Mechanisms of capital endowment’s influence on farmers’ adoption of low-carbon fertilization technologies

Agriculture is critical in global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, making promoting low-carbon agricultural technologies essential for sustainable development. Drawing on survey data from 1,008 grain farmers in Shandong Province, this study develops a moderated mediation model within the expanded "resource-cognition-behavior" framework to explore how capital endowment affects adopting low-carbon fertilization technologies (LCFTs). The analysis reveals three key findings. First, capital endowment significantly promotes LCFT adoption, with natural capital driving organic fertilizer substitution and human capital facilitating soil testing and formula fertilization. Second, value cognition-particularly ecological value-is a crucial mediating path. Third, environmental regulation strengthens these effects through guidance and incentive-based instruments. Notably, the study introduces information capital as a novel dimension, highlighting the role of digital literacy in adoption behavior. Heterogeneity analysis further shows that environmental regulation has stronger moderating effects among large-scale farmers and those in central and eastern Shandong. This research advances the theoretical understanding of green agricultural transformation by enriching the resource-based behavioral framework and provides empirical evidence to support regionally differentiated and capital-sensitive policy design.