Adoption Barriers and Willingness to Pay for Rapid Portable Germplasm Identification Technology among Smallholder Farmers: Insights from Sichuan, China

Abstract

The rapid advancement of agricultural biotechnology has increased the importance of rapid portable germplasm identification technology in supporting seed authentication, crop management, and sustainable agriculture among smallholder farmers. However, the adoption of such technology remains limited due to economic, technical, informational, and institutional barriers, while farmers’ willingness to pay for the technology is still underexplored, particularly in Sichuan. Therefore, this study aims to develop an integrated framework explaining the relationship between adoption barriers, adoption intention, and willingness to pay for rapid portable germplasm identification technology among smallholder farmers. This conceptual study adopts a systematic literature review and theory integration approach by incorporating the Technology Acceptance Model, Diffusion of Innovations, and Contingent Valuation Method. The proposed framework identifies economic barriers, technical barriers, knowledge and information barriers, trust and risk perception, and institutional support as key factors influencing adoption intention and willingness to pay. The study concludes that successful diffusion of rapid portable germplasm identification technology requires affordability, training support, institutional facilitation, and trust-building mechanisms to encourage sustainable agricultural modernization among smallholder farmers.