How Does Technological Empowerment Influence Farmers’ Choices? — A Study on the Effect of Capital Endowment on Straw Utilization Behavior from the Perspective of the Internet of Things

This study investigates how digital empowerment via the Internet of Things (IoT) reshapes the influence of farmers’ capital endowments on straw utilization decisions. Based on survey data from 440 farming households in Liaoning Province, China, we employ a Logit model and a moderated mediation framework to explore these impact mechanisms. Our findings reveal that higher economic capital significantly promotes straw utilization, while IoT-enabled technologies enhance farmers’ risk perception channels, enabling more informed decision-making. The novelty of this research lies in integrating traditional capital endowment theory with IoT-driven digital transformation, demonstrating that IoT precision regulation can partially substitute for direct government interventions by reducing policy costs. These insights provide actionable recommendations for policymakers to accelerate the digital transformation of agricultural straw management through targeted subsidies, technical training, and data platform co-construction.