Food security is crucial for human survival, yet global food security remains a critical and complex challenge, with one-third of the population experiencing severe food insecurity (World Health Organization, 2022), contributing to the third global food crisis in 50 years (Clapp, 2023).

China has prioritized grain security as a strategic cornerstone since the founding of the People’s Republic, achieving basic self-sufficiency through decades of targeted policies (Wu, 2023). However, the nation now faces unique challenges in reconciling its historical achievements with emerging socioeconomic demands. As socialism with Chinese characteristics enters a new era, shifting consumption patterns—marked by declining staple grain intake and rising meat demand—have exposed structural contradictions in the agricultural system. This transition has intensified the “human-livestock grain competition” dilemma (Hazra, 2014), particularly under resource constraints: China is still in the primary stage of developing its forage industry, and the severe shortage of land and water resources is seriously affecting its development (Hou, 2022). The main issue in grain security in China is the security of feed grains (Zhang, 2023; Wu, 2024), and the country faces a 50-million-ton deficit in high-quality forage (Chen et al., 2023). The “greater food concept” proposed by the Party Central Committee leverages China’s resource endowment through innovative approaches: integrating crop-livestock systems, promoting circular agriculture, and advancing biotechnology for alternative protein sources. This pathway aligns with both ecological civilization objectives and the population’s evolving dietary demands, demonstrating how China’s unique developmental stage creates laboratory conditions for redefining global food security paradigms. Current research indicates that China’s agricultural by-products (e.g., crop straw, vegetable residues, and soybean dregs) demonstrate significant potential for feed utilization. Taking corn straw in Shanxi Province as an example, elevating the feed conversion rate to above 50% could generate economic benefits exceeding 18 billion yuan. However, prevalent technical challenges—including high conversion costs, insufficient industrial chain integration, and lack of large-scale application mechanisms—remain core bottlenecks restricting the efficient utilization of these agricultural by-products (Yin and Yang, 2025; Cai et al., 2011; Tang, 2024; Qi and Zhou, 2023).

Hemerocallis citrina Baroni (Hc) is native to central-northern China and has become a raw material for food and medicine because of its high nutritional value (Guo et al., 2022; Sun et al., 2024). Hc is distributed in various regions south of the Qinling Mountains, as well as in the Hebei, Shandong, and Shanxi provinces. In 2021, the Hc planting area in Datong City, Shanxi Province reached 17,667 hm², the total output value of the entire Hc industry chain reached 4.2 billion yuan RMB. Hc is accompanied by a large number of stems and leaves after harvesting, and due to the lack of scientifically effective and economically viable processing and utilization technologies, most of the stems and leaves are treated as trash to casually discard or burned or easily used, resulting in wastage of resources and environmental pollution (Zhao et al., 2021). Reusing the stems and leaves of Hc as forage can not only alleviate the shortage of forage but also promote the healthy development of the Hc industry, protecting the ecological environment of agricultural and rural areas. Although the nutritional components of Hemerocallis citrina are predominantly concentrated in its flowers, the stems and leaves also contain abundant flavonoid metabolites. Notably, the leaves exhibit particularly diverse compositions and significant functional properties, demonstrating potential applications in antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial activities. (Shiao et al., 1962; Rodriguez-Enriquez and Grant-Downton, 2013; Karak, 2019; Lv and Guo, 2023). The utilization of Hc stems and leaves as forage is mainly based on their biological characteristics and product functions through a series of technological treatments and other forage combinations. Transforming them into forage resources that can be safely consumed and have high nutritional value is meaningful for livestock. This technology has achieved notable progress, demonstrating significant applicability in ruminant (beef cattle and Tan sheep) farming when co-ensiled with silage corn. Studies confirm that feed incorporating daylily stems and leaves complies with forage standards. Through optimized blending at a 2:3 ratio, it effectively reduces fiber components by 18–23% while improving palatability and digestibility. The formulation enhances lactic acid accumulation, suppresses proliferation of harmful microorganisms like Clostridium butyricum, and maintains stable pH levels within the ideal 4.13–4.51 range throughout the preservation period (Mei et al., 2021; Zhang et al., 2023; Zheng et al., 2024). The Shanxi Province’s forage industry technology team has accumulated certain technological expertise in the field of Hc stem and leaf forage utilization, aiming to turn the waste of Hc into treasured and recycled resources. Although the technology has good prospects, there is still a significant gap in terms of promotion and application.

