This paper examines the use and continued use of contour cultivation in Yunnan Province. Descriptive analysis shows that even with easy-to-adopt conservation practices such as contour cultivation, we do not observe high rates of adoption without subsidy or monetary incentives. Multivariate analysis shows that households with larger plots, more fertile land and male and younger decision makers are more likely to use contour cultivation. Households relying more heavily on agricultural income tend to continue to use contour cultivation. The findings suggest that the trends in China's agriculture sector (increasing off-farm employment, aging and more female farmers on farm) are not conducive to the use of soil conservation practices. To alleviate soil erosion problems, the government should increase investment in agricultural extension and provide farmers with monetary incentives to encourage the adoption of environmental conservation measures. Policies should also target marginal land where conservation efforts may be lacking.

本文对等高栽培在云南省的应用和延续进行了研究。描述性分析表明，即使采用易于采用的保护措施，如等高种植，如果没有补贴或金钱奖励，我们也不会观察到高使用率。多变量分析表明，耕地面积较大、土地较肥沃的家庭和男性较年轻的决策者更倾向于等高耕作。严重依赖农业收入的家庭倾向于继续使用等高耕作。研究结果显示，中国农业部门的趋势(非农就业增加、老龄化和农场女性农民增多)不利于土壤保护措施的使用。为了缓解土壤侵蚀问题，政府应该增加对农业推广的投资，并向农民提供货币奖励，以鼓励他们采取环境保护措施。政策还应针对可能缺乏保护措施的边际土地。