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Voluntary versus Mandatory Agricultural Policies to Protect Water Quality: Adoption of Nitrogen Testing in Nebraska
Author(s) -
Bosch Darrell J.,
Cook Zena L.,
Fuglie Keith O.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
applied economic perspectives and policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.4
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 2040-5804
pISSN - 2040-5790
DOI - 10.2307/1349651
Subject(s) - agriculture , business , turnover , quality (philosophy) , water quality , agricultural economics , natural resource economics , economics , geography , management , ecology , philosophy , epistemology , biology , archaeology
Agriculture is among the principal contributors of nonpoint source pollution, a major cause of impaired water quality (Puckett). The amount of agricultural pollution depends in part on agricultural practices or technologies that farmers employ. In the United States, policies for changing farmers' practices related to soil conservation and water quality protection have usually relied on voluntary adoption of new practices. Policy tools to promote voluntary adoption include extension education, technical assistance, and cost sharing. In recent years, both state and federal water quality projects have been initiated targeting these different approaches to different areas. Increasingly, however, regulation is being used by the Federal Government and by states to mandate the adoption of practices by farmers (United States Environmental Protection Agency 1993; Ribaudo and Woo). To date, little research has been undertaken on the relative effectiveness of regulatory and incentive approaches. While the immediate goal of adoption may be more easily achieved by regulation, that regulation will not necessarily lead to the proper or desired use of the practice. This article investigates the relative effectiveness of incentive projects and regulation to promote both adoption of nitrogen (N) testing and the use of information from the tests to adjust N fertilizer use.