Online Survey

Reducing chemical fertilizer use is a critical goal for Japanese agriculture. To accelerate the adoption of new technologies, it is essential to understand why farmers' evaluations differ. This study investigates how these evaluations vary by farming type (grain, fruit, and vegetable), using "MAP-mixed liquid fertilizer" － a novel fertilizer from recycled resources like sewage sludge － as a case study. We surveyed 650 farmers nationwide, applying Best-Worst Scaling (BWS) to measure their preferences for seven key technological attributes. The BWS analysis revealed distinct priority patterns. Grain and vegetable farmers prioritized economic and functional attributes, specifically "cost reduction" and "component adjustability." In contrast, the fruit farmer group prioritized "cost reduction" just as highly, but also strongly valued quality-related attributes, namely "increased sugar content" and "taste balance improvement." To understand the drivers behind these preferences, a Beta regression analysis was conducted. This confirmed that farm characteristics influence the choices. For instance, large-scale grain and vegetable farmers placed a higher value on "component adjustability," while fruit and vegetable farmers sensitive to high fertilizer costs showed a stronger preference for "cost reduction." These findings demonstrate that a one-size-fits-all approach to technology dissemination is ineffective. Strategies must be precisely tailored to the unique needs of each farming type, such as emphasizing "management efficiency" for grain farmers versus "quality and cost benefits" for fruit farmers.