How Does the Government Regulation Affect Farmers’ Soil Remediation Behavior?—Based on a Mediation Effect Analysis of Farmers’ Cognition

The total area of soil degradation in China is about 460 million hectares, and the problem of soil degradation needs to be solved urgently. Can government regulation, as an important means to encourage farmers to use soil remediation technology, and guide farmers to improve their awareness and thus promoting their adoption? Based on the survey data of 403 rural households in Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces of China, the orderly probit model was used to empirically analyze the direct effects of government regulations on various soil remediation behaviors of rural households. Factor analysis was used to measure the cognition level of policy effectiveness, ecological benefit, social value and subject responsibility, and their effect on the government regulation is analyzed through the intermediary effect model. It was found that farmers in loess area had good soil remediation behavior and adopted 3 remediation techniques on average. The influence of different government regulations on farmers' soil remediation behavior is heterogeneous. Government subsidies and technical training significantly promoted farmers to implement soil remediation behavior, while publicity and education had no significance and negative impact. Further mechanism test showed that policy cognition and subject responsibility cognition played a positive moderating role, while social value cognition and ecological benefit cognition played a negative masking effect. The influence of propaganda and training on farmers' soil remediation behavior was 42.69% and 32.73% through social value cognition by masking effect. Therefore, it was necessary to put more allowances, carry out in-depth and meticulous publicity and education, broaden technical guidance channels, and adhere to the combination of rewards and punishments, to promote farmers' scientific soil testing and precision fertilization, and improve the agricultural green development mechanism.