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Effectiveness of Integrated Pest Management Dissemination Techniques: A Case Study of Potato Farmers in Carchi, Ecuador

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2015

Maria Mauceri ,
Jeffrey Alwang ,
George Norton  and
Victor Barrera
Maria Mauceri
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
Jeffrey Alwang*
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
George Norton
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
Victor Barrera
Affiliation:
Assessment Division, INIAP, Santa Catalina Experiment Station, Quito, Ecuador
*
*2151 Hutcheson Hall, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA. Telephone: 540-231-6517, fax: 540-231-7417, e-mail: alwangj@vt.edu
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Abstract

Potato farmers in Ecuador rely on chemical inputs to manage pests and optimize yields. Integrated pest management techniques lower production costs, reduce pesticide exposure, and improve long-term agricultural sustainability. Public extension does not, however, exist in Ecuador, and cost-effective means of communicating complex messages to producers are needed. We analyze cost-effectiveness of alternative dissemination methods, including farmer field schools (FFS), field days, pamphlets, and word-of-mouth transmission. Field days and pamphlets have strong impacts on adoption, especially considering their low costs. FFS are effective, but expensive. Evidence also indicates significant diffusion from FFS to non-FFS farmers, indicating high complementarity across methods.

Keywords

Ecuadorfarmer field schoolsintegrated pest managementtechnology adoptiontechnology disseminationQ01Q16
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics , Volume 39 , Issue 3 , December 2007 , pp. 765 - 780
Copyright
Copyright © Southern Agricultural Economics Association 2007

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