The impact of fertilization outsourcing service on fertilizer application rate: evidence from Chinese rice farmers

Introduction The world is facing the double challenge of resource and environmental problems and agricultural production. The rampant overuse of chemical fertilizers underscores a fundamental flaw in the current development paradigm, wherein environmental consequences are routinely addressed only after they have materialized. The scientific promotion and implementation of the reduced application of chemical fertilizers is regarded as an effective solution to reduce pollution and save costs. In order to effectively alleviate the problem of overuse of chemical fertilizers, China aims to promote the use of agricultural social outsourcing services in the fertilizer application process to cope with the threat. Aim Against this background, this paper explores the relationship between fertilizer outsourcing services and fertilizer application, examines the mechanism of action, and suggests countermeasures to promote fertilizer reduction. Methods This study is based on 226 samples drawn from the survey data of Liaoning Province, sourced from the China Rural Revitalization Strategy Think Tank Data Platform in 2022 to theoretically construct an analytical framework for fertilization outsourcing, land scale, fertilizer reduction, and efficiency. The mechanism and impact of fertilization outsourcing services on rice fertilizer application were analyzed using the TOBIT and mediation effect models. Results The results demonstrated the following: (1) The adoption of outsourced fertilization services has a statistically significant negative effect on rice farmers’ fertilizer application at the 5% significance level, reducing the average application rate by 1.5 kilograms per mu; (2) Professional fertilization outsourcing service organizations effectively reduce the fertilizer application rate of rice compared with nonprofessional organizations. The coefficient is negative and statistically significant at the 5% level. Specifically, rice farmers who adopt professional services exhibit a reduction in average fertilizer application rate by 1.47 (mu/kilograms); (3) Land operation scale serves as a mediator in the relationship between the adoption of outsourced fertilization services and rice farmers’ fertilizer application. The scale of land operation has a significantly negative effect on the fertilizer application rate of rice, the coefficient of the scale of land operation was significantly negative at the 5% level. These findings provide valuable policy implications for promoting the outsourcing of fertilization services, encouraging farmers to adopt moderate-scale operations, and facilitating the reduction of fertilizer rate and improvement of application efficiency.