Effects of Risk Perception of Pests and Diseases on Tea Famers’ Green Control Techniques Adoption

Abstract

Green control techniques support the concept of green plant protection, advocate for the safe and reasonable use of pesticides, and finally achieve the goal of controlling pests and diseases and protecting the environment. The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of risk perception of pests and diseases on farmers’ usage intention of green control techniques. Based on 747 samples of tea farmers in Sichuan province, China, introducing the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) framework and using the Partial Least Square–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach, this paper found that risk perception has a negative impact on behavioral intention. Performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence can positively affect behavioral intention, and facilitating conditions can also positively influence usage behavior. Moreover, the mediating analysis indicated that the higher the risk perception is, the less performance expectancy of green control techniques and the weaker the behavioral intention. Meanwhile, risk perception also plays a mediating effect on the relationship between effort expectancy and behavioral intention. This study could help to provide references for policymaking to improve the adoption of green control techniques.