Self-Interested or Altruistic Motivation? Study on the Impact of Willingness to Adopt Water-Saving Irrigation Technologies in Citrus Family Farms

China faces a pronounced contradiction between the supply and demand of agricultural water resources, coupled with relatively low efficiency in agricultural water use. It is imperative to develop modern, efficient water-saving agriculture to further unlock its water-saving potential. To enhance the adoption rate of water-saving irrigation technologies among family farms, this study delves into the influencing mechanisms behind citrus family farms’ willingness to embrace such technologies, adopting a dual perspective of self-interest and altruism. This is achieved by integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Norm Activation Model (NAM). Utilizing data from a 2024 survey of 403 citrus family farms in Sichuan Province, a structural equation model is employed for analysis. The findings reveal that (1) economic expectations and efficiency evaluations positively influence the willingness to adopt water-saving irrigation technologies in citrus family farms, whereas technical risks exert a negative impact. (2) The pathway influencing the adoption intention can be summarized as “consequence awareness ® responsibility attribution ® personal norms ® adoption intention,” with the impact of consequence awareness on personal norms failing to achieve statistical significance. (3) Responsibility attribution mediates the relationship between consequence awareness and personal norms, while personal norms mediate the relationship between social norms and adoption intentions. Consequently, the government should implement publicity and guidance initiatives, enhance understanding of technological benefits, strengthen service support, mitigate perceptions of technological risks, organize educational and training programs, and boost confidence in technology adoption. By adopting a multifaceted approach, the government can foster the formation of a willingness to adopt water-saving irrigation technologies among citrus family farms.