Transition pathways for Malaysian paddy farmers to sustainable agricultural practices: An integrated exhibiting tactics to adopt Green fertilizer

Highlights

• Inclusive outline on the existing hurdles for farmer’s adoption of GFT.

• Framework of the theoretic standpoints which have been developed for the adoption behavior and considerate consumer intentions in the direction of GFT.

• Researcher recognizes the loopholes and restrictions in the current research studies and proposes prospective ideas in areas which extensive investigation is necessary to bring about a solid contribution GFT.

• 4 Cost moderate the relationship between farmer’s behavioral intention and adoption of GFT.

Abstract

Sustainable agriculture mainly depends on the efforts and abilities of farmers that depend on the rational decisions and actions taken by them with the help of their practical knowledge and information. Recent advances in the field of nanomaterials such as graphene possess the significant potential benefits for both agriculture and the environment. Therefore, for promoting sustainable agriculture farmer’s outlook needs to be more towards the social approach rather a technocratic approach. The purpose of this research is to examine paddy grower’s perception of productive paddy farming in peninsular Malaysia. So, for this study, a sample of 74 paddy farmers had adopted to have their insights and opinions about predefined sustainable practices of farming. Altogether 86 items were factor analysed and eventually, there are five main factors, policy, namely, environmental, economic and social and communication which was acknowledged to construct a perception of sustainability by considering the sustainable agricultural practices among Malaysian paddy farmers insights were characterized mainly into three groups like low, medium and high-level insights. This was considered as the dependent variable of the ordered research model, whereas socioeconomic characteristics and communication behaviour variables were used as a variable. The results of this research model reflected that communication channels, environmental factors, socio-psychological, socioeconomic aspect, and innovation attributes education level, age, participation in farming events and productive using of knowledge the perception of sustainable farming lead to the adoption of GFT among Malaysian paddy farmers. The government should be more focused towards policy linked with the issues like illegal paddy entry, plus social elements such as increasing the level of socialization and communication between stakeholders, researchers, a scientist in the region and giving out some special programs related to farming.

Introduction

In Malaysia, agriculture involves crops planting, fishery, and livestock rearing (Adnan et al., 2017a, 2017b, 2017c, 2017f, 2017g). Sustainable agricultural practices are the central aspect that the government is some other stages of production that involves this process (Masud et al., 2017). Moreover, being an operational tool in disabling poverty as well as bringing food to the population agriculture remains an essential chunk of the society (Hayrol et al. 2010). Therefore, agriculture considered and evergreen segment for the above-specified roles.

Many Asian countries have triggered by the global economic meltdown of 2007, Malaysia left with no exception, instead of focusing on maintaining agriculture as a good contributor of income (Nguyen and Kim, 2019). The government’s continuous efforts for backing the agriculture sector, it is seen in every mentioned Malaysian plan by the help of giving a massive chunk of the budget for the agriculture sector (Adnan et al., 2019). The Ninth Malaysia Plan (RMK-9), have witnessed that government escalate up the struggles to lift agriculture activities in the region, through forming state-of-the-art projects which include HIP-ZIA (High Impact Project-Aquaculture Industrial Zone), TKPM (Permanent Food Production Parks), Agropolitan, and some other projects of contract farming (Mannan et al., 2017a,b). It is seen that for improving the rural community, the government is much obsessed about this sector mainly for the community development in context to socio-economic growth (Fahmi et al., 2013).

Therefore, it should be the essential primacy of government hunting a way out that should tackle the challenges about product innovation (Shamshiri et al., 2018). The challenges that farmers are facing in performing agriculture tasks can be solved by equipping farmers using information and knowledge and skills because it has great potential to tackle these issues (Thestar, 2019). As to increase the practice of technology among farmer, abundant determinations have been made, such as exploiting the agro-based knowledge addition and quick assistance (Adnan et al., 2017a, 2017b, 2017c, 2017f, 2017g). These are the websites that are mainly designed, intended to be instructive and user –friendly. Agro-Based Industry and Ministry of Agriculture, such as their website is occupied with propagating information that can benefit to farmers. Rigg et al. (2018) explained that for farmers, adoption GFT means are very helpful for paddy production. Like by the implication of GFT farming community can get their desired production which can be up to the consumption mark (Mohammad MU'Az Hashim et al., 2017). Samah et al. (2009) explained the significance of GFT resources promotion, which is very much essential as the agriculture community mainly dependent on word of mouth promotion and information that can be obtained through their immediate surroundings. (Hassan et al. 2009). Adnan et al. (2017e) described for the active collaboration and communication between extension officers, the farming community and agriculture organizations beyond the distance hurdle, ICT resources gives an easy way out (Adnan et al., 2017a, 2017b, 2017c, 2017f, 2017g). Moreover, these resources are even economic than using the telephone (Tey et al., 2014).

Paddy Farmers even have the flexibility of choosing GFT and its available resources in terms of materials and time (Adnan et al., 2019). According to (Obiechina, 2004) the application of GFT further helps them to form link among related workforces, it could be farmers and other development agencies as well. Adnan et al. (2017d) explained that communication also gives chances to farmers to step in the new market place and target new customer segments through the internet. “Mobile telephony” is a successful example of the communication in about GFT application that informs farmers about relevant news of agriculture like weather forecasts and different trends of the targeted business market (Baumüller, 2012). Utilizing advanced nanomaterial graphene as a fertilizer carrier enhances the overall fertilizer efficiency with great nutrients uptake by plants reducing the environmental impacts and lowering the cost for farmers over conventional fertilizers (Kabiri et al., 2017). According to the researchers, the University of Adelaide, graphene tailored fertiliser carrier increases the strength of the fertiliser granules for better transport and spreading ability and acts as an effective mean for the carriage of micronutrients to plants advantageous for both agriculture growth and environment (The University of Adelaide, 2018). Therefore, these types of modernizations considered many gainful towards farmers. Also, these modernizations help ultimately to raise and progress their living standard as well. The national approach, all in all, the centre is around diminishing the dependence on incompetent outside specialists by empowering the farming business players to mix capital-intensive mechanization of agriculture technology. A research study made by Truong (Chi, 2008), concentrating on the advance adoption in the Mekong Delta was nominated for reference. In the Asian region, The Mekong Delta region is extensively recognized for its vast productive and constructive plantation paddy region. To boosts, the production of yield some technologies is established, such as “three-reductions-three gains, “Green Fertilizer technology” GFT.

For example, the number of time the fertilizer used during paddy yield can be reduced by using the GFT, plus it also provides ease in running out the process of paddy plantation and higher pest resistance(Mohammad MU'Az Hashim et al., 2017). Pointed out another method developed that has been verified to boost the yield of rice using improving practices of nutrient absorption, sunlight and productive root system and transplanting (Mohammad Mu’az Hashim et al., 2015). Last of all to minimize the quantity of hired labor needed for post-harvest and save the loss of grain caused by sun drying, development is made called rice dryer (Mohammad Mu’az Hashim et al., 2015). Clarified that this rice dryer providing benefits since 1940 and proved to be a tight formation, while the manure with leaves under the forests and mulching were the utmost controlled fertilizers until 1974. Since then, mainly potassium-nitrogen-phosphorous 10-25-5 mixture (PNP) have been subsidized for mulching and manure (Yüksek et al., 2013). In high hilly regions and altitudes of the province, the system of an organic paddy production has developed by the government. Very few paddy farmers have adopted the system of organic paddy production in results; this effort has not reflected productive outcomes (Adnan et al., 2018a, 2018b). Piercing out the threatening issue of the sustainable practice of natural resources in the area is a division of land and fragmentation which results in having less productive farms giving no sufficient income to the family of farmers (Nawi and Zainal, 2018). This issue ultimately hits young farmers to switch their occupation at a very early stage of farming and in results they migrate from villages because they ended up no other option of continuing in that occupation and starts adopting some other source of earning their families (Rigg et al., 2019). Malaysian agricultural experts and individuals raised concerns on the significance that presently available policies of agriculture are not providing environmental friendly economically viable and socially acceptable farming in the locality (Ali et al., 2018). For that reason, precise estimations must be taken to unravel these issues and increment the commitments of the paddy division to the whole economy (Zahiid, 2019). Agriculture is a human regarded activity called farmers. Besides the ecological and agronomic agriculture perspectives, it is also reflected as a social activity through which farmers interact with rural society and effectively make decisions for their peoples like relatives and families (Adnan et al., 2017a, 2017b, 2017c, 2017f, 2017g; Walter et al., 2008; Zahiid, 2019). Thus for the promotion of sustainable agriculture, the farmer's outlook should be lifted towards the social negotiation process from a technocratic approach by GFT adoption (Adnan et al., 2018a, 2018b). Production of sustainable farming mainly depends on the ability, knowledge, and information that farmers possess to make their decisions (Adnan et al., 2017a, 2017b, 2017c, 2017f, 2017g; Martin-Shields and Stojetz, 2019). Thus it is that kind of approach that supports farmers to make use of their information and knowledge more effectively (Wang et al., 2018a,b).Moreover, the perception of sustainable farming also affects the adoption of sustainable farm practices productively (Jamal et al., 2014). Based on preceding studies, this current research is purposely scheduled to examine the perception of paddy growers of sustainable paddy farming and identification of, socio-psychological, communication and socioeconomic dynamics and innovation attribute like awareness and insights of farmers (Adnan et al., 2019; João Augusto Rossi Borges et al., 2014; Rizal et al., 2014). The significance of evaluating the subjective outlook emerges since it is considered to contain the objectives, including those accomplished and those yet to be accomplished. Pointing out that this outlook is also considered as the guiding idea of decision making and behaviour. The main reason for this research was to evaluate the perception of paddy farming of sustainable agriculture and factors disturbing the perception of Malaysian paddy farmers. The specific purposes consist of the following: Determine whether any underlined components can be distinguished among the selected items identified to the sustainable paddy farming. Develop the perception of sustainable paddy farming to farmers. Determine factors disturbing the perception of sustainable paddy farming to farmers. Develop direction for all the stakeholders associated with paddy farming in paddy MADA and IADA KADA.

