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The value of insect management to US maize, soybean and cotton farmers
Author(s) -
Hurley Terrance M,
Mitchell Paul D
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
pest management science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.296
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1526-4998
pISSN - 1526-498X
DOI - 10.1002/ps.5974
Subject(s) - hectare , integrated pest management , sowing , yield (engineering) , pest analysis , agronomy , agriculture , crop , bt cotton , cost–benefit analysis , agricultural science , toxicology , biology , horticulture , ecology , materials science , metallurgy
BACKGROUND Most US maize, soybean and cotton farmers use Bt crops, insecticidal seed treatments, soil‐applied insecticides, and foliar sprays to manage insect pests. Given the global economic importance of these crops, we examine farmer benefits of this insecticide use. Using a telephone survey, we document pest management practices and concerns, estimate adoption and farmer perceived values for these practices, and determine factors besides yield and cost that impact adoption and perceived value. RESULTS Seed‐based technologies (Bt seed, seed treatments) dominated insecticide use. Almost 80% of respondents' planted hectares used Bt crops and more than half used seed treatments, while about one‐sixth used soil insecticides and one‐sixth to one‐third used foliar insecticides. Perceived farmer values per treated hectare were greatest for Bt cotton and foliar insecticides in cotton, especially after first bloom. Values for maize and other cotton insecticide uses were greater than for soybean. Aggregating over treated areas, the largest total values for each crop were for seed‐based technologies. In addition to yield and cost, farmers showed significant concern for economic risk and human and environmental safety when making pest management decisions. These non‐monetary concerns significantly affected the likelihood farmers used these practices and their perceived value. CONCLUSION For these crops, seed‐based insecticides dominate farmer insecticide use and the value they derive from insecticides. Because seed purchase is months before planting, farmers rely on risk‐based integrated pest management to make pest management decisions, weighing both monetary and non‐monetary factors when deciding whether the risks are sufficient to justify the use of insecticides. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry