Agriculture in the Urbanizing Chesapeake Bay Watershed: Views on Water Quality, Agricultural-Related Conflicts, And the Adoption of Nutrient Management Plans

This dissertation analyzes Chesapeake Bay Watershed (CBW) agriculture by exploring residents' views on water quality issues, agriculture-related conflict, and farmers' adoption of nutrient management plans. The following questions were asked: What is the level of concern among non-agricultural and agricultural residents about water quality issues in local streams and waterways and the CBW, and to whom do the two groups attribute water quality problems? What are nonfarming residents' and farmers' levels of support for various interventions outlined in previous research on water quality issues in local streams and waterways and the CBW? What is the level of nonfarming residents' and farmers' concerns about their proximity to one another due to nuisance generated by farming activities and complaints by nonfarming residents in CBW? Have these concerns led to conflict between farmers and nonfarming residents in CW, including potential solutions? How do the theories of planned behavior (TPB) and diffusion of innovations attributes (DOI) help to understand farmers' future intention to use NMPs? The first study used survey data from non-agricultural and agricultural residents in the southern part of the CBW (Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware) to quantitatively explore the residents' perceptions of water quality issues, causes, and interventions in the southern part of the CBW. Results show farmers were less likely to see water quality as poor than nonfarming residents. To address both urban lawn and farm nutrient runoff, utility and tax credits were highly supported by both residents and least supportive of laws and litigation requiring a behavior change. The second study also utilizes data from the two surveys (non-agricultural and agricultural residents survey) and key informant interviews conducted in Howard County, Maryland, to examine urban-agricultural tension in the CBW. Findings indicate that farmers were more concerned about legal actions against them, while nonfarming residents were more concerned about exposure to chemicals/pesticides. Findings also show that addressing the concerns requires multifaceted strategies focused on education, communication, community engagement, and policy development. The third paper explores the social-psychological reasons regarding farmers' adoption of NMPs to test a proposed framework that integrates the TPB and DOI attributes. Findings indicate that relative advantage and compatibility were positively associated with attitudes toward NMPs, while complexity was negatively associated with attitude. There was also a positive relationship between compatibility and perceived behavioral control and observability and subjective norms related to NMPs.