Abstract:

[Purpose/Significance] The rapid advancement of digital technologies has created substantial opportunities for promoting green agricultural transformation in China. Digital literacy plays a pivotal role in enabling large-scale farmers to understand and apply modern agricultural technologies, thereby shaping their willingness to adopt environmentally-friendly production practices. As the core actors in agricultural production, farmers' digital competence and their perception of new quality productive forces (PNQPF) directly influence how they respond to digital innovations and participate in green production. However, existing research has not yet established a systematic measurement framework for PNQPF, nor has it clarified the multi-stage cognitive mechanisms through which digital literacy affects farmers' green production willingness. [Method/Process] Drawing upon grounded theory and empirical investigation, this study adopted a mixed-method approach. First, in-depth interviews were conducted with diverse groups of large-scale farmers in northern and southern regions of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, generating a rich textual corpus for qualitative analysis. Through open coding, selective coding, and theoretical coding, two fundamental cognitive dimensions - perception of labor tools and perception of labor objects - were identified, forming the basis of an eight-item PNQPF scale. In the quantitative stage, a structured survey was administered to 352 large-scale farmers across four provinces (Xinjiang, Shaanxi, Gansu, and Qinghai) andNingxia Hui Autonomous Region in Northwest China. The dataset encompasses demographic characteristics, operational features, digital literacy indicators, PNQPF perceptions, and evaluations of green production willingness. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were employed to validate the construct reliability and structural robustness of the PNQPF scale, while regression-based mediation and moderation modeling enabled a systematic examination of the pathways, through which digital literacy influences green production willingness. This integrated analytical framework provides a comprehensive and evidence-based foundation for understanding farmers' decision-making processes in digital agricultural environments. [Results/Conclusions] The findings indicate that digital literacy significantly enhances farmers' willingness to adopt green production practices. Both cognitive dimensions of PNQPF - perception of labor tools and perception of labor objects - serve as key psychological mechanisms, exerting independent mediating effects and jointly forming a chain mediation pathway. This suggests that digital tools not only improve farmers' operational efficiency but also deepen their understanding of production objects, thereby reinforcing environmentally responsible behavior. Digital infrastructure further strengthens the impact of digital literacy on PNQPF, highlighting the importance of a supportive digital environment in amplifying farmers' behavioral transformation. Based on these insights, this study suggests that enhancing farmers' digital competence, improving regional digital infrastructure, and promoting targeted digital extension services are essential for advancing green agricultural development. Nevertheless, the sample is concentrated in Northwest China, where regional disparities in digital development and agricultural structure may limit the generalizability of the findings. Future research should expand the sample scope, incorporate longitudinal data, and explore the evolving role of digital technologies in shaping farmers' production decisions.

Key words: digital literacy, perception of new quality productive forces, perception of labor tools, perception of labor objects, green production willingness