The present study on GFT implementation in Malaysia is limited to discussing paddy farmers ' desire to adopt a choice (Othman & Muhammad, 2011). Furthermore, past studies have shown that most farmers are unable to understand both the "green" terminology in Malaysia and its importance (Kunasekaran, et al., 2011). Making farmers understand about innovation adoption, raising awareness of innovation through adequate channels of communication is essential (Hezri & Ghazali, 2011; Musvoto et al., 2015). Mostly, the communication models establish a set of shared variables, which explain farmers ' behaviour instantly with respect to GFT acceptance, by the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and the variable of psychological impact. Fishbein and Ajzen (1975), "Theory of Reasoned Action" (TRA) and the "Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)," created the concepts most linked to understanding the farmer's behaviours. An evaluation of the GFT implementation is suggested by Othman (2012) but in the context of the adoption decision, the writers did not indicate the financial and cultural aspect. The context of (Wauters and Mathijs, 2013) showed a growing interest in the study community as the standard variable was increasingly dissatisfied in the adoption decision on research findings. Looking at the studies (Knowler and Bradshaw, 2007), we can see that they indicated that these variables were not relevant. The scholar, therefore, tries to carry out the previous work through the extension of the framework form. Authors concentrated primarily in previous studies on different problems related to innovation according to distinct study lines such as sociology, economy, psychology, agriculture expansion, and marketing prospects. Meanwhile, this present study focuses on the implementation of agricultural technologies with the aid of TRA, TPB, TAM, DOI psychological thoughts and the mixture of communication channels in order to assess the effects of environmental decisions on GFT. Moreover, researchers discovered that in the context of paddy farmers in Malaysia the implementation of TRA, TPB, TAM, DOI model is efficient in following farmers ' choice to adopt a model. Hansson, Ferguson, and Olofsson (2012) suggest that studies on the TPB give additional knowledge about the behaviour of agricultural scientists. With TAM, Bagheri et al. (2016) clarify that farmer views were the major obstacle to the implementation of technology. While Aubert et al. (2012) results stress the importance of compatibility and the key role of farmers ' consciousness among the characteristics of innovation. In addition, the use of Graphene Oxide (GO) sheets as a new nutrient supplier results in slow release and sustained supply of micronutrients such as Zn (Zinc) and Cu (Copper) (Zhang et al., 2014). Furthermore Kabiri et al. (2017) has researched the retention of the GO-based carrier's characteristic of biphasic release nutrients, which have both a rapid release capacity (about 40 percent for the 5 h) and slow prolonged release. This emission pattern is highly desirable and beneficial to crop growth when planting needs high nutrient loads and in later stages of crop growth where a slower and continuous release of micronutrients is required. Hassan et al. (2010) conclude that Malaysia's agricultural agencies should represent on efficient communication channels for spreading the required information on agriculture and raising awareness among farming communities.