The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), proposed by Ajzen (1991), is one of the most representative and widely applied theories for studying farmers’ technology adoption behavior and intention. In practical applications, TPB has been used to study the intention of college students to consume green food (He and Sui, 2024) and to explore the impact of digital literacy on farmers’ pro-environmental behavior (Lu et al., 2024). Scholars have also used TPB to study farmers’ adoption behavior regarding agricultural technology, such as water-saving technology, green manure technology, green control technology, and sustainable agriculture technology, etc. (Adnan et al., 2019; Xiang and Guo, 2023; Sarkar et al., 2022). It is a powerful tool for predicting behavior and intention (Rahmaninkoshkaki and Zarei, 2018). Thus, it is also an advantageous tool for analyzing farmers’ intention to adopt Hc-FUT.

Scientifically and effectively exploring the rational utilization and promotion of Hc stems and leaves will contribute to expanding income channels in the Hc industry, realizing a low-carbon green cycle, and supporting the country in achieving the “dual carbon” goal. This is a new proposition for promoting farmer income growth and rural ecological revitalization, especially for the Hc-planting areas in Datong City, Shanxi Province, and throughout the country. To further promote the use of Hc-FUT, we conducted field research to investigate the willingness of 225 households in Datong City to adopt Hc-FUT and the core factors affecting farmers’ willingness to adopt it. Finally, policy recommendations were proposed based on the problems encountered during the promotion process. This study aims to promote the sustainable development of the Hc industry along a “green, efficient, and circular” path, increase the supply of forage, and protect China’s food safety in multiple ways.

By integrating logistic regression with Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), this study systematically elucidates the multifaceted mechanisms influencing farmers’ adoption intention of Hc-FUT. The logistic regression model identified three significant drivers: farmers’ prior experience of feeding livestock with Hemerocallis citrina stems and leaves (X18, β = 2.00, p < 0.001), government support intensity (X19, β = 0.84, p < 0.01), and neighborhood adoption rate (X20, β = 1.13, p < 0.001). SEM path analysis further validated the psychological mechanisms underlying behavioral decisions, revealing that subjective norms exerted a significant positive influence on adoption intention (β = 0.982, p < 0.001), consistent with findings from Pan and Wang’s (2018) ecotourism research and Chen and Jiang’s (2013) ecological construction willingness study, indicating external pressures (government/neighborhood influence) dominated adoption decisions. Subjective norms also positively affected behavioral attitudes (β = 0.383, p < 0.001), aligning with Wang et al.’s (2023) findings. Perceived behavioral control demonstrated a positive impact on adoption intention (β = −0.217, p = 0.019), congruent with Nhuong and Truong (2024) and Zheng et al. (2024). Notably, the attitude-intention decoupling contrasted with Adnan et al.'s (2019) findings where attitudes strongly predicted green fertilizer adoption, and perceived behavioral control showed no significant effect on attitudes. Hypotheses H2, H3, and H5 were validated, whereas H1 and H4 were rejected.

The significant effects of X19 and X20 in logistic regression reinforce the crucial role of subjective norms in farmers’ technology adoption intention. Farmers’ prior experience of feeding livestock with Hemerocallis citrina stems and leaves exhibited stronger Hc-FUT adoption willingness, suggesting experiential learning fostered positive attitudes. However, behavioral attitudes failed to significantly influence adoption intention in SEM analysis, potentially attributable to limited technology familiarity - only 36.4% of respondents reported awareness of Hc-FUT, with merely 24% possessing relevant feeding experience (Table 1). This knowledge deficit likely hindered attitude-to-intention conversion, consistent with findings from low-diffusion agricultural innovation studies (Sarkar et al., 2022). Furthermore, the omission of risk perception variables (e.g., cost–benefit concerns), established as critical moderators in technology adoption literature (Mi et al., 2021; Giua et al., 2022), might explain the unvalidated PBC → A pathway, as risk perceptions could counteract perceived behavioral control’s positive effects.

Suboptimal SEM fit indices (RMSEA = 0.115, the ideal value should be ≤0.08; GFI = 0.890, the ideal value should be ≥0.90.) indicate systematic deviations between the Theory of Planned Behavior framework and empirical data. While TPB presupposes rational individual assessments, the collectivist context of rural Shanxi, where community norms (kinship networks, neighborhood exemplars) supersede personal attitudes, may distort theoretical intention formation pathways. Sample heterogeneity further complicates model fit - the inclusion of both livestock farmers (18%) and non-farmers introduces group disparities in resource endowment and technological needs.

This research reveals TPB’s distinctive manifestation in collectivist agricultural systems: Hc-FUT adoption decisions predominantly hinge on subjective norms. The non-significant attitude-intention relationship challenges TPB’s universal assumption about attitude centrality, highlighting cultural context’s moderating role and providing empirical evidence for TPB’s cross-cultural adaptation. Methodologically, the integrated logistic regression-SEM framework incorporating personal characteristics, household attributes, cultivation features, and psychological cognition enhances explanatory power in agricultural technology adoption research. These findings contribute to Hc-FUT dissemination strategies and China’s ongoing efforts to alleviate feed shortages through technological innovation.

Through data analysis of this survey, subjective norms had the most significant impact on farmers’ willingness to adopt yellow flower stem and leaf forage technology, followed by perceived behavioral control. Although there was no significant correlation between behavioral attitude and willingness to adopt the technology, most farmers had a positive attitude toward the technology. Therefore, theoretically implementing this technology is feasible. However, in practice, the following points need to be noted.

First, government support is an important means of effectively promoting Hc-FUT. We suggest increasing government attention and elevating the utilization of Hc stems and leaves as forage for the strategic integrated development of the yellow flower industry in counties and cities. Corresponding subsidy policies should be issued by the government as soon as possible, and the range of subsidies should include Hc stem, leaf forage, and related machinery. The government has taken the lead in formulating quality standards for HC stem and leaf forage. Supervise the entire production, processing, and sales of Hc stems and leaf forage by establishing a quality inspection system. Forage-processing enterprises should be encouraged to develop diversified Hc stem and leaf forage products to meet different breeding needs and enhance the added value and market competitiveness of Hc stem and leaf forage. Organize relevant technical personnel to regularly conduct technical training and hold exhibitions and promotion events to enhance the renown and influence of the Datong City Hc stem and leaf forage products, thereby attracting more attention and use from breeding enterprises.

Second, perceived behavioral control has a significant positive impact on farmers’ willingness to adopt yellow flower stem and leaf forage technology. Therefore, effective measures should be taken to solve the problems of insufficient machinery, labor, and knowledge regarding the use of yellow flower stem and leaf forage. Relevant scientific research institutions and enterprises should coordinate to strengthen cooperation and develop and promote suitable machinery for Hc stem and leaf forage, addressing the problem of labor shortage among farmers by leveraging the coordination of professional cooperatives.

Third, there is a need to continue to strengthen research and innovation in Hc stem and leaf forage utilization technologies. We suggest setting up special funds for innovative research and promoting the utilization of Hc stems and leaves for forage to strengthen the scientific and technological support foundation for extending the yellow flower industry chain. For example, research and development of forage-cutting machinery, nutrient composition testing of different varieties of forage grass with different proportions and combinations, testing the feeding effect on cattle and sheep, experiments on optimal cutting time, and optimal acquisition methods. Develop technical regulations and product standards for the utilization of Hc stem and leaf forage through an agricultural technology promotion service system and popularize these technologies to a vast number of farmers. Additionally, enterprises should be guided and supported in establishing Hc stem and leaf forage collection, storage, and sales systems. They should be equipped with corresponding equipment, facilities, and markets to achieve centralized collection, storage, processing, distribution, and sales of yellow flower stems and leaf forage.