Adopter characteristics and adoption patterns of minimum tillage: Implications for soil conservation programs

A population of farmers in three central Iowa watersheds were surveyed on their use of conservation practices. A temporal distribution by date of adoption was created for the farmers for generally applicable conservation practices. Personal, social, and economic characteristics of the farmers were examined relative to time of adoption, and comparisons were made with the characteristics of traditional adopter types. Results show a similarity between adopters of conservation practices and innovative practices in general. Implications for soil conservation programs are discussed.