermediate farming method characterized by minimal agrochemical use (≤1/8 of conventional levels) in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. A survey of 120 farmers was classified into organic (OA, 34.2%), reduced-input (RA, 28.3%), and conventional (CA, 37.5%) groups. Chi-square tests and binary logistic regression were employed to examine group differences and identify predictors of adoption intention. Adoption willingness varied significantly across groups (χ2 = 24.46, p < 0.001): RA farmers showed the highest willingness (88.2%), followed by CA farmers (68.9%), while OA farmers were least willing (34.1%). Logistic regression identified farmer type (OA vs. CA: OR = 0.148, p = 0.001) and adoption conditions including health safety assurance (OR = 3.687, p = 0.026) and higher profitability (OR = 3.897, p = 0.040) as significant predictors. These findings highlight the importance of tailored extension strategies and evidence-based policy support to facilitate adoption across diverse farmer groups.
Wang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.