Drivers of conservation management practice adoption and intensity in Kentucky

Farmers often adopt combinations of conservation management practices (CMPs) implemented in-field or at the edge-of-field to obtain synergistic agronomic, economic, and environmental benefits. In Kentucky, prior studies have documented drivers of multi-practice use, but less attention has been given to separating factors associated with initial CMP adoption from those associated with CMP intensity among adopters. We analyzed survey data from 101 Kentucky farmers using a probit model for CMP adoption and a zero-truncated negative binomial (ZTNB) model for adoption intensity. Overall, 46.5 % of respondents adopted at least one CMP, and most adopters implemented more than one practice. The most common practices were crop rotation, cover cropping, nutrient management, and tillage practices, while double cropping was least common and concentrated in only a few counties. Probit results indicate that precision agriculture use, irrigation, education above the college level, and off-farm income dependence were positively associated with CMP adoption, whereas indemnity payments per acre and slope were negatively associated with adoption. Among adopters, ZTNB results show that CMP intensity increased with education above college and higher information intensity, while off-farm income dependence reduced intensity. Moderate-income households adopted more CMPs than the lowest-income group, and county-level indemnity payments and slope were not significant at the intensity stage. These findings indicate that the drivers of CMP adoption differ from the drivers of CMP intensity, with human capital and information access essential for scaling up CMP portfolios in Kentucky. • CMP adoption and intensity have different drivers. • Technology use and education increase adoption. • Information access and moderate income increase intensity. • Indemnity and Slope reduce adoption only.