{"id":{"repo_id":"texas-state","oai_identifier":"oai:digital.library.txst.edu:10877/23101"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/texas-state/oai:digital.library.txst.edu:10877/23101","repository":{"repo_id":"texas-state","name":"Texas State University","base_url":"https://digital.library.txst.edu/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Motivation, Challenges, and Farm Resilience: Examining Cover Crop Adoption using a Survey Approach","abstract":"Erratic weather, shifting rainfall, and rising temperatures are making agriculture more vulnerable, highlighting soil health practices like cover crops key to boosting climate resilience. Despite cover crops benefit for soil health and sustainability, adoption remains low at ~5% in the USA. Cover crop adoption depends on a “complex web” of multilevel and multiple factors of demographics, farm characteristics, and perspectives, whereas the regional difference is large. Adoption rates vary by region due to irrigation, farm types, and cost-share program, with the Heartland (10%) and Northern Great Plains/Prairie Gateway (11%) of the additional net returns to farmers for no-till farming practices. Texas, especially South Texas, has low adoption (0.8% of its total cropland) due to several barriers warranting further study. This research studies the cover crop adoption likelihood considering farm characteristics (41-80% of off-farm income (p<0.1), irrigation (p<0.01), demographic, and perspectives of farmers using a survey approach in Texas. The result shows that farming experience over 2 years (p<0.01), primary operator (p<0.01), and farm size of 200-500 acres (p<0.1) are more likely to adopt cover crops. Whereas, adoption is hindered by conventional tillage, hard to operate cover crops (p<0.01), farm size over 1000 acres with irrigation (p<0.01), and lack of cost-share programs. However, partners’ positive view (p<0.1) promotes adoption and cover crops increases environmental resilience among adopters. The perspectives of farmers reveal practical implications of institutional technical support, community engagement, and cost-share programs that can increase farmers’ interest for extension use of cover crops.","abstract_html":"Erratic weather, shifting rainfall, and rising temperatures are making agriculture more vulnerable, highlighting soil health practices like cover crops key to boosting climate resilience. Despite cover crops benefit for soil health and sustainability, adoption remains low at ~5% in the USA. Cover crop adoption depends on a “complex web” of multilevel and multiple factors of demographics, farm characteristics, and perspectives, whereas the regional difference is large. Adoption rates vary by region due to irrigation, farm types, and cost-share program, with the Heartland (10%) and Northern Great Plains/Prairie Gateway (11%) of the additional net returns to farmers for no-till farming practices. Texas, especially South Texas, has low adoption (0.8% of its total cropland) due to several barriers warranting further study. This research studies the cover crop adoption likelihood considering farm characteristics (41-80% of off-farm income (p&lt;0.1), irrigation (p&lt;0.01), demographic, and perspectives of farmers using a survey approach in Texas. The result shows that farming experience over 2 years (p&lt;0.01), primary operator (p&lt;0.01), and farm size of 200-500 acres (p&lt;0.1) are more likely to adopt cover crops. Whereas, adoption is hindered by conventional tillage, hard to operate cover crops (p&lt;0.01), farm size over 1000 acres with irrigation (p&lt;0.01), and lack of cost-share programs. However, partners’ positive view (p&lt;0.1) promotes adoption and cover crops increases environmental resilience among adopters. The perspectives of farmers reveal practical implications of institutional technical support, community engagement, and cost-share programs that can increase farmers’ interest for extension use of cover crops.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Amin, Bonny"],"institution":"Texas State University","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"Masters","degree_discipline":"Integrated Agricultural Sciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Liu, Xiangping"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":["Dey, Madan M.","Racelis, Alexis"],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-08","date_published":"2025-08","updated_at":"2026-07-27T21:22:34Z","subjects":["cover crops","adoption","irrigation","farm characteristics","Texas"],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10877/23101","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Liu, Xiangping"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Dey, Madan M.","Racelis, Alexis"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Amin, Bonny"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-10-15T14:48:42Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-08"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Integrated Agricultural Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Texas State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["cover crops","adoption","irrigation","farm characteristics","Texas"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10877/23101"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Erratic weather, shifting rainfall, and rising temperatures are making agriculture more vulnerable, highlighting soil health practices like cover crops key to boosting climate resilience. Despite cover crops benefit for soil health and sustainability, adoption remains low at ~5% in the USA. Cover crop adoption depends on a “complex web” of multilevel and multiple factors of demographics, farm characteristics, and perspectives, whereas the regional difference is large. Adoption rates vary by region due to irrigation, farm types, and cost-share program, with the Heartland (10%) and Northern Great Plains/Prairie Gateway (11%) of the additional net returns to farmers for no-till farming practices. Texas, especially South Texas, has low adoption (0.8% of its total cropland) due to several barriers warranting further study. This research studies the cover crop adoption likelihood considering farm characteristics (41-80% of off-farm income (p<0.1), irrigation (p<0.01), demographic, and perspectives of farmers using a survey approach in Texas. The result shows that farming experience over 2 years (p<0.01), primary operator (p<0.01), and farm size of 200-500 acres (p<0.1) are more likely to adopt cover crops. Whereas, adoption is hindered by conventional tillage, hard to operate cover crops (p<0.01), farm size over 1000 acres with irrigation (p<0.01), and lack of cost-share programs. However, partners’ positive view (p<0.1) promotes adoption and cover crops increases environmental resilience among adopters. The perspectives of farmers reveal practical implications of institutional technical support, community engagement, and cost-share programs that can increase farmers’ interest for extension use of cover crops."]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["Text"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["1 file (.pdf)"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Motivation, Challenges, and Farm Resilience: Examining Cover Crop Adoption using a Survey Approach"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Liu, Xiangping"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Dey, Madan M.","Racelis, Alexis"],"dc:creator":["Amin, Bonny"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-10-15T14:48:42Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-08"],"dc:description.abstract":["Erratic weather, shifting rainfall, and rising temperatures are making agriculture more vulnerable, highlighting soil health practices like cover crops key to boosting climate resilience. Despite cover crops benefit for soil health and sustainability, adoption remains low at ~5% in the USA. Cover crop adoption depends on a “complex web” of multilevel and multiple factors of demographics, farm characteristics, and perspectives, whereas the regional difference is large. Adoption rates vary by region due to irrigation, farm types, and cost-share program, with the Heartland (10%) and Northern Great Plains/Prairie Gateway (11%) of the additional net returns to farmers for no-till farming practices. Texas, especially South Texas, has low adoption (0.8% of its total cropland) due to several barriers warranting further study. This research studies the cover crop adoption likelihood considering farm characteristics (41-80% of off-farm income (p<0.1), irrigation (p<0.01), demographic, and perspectives of farmers using a survey approach in Texas. The result shows that farming experience over 2 years (p<0.01), primary operator (p<0.01), and farm size of 200-500 acres (p<0.1) are more likely to adopt cover crops. Whereas, adoption is hindered by conventional tillage, hard to operate cover crops (p<0.01), farm size over 1000 acres with irrigation (p<0.01), and lack of cost-share programs. However, partners’ positive view (p<0.1) promotes adoption and cover crops increases environmental resilience among adopters. The perspectives of farmers reveal practical implications of institutional technical support, community engagement, and cost-share programs that can increase farmers’ interest for extension use of cover crops."],"dc:format":["Text"],"dc:format.medium":["1 file (.pdf)"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10877/23101"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:subject":["cover crops","adoption","irrigation","farm characteristics","Texas"],"dc:title":["Motivation, Challenges, and Farm Resilience: Examining Cover Crop Adoption using a Survey Approach"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Integrated Agricultural Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Texas State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T21:22:34Z"}