Diffusing Water Conservation and Treatment Technologies to Nursery and Greenhouse Growers

Abstract

Nursery and greenhouse operations require significantly large amounts of water to maintain product quality and often use more than what is needed by the crop being grown. The nursery industry’s use of water is highly criticized and adds to arguments against agricultural water use with increasingly limited water resources available globally. The purpose of this study was to explore the barriers and motivators associated with nursery and greenhouse growers’ adoption of water conservation and treatment technologies. In-depth interviews were conducted with 24 operators across the U.S. to identify their perceptions of new water-saving technologies and treatments based on the five attributes of an innovation identified by Rogers (2003). The findings revealed growers are aware of water-saving technologies and the rate of adoption depends on a variety of factors including: perceived cost, lack of ability of their workforce to use the new technology due to its complexity, and belief that their product will be worth more if it is grown in an environmentally-friendly manner. Barriers to adoption included the high cost of replacing equipment, incompatibility with existing systems, and the perception that new technologies do not fit in with the traditional hands-on approach to horticulture. Suggested extension programs to reach growers include developing materials that highlight the economic benefit of adoption and cost recovery, YouTube videos that reduce issues with perceived complexity growers can use with their workers, and programs that emphasize how technology fits in with the culture of the horticulture industry.

Social and Economic Aspects of Water Use in Specialty Crop Production in the USA: A Review

“…Existing and emerging technologies and practices can help achieve improvements in water quality and conservation. However, when faced with a complex decision on whether to engage in new practices or the adoption of new technologies, growers may be motivated differently to act or not act based on a variety of internal and external influences including their personal values and beliefs, the beliefs of those they trust, potential or current regulations, level of knowledge, and prior experience [12,13]. The difficulty is that humans, in general, tend to be reluctant to change behaviors unless they deem it advantageous over their current practice.…”

“…It is important to understand grower perceptions and attitudes in order to encourage proactive engagement in pro-environmental practices, because behavior change is complex. Current research suggests cognitive indicators, contextual considerations, and multivariate influences focused on factors that relate to risk/gain, culture/demographics, values/beliefs, and specific knowledge all need to be considered in the decision-making process related to emergent technologies and best management practices [12,[17][18][19]. Rogers [15] identified specific characteristics of innovations that can make implementation more attractive.…”

“…Practices and technologies that are most likely to be adopted will: 1) have a clear advantage over what is currently being used; 2) will be compatible with the existing infrastructure (therefore some practices will be readily adopted by some and not by others); 3) will be simple to learn to use; and 4) will be easily tested to ensure they work [15]. Lamm, et al [19] reported the opportunity to use new water treatment and conservation technologies on a trial basis could both positively and negatively influence nursery and greenhouse growers' eventual adoption, depending on the type of experience the grower had while using the conservation technology.…”

“…Through qualitative interviews of 20 U.S. nursery and greenhouse growers, Lamm et al [12] found that stakeholders' adoption of water conservation technologies may be hindered by perceived cost and complexity. According to Lamm et al [19], protecting "natural resources was the most frequently mentioned motivator for water conservation" and growers were found to care deeply about how they compare to their peers and how they are perceived by customers in terms of environmental stewardship. Dennis et al [20] identified incompatibility of new practices as a primary barrier to change when studying sustainability within nursery and greenhouse operations.…”

“…Extension and other professionals can increase the likelihood of adoption by showing growers how new technologies are compatible with their existing systems while emphasizing ease of implementation, financial benefits, and decreased production risk to the operation [21]. Additionally, professionals can encourage growers to adopt new technologies and practices by activating social norms among this audience [19].